Effects of environmental conditions on German cockroach (Blattodea: Ectobiidae) survival

German cockroaches (Blattella germanica L.) are common indoor pests that pose a threat to public health due to their excretion of asthma-inducing allergens and their potential to transmit diseases. Their rapid growth and short generation times allow for infestations to reach high numbers quickly, and their resistance to many commonly used insecticides makes pest control difficult. Given these challenges, it is critical to better understand German cockroach biology so we can provide more effective pest management under diverse conditions. In this study, we explored the effects of diet (access to resources), temperature, relative humidity, and life stage on German cockroach survival. As expected, lower temperatures resulted in the longest survival times. When resources were absent (no food or water), higher relative humidities resulted in longer survival times, and at higher relative humidities, those treatments with access to food survived considerably longer than those without food. Understanding cockroach survival under varying environmental conditions provides insight into which factors are most important to survival and how long infestations can persist in homes. This work expands our understanding of the role sanitation can play in management efforts.