Lifespan: 2–5 years in captivity and the wild (Animal Diversity Web; Oakland Zoo); 2–3 years (University of Kentucky). Life cycle: about 2 months' internal pregnancy, 15–40 nymphs, six moults over 6–7 months (Animal Diversity Web). Care: up to about 90 °F, humidity 50%+, water dish, fruit, vegetables and some dry dog food (University of Kentucky).
Hissing cockroach lifespan
The hissing cockroach lifespan is remarkable for an insect: two to five years. Animal Diversity Web (University of Michigan) gives 2 to 5 years for both wild and captive Madagascar hissing cockroaches, Oakland Zoo says "On average up to 5 years", and the University of Kentucky's entomology department, which keeps them for teaching, gives a life span of 2–3 years. About the first seven months of that are spent as a nymph.
That makes hissers one of the longest-lived insects people keep, and far longer-lived than pest cockroaches: a German cockroach lives well under a year from the egg (see the cockroach lifespan calculator). It also means a hisser bought as an adult may already be a year old.
| Age | Stage | Share of a 2–5 year life | Typical time left |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3 months | Nymph | 5–12.5% | 21–57 months (up to 4.7 years) |
| 6 months | Nymph | 10–25% | 18–54 months (up to 4.5 years) |
| 12 months | Adult | 20–50% | 12–48 months (up to 4 years) |
| 24 months | Older adult | 40–100% | 0–36 months (up to 3 years) |
| 36 months | Older adult | 60–100% | 0–24 months (up to 2 years) |
| 60 months | Beyond typical | 100–100% | past the typical range |
The share column runs from the age as a fraction of five years (the long end) to the age as a fraction of two years (the short end). Sources: Animal Diversity Web and Oakland Zoo (2–5 years), Animal Diversity Web (adult at about 7 months).
Madagascar hissing cockroach lifespan in captivity and the wild
The madagascar hissing cockroach lifespan is about the same in both settings, as far as the published figures go: Animal Diversity Web lists 2 to 5 years for "wild" and for "captivity". In captivity the risks are the ones a keeper controls — temperature, humidity, food, water and escapes. One University of Cincinnati page gives an adult lifespan of only 6–8 months, which conflicts with every zoo and university source we found, so the calculator doesn't use it.
Hissing cockroach life cycle
The hissing cockroach life cycle has no egg case left lying around, because hissers are ovoviviparous: "The females carry the ootheca, a long yellowish egg case, internally and they release the young nymphs after the eggs have hatched" (Animal Diversity Web).
- Pregnancy: about two months — "Average gestation period: 2 months" (Animal Diversity Web); "Gestation is approximately 2 months" (Oakland Zoo).
- Birth: "Typically 15 - 40 cockroach nymphs will emerge" (Animal Diversity Web). The Saginaw zoo adds that they "emerge completely white and soft".
- Nymphs: "Nymphs molt their exoskeleton six times as they grow to adulthood, a process that usually takes 6-7 months" (Animal Diversity Web). Mothers "interact with offspring and even protect them until they fully mature and leave her side 5-10 months later" (Oakland Zoo).
- Adults: mature at about 7 months (Animal Diversity Web) and live the rest of their 2–5 years. Oakland Zoo notes that "females can mate 30 different times in their lifetime".
| Stage | Size | What it looks like | How long |
|---|---|---|---|
| Internal egg case | long and yellowish | carried inside the mother | about 2 months |
| Newborn nymph | not published | white and soft at birth | 15–40 per litter |
| Nymphs | growing with each moult | wingless, segmented | 6–7 months; 6 moults |
| Adult | 5–10 cm (2–4 in) | glossy brown, wingless; males with humps | to 2–5 years of age |
Sources: Animal Diversity Web, Oakland Zoo, Saginaw zoo. The calculator's timeline uses the same figures: nymph until about 6–7 months, adult after that, and a typical life of 2–5 years.
Male vs female hissing cockroaches
A male vs female hissing cockroach is easy to tell apart once they're adults:
| Male | Female | |
|---|---|---|
| Humps behind the head | a pair of large bumps (pronotal humps) used in combat | much smaller and smoother |
| Antennae | thicker and hairier, with sense organs for detecting females | thinner |
| Size | larger | smaller |
| Behaviour | territorial; fights other males | social; stays with and protects the young |
| Hisses | combat and courtship hisses as well as the alarm hiss | alarm hiss |
| Lifespan | 2–5 years (no difference published) | 2–5 years (no difference published) |
Sources: Animal Diversity Web ("Males possess a pair of large bumps or tubercles behind their head, these structures are much smaller in females"; males larger; males "establish territories that are defended from other adult males"; "Females and nymphs are more social"), Oakland Zoo (females "will interact with offspring and even protect them"), Wikipedia (males' "thicker, hairier antennae"). No source we found gives different lifespans for the two sexes, so the calculator uses the same range for both.
Why do hissing cockroaches hiss?
Why do hissing cockroaches hiss? To warn, to fight and to court. Unlike crickets, which rub body parts together, hissers "hiss through the breathing spiracles located on their abdomens" (Animal Diversity Web) — they force air out of the breathing holes along their sides. "Four hisses with different social purposes and amplitude patterns have been identified: a male combat hiss, two types of courting and mating hisses, and an alarm hiss" (Animal Diversity Web). The alarm hiss is the one you'll hear when you pick one up; it startles predators, since hissers are wingless and can't fly away (Animal Diversity Web; Oakland Zoo).
Hissing cockroach care for a long life
Good hissing cockroach care is simple, and it is what gets a hisser to the long end of its 2–5 years. The University of Kentucky's "Exotic bugs: care and feeding" guide gives the essentials:
- Temperature: "room temperature or warmer, up to about 90 degrees F" (32 °C). For breeding, "maintain the temperature in the high range (80-90 degrees)" (27–32 °C) and keep humidity high.
- Humidity and water: "These roaches need relatively high humidity (apx 50%+)"; heat the cage from underneath and keep "a dish of water in the cage. The dish of water will provide humidity and drinking water."
- Food: "green lettuce, apples, carrots, bananas, other fruits and vegetables. Small amounts of dry dog- or cat food should also be available to the roaches at all times." In the wild they eat mostly "decaying plant material, including fallen fruit" (Animal Diversity Web).
- Housing: "a 2.5-10 gallon aquarium or similar container. About a dozen adult roaches (plus many immature roaches) can be kept in a 2.5 gallon tank", with "a lid that is escape proof but that is also well-ventilated (to reduce mold)".
- Bedding and hides: "1-2 inches of organic (fertilizer and pesticide-free) potting soil, or coconut based 'reptile bedding,' kept slightly moist", replaced "about once a month", plus egg crates, cardboard tubes or a chunk of wood to hide under.
- Escapes: "These roaches (especially the babies) are expert escape artists"; "a 1" swath of petroleum jelly wiped around the inside of the container near the top will help keep the babies from escaping". Adults have "pads and hooks on their feet that allow them to climb smooth surfaces" (Animal Diversity Web), so glass alone won't hold them.
The optional checklist in the calculator uses exactly these points. Ticking them doesn't change the numbers — no study has measured how much each one adds — but it lists anything you've missed.
Hissing cockroach as a pet
Keeping a hissing cockroach as a pet is one of the easiest ways to keep an insect. The University of Kentucky calls giant Madagascar hissing cockroaches "the best arthropods to keep in captivity" and says they are "safe to handle"; they "will not harm one another if enough food is present". You may notice tiny pale mites clustered at the base of the legs: "The mite Androlaelaps schaeferi, formerly Gromphadorholaelaps schaeferi, is a common parasite of this cockroach" (Animal Diversity Web), living in small clumps of four to six. If they escape in a cold climate, they can't establish themselves — the Kentucky guide notes that escapees "cannot breed in the wild in Kentucky" — but never release them outdoors, and check local rules before buying. For a feeder roach that breeds faster, see the dubia roach life cycle and colony planner.
How this calculator works
- Typical lifespan: 2–5 years (730–1,826 days) from birth (Animal Diversity Web; Oakland Zoo). The University of Kentucky's 2–3 years is mentioned in the result as a shorter estimate.
- Share of lifespan: your hisser's age as a percentage of five years (low) and of two years (high).
- Time left: two years minus its age to five years minus its age, never below zero.
- Stage: nymph until about 6 months, final moults between 6 and 7 months, adult after 7 months (Animal Diversity Web), "older adult" past two years and "beyond typical" past five.
- Sex and checklist: shown in the result and used for tips, but they don't change the numbers, because no source gives sex-specific lifespans or measures the effect of each care point.
Months are converted to days at 30.44 days per month, the same as every other cockroach page on this site.
Frequently asked questions
How long do hissing cockroaches live?
Two to five years in captivity and in the wild (Animal Diversity Web); Oakland Zoo says up to 5 years and the University of Kentucky 2–3 years.
How long do Madagascar hissing cockroaches live as pets?
Usually 2–5 years, with about the first 7 months as a nymph (Animal Diversity Web).
How long are hissing cockroaches pregnant?
About two months (Animal Diversity Web; Oakland Zoo). The female carries the egg case inside her body.
How many babies do hissing cockroaches have?
15–40 nymphs per litter (Animal Diversity Web; Oakland Zoo).
How long does a hissing cockroach take to grow up?
6–7 months and six moults (Animal Diversity Web).
How can you tell a male hissing cockroach from a female?
Males have two large humps behind the head and thicker, hairier antennae; females' humps are much smaller (Animal Diversity Web; Wikipedia).
Why do hissing cockroaches hiss?
To warn predators, fight rival males and court females. They push air out of their abdominal spiracles; four hiss types are known (Animal Diversity Web).
What temperature do hissing cockroaches need?
Room temperature or warmer, up to about 90 °F (32 °C); 80–90 °F to breed (University of Kentucky).
Can hissing cockroaches climb glass?
Yes — they have pads and hooks on their feet (Animal Diversity Web). Use an escape-proof lid and a band of petroleum jelly (University of Kentucky).
Do hissing cockroaches have wings?
No. They are wingless (Animal Diversity Web; Oakland Zoo).
Husbandry figures come from university, zoo and peer-reviewed sources where we could find them, and from feeder suppliers only to fill gaps (labelled as such). Every colony differs with temperature, food and crowding. Check local rules before buying live roaches: some places restrict them (see the FAQ), and never release pet or feeder insects outdoors.