How the Cockroach Took Over the World NYT: Science By: Sofia Quaglia 20 May 2024 at 15:00 A genetic analysis of the German cockroach explained its rise in southern Asia millenniums ago, and how it eventually turned up in your kitchen. ยฉ Erik Karits/AlamyA genomic analysis of 281 cockroaches collected from 17 countries around the world suggests that Blattella germanica, the German cockroach, originated in India or Myanmar around 2,100 years ago.