This is why they can disappear even before you get close. Each egg case the female produces may carry up to 50 new little roaches. The good news is that German roaches don't live outside. They are only associated with man, living almost exclusively in our homes and spreading easily throughout our society, rich or poor. Well, really only if he is attached to your house.
German roaches are inside bugs.
Normally, they will not be able to travel between structures that are separate from each other. German roaches migrate from house to house because you take them with you. In your belongings, or in packages and cartons you bring in from somewhere that has an infestation of these creatures. Actually, American roaches are distributed pretty much all over, and it's not really possible to say where it came from. A very large roach, it has a reputation for flying and lives outside around our houses and isn't killed by the winter.