Cockroaches have been spotted almost every day in your home. But how well do you know these tiny creatures? We are familiar with this pest as horrible, disgusting little creatures. In other words, it’s gross because no one likes their sight. They belong to the insect phylum Arthropoda. Some people get goosebumps when they see this creature, while others scream in terror. They appear creepy when seen scurrying under the shelves of a refrigerator or microwave. But you’ll be fascinated and intrigued to learn some amazing facts about this most despised creature that causes havoc in everyone’s home. So let’s get ready to learn the world of cockroaches.
18 Fascinating facts about cockroaches
1. There are too many species to count
Cockroaches are divided into many groups, and yes! There are 4500 different species of cockroaches, which is hard to believe. Most of them choose tropical climates. Additionally, the majority of them avoid our homes by staying outside.
2. Giant cockroach
You are mistaken if you believe that the largest cockroach is the one that is eating the crumbs and leftovers you have left in the kitchen. The Megaloblatta blaberoides cockroach is the biggest. If the wing span is taken into account, the size increases to 7.9 inches from 3.8 inches. They are flattened ovals with a variety of colours, including reddish-brown, green, and brown. Just picture what would happen if it happened to crawl on your face while you were sleeping. Not to worry; they favour living on trees. They are also easy to deal with in fact they are harmless.
3. Cockroaches can also give birth to live babies
You may be surprised, but this is a true fact about cockroaches. We believe they only deposit ootheca that host their eggs, but some of them give birth to young just like women. Isn’t it incredible? Another species of roaches, Diploptera punctata coaches, hold young in their uterus and create milk to nurse them like mammals. These cockroaches belong to the Blaberidae family of cockroaches and retain their eggs internally before producing them as cockroaches.
4. Can go without food for a long time
It’s hard to believe, but cockroaches can go without food and water for nearly 40 days. As a result, they excel at fasting. They can even survive for 60 to 90 days on water alone. If it gets hungry, it can feed on its shed cuticles. Some surveys revealed that cannibalism and biting were also observed among cockroach species.
5. Cockroaches nurture their young ones with care
An incredible fact about cockroaches is that they take care of their offspring. The mother cockroaches are overly protective of and caring toward their young. When they transport ootheca, they take great care, and some of them even go through the trouble of hiding them from impending hazards. You shouldn’t be shocked to learn that cockroaches engage in a habit known as brooding. The children cling to their mother and stay close to her. The cockroach can then harden its cuticle as a result.
6. Cockroaches are excellent mimics
Yes, the idea that cockroaches imitate is true. There are German cockroaches that are active both during the day and at night. Cockroaches that are active during the day usually have vibrant, colourful colours on them. Some of them have unique markings designed to seem like other insects. Chemical reactions protect it and act as a warning to predators. They also engage in what is known as Batesian style mimicry. Here, a benign species has evolved to mimic the alarm signals of a dangerous species meant for a predator of both of them. Some cockroaches imitate beetles, including carrion beetles, brilliant-coloured lady beetles, and borings in wood. Isn’t this intriguing?
7. Cockroaches are useful for the ecosystem
Yes, you read it right. We have a common belief that these insects are havoc creators and stress to humans as they are all the time pooping and picking our food from our cupboard. But it is shocking to know that these tiny insects are useful to our ecosystem. Wondering how? Like many other organisms, cockroaches also break the organic matter to release nutrients that benefit the soil. The pellets that cockroaches defecate are beneficial to nematodes, protozoa, and macrofaunae, such as mites and springtails. The fungus and bacteria that develop on the pellets are what they find beneficial, not the pellets themselves.
8. Cockroaches have a biological clock
Just like humans are hardwired to go to bed at night as soon as it becomes dark outside, cockroaches are subject to the same biological clock. You might be wondering where the cockroaches are during the day and why you can’t see them scurrying around your houses. This is because they too are controlled by a biological clock that is built into them and operates in a specific way. They thus take action at night while we are all asleep. They are referred to as nocturnal since they are more active at night.
9. Cockroaches can survive even without a head
This is an astonishing fact about cockroaches. even if you lop off the head of the cockroach it will be still alive and respond to stimuli by wiggling its legs. Surprisingly, a cockroach’s head isn’t all that vital to how it operates. Because cockroaches have open circulatory systems, they are not prone to bleeding out as long as the wound clots normally. Their breathing is accomplished by spiracles located on the body’s flanks. The headless cockroach will eventually dehydrate or succumb to mold.
10. Lay many eggs
Cockroaches guard their eggs in a thick protective casing known as an ootheca. In one example, there might be up to 40 German cockroach eggs. While bigger American cockroaches may have up to 14 in a capsule. Female cockroaches may have a huge number of offspring throughout their lifespan. Another fascinating fact about them is that in certain species, the mother carries an ootheca with her until the eggs hatch, however in other females, it may be attached to a substrate. They could even abandon it.
11. Cockroaches prefer to be touched
You might be astonished to learn that cockroaches have feelings when they come into contact with a solid object. According to the research, they risk getting sick and losing their ability to reproduce when they are not in each other’s company.
12. Cockroaches can be trained
This is difficult to believe, but you can train them just like you would a dog. Tohoku University researchers Makoto Mizunami and Hidehiro Watanabe discovered that cockroaches might be educated or treated like dogs. They were introduced to the scent of vanilla and peppermint before receiving sweet snacks. When one of these fragrances was recognized by the cockroaches’ antennae, they were observed to drool.
13. Cockroaches can fit through the smallest gaps
These tiny insects can squeeze through the tiniest fissures, even those as thin as a penny. Even a female cockroach can squeeze through a crack as narrow as a pinned cent. Exoskeletons are so flexible that they can fit inside anything as little as a fourth of their body height. This is accomplished by flattening their flexible exoskeleton and spreading their legs to the side.
14. Cockroaches can be eaten
While you may not have heard of cockroaches being eaten, they are nutritious and high in protein. Even the thought of eating cockroaches that you want to keep out of sight may make you sick. How can they be fed by people when they are so filthy? However, it is believed that if they are domesticated and raised in a safe environment and fed on fruits and vegetables, they are extremely nutritious to consume. People in China eat cockroaches, which are farmed on a large scale. They can be fried, boiled, or toasted. Madagascar hissing cockroaches taste like greasy chicken.
15. Cockroaches can sustain breath for a long
how long can you hold your breath? One minute, possibly two minutes. Cockroaches, on the other hand, can hold their breath for up to 40 minutes. Australian researchers believe they do it to conserve moisture in dry climates. They can also survive for several minutes underwater. However, hot water can kill them.
16. Cockroaches can live for over one year
Cockroaches can live for more than a year, depending on the species. Their lifespan can range from one month to a year, depending on their sex. Male German cockroaches can live for 100 days, while females can live for 200 days. American cockroaches can live for up to a year, according to research.
17. Cockroaches can withstand cold
They can withstand temperatures as low as 32 degrees Fahrenheit. They can even survive in your refrigerator.
18. Cockroaches are capable of running very fast
Cockroaches can run at a speed of three miles per hour. One-day-old babies, the size of dust is also capable of running as quickly as their parents. These critters have incredible athletic skills.
Conclusion
So it is incredible to learn this incredible and unique information about these cockroaches. Some of the distinctive qualities are unknown to people. People frequently claim that even though the world would end, cockroach life will continue.
Read also – 10 Facts about Sania Mirza