Cockroach Facts
Some Creepy, Crawly Cockroach Facts
Topping our rather disconcerting list of cockroach facts is the purely astounding reality that a cockroach can live for a full week without its head! That’s seven whole days and nights…without a head. I’m not sure how one can trust a creature that is capable of such voodoo, but I am surely having a hard time smiling through it. Onward and upward we go from there, as how much worse can cockroach facts actually be?
There are between 4,000 and 5,000 species of cockroach known to the world, and only 57 of them are indigenes, or have migrated, to the North American continent. We should feel pretty lucky I suppose, but somehow I think we aren’t counting our blessings just yet. We do, after all, deal with one of the most bothersome cockroach facts on a daily basis, having to do with the German cockroach, or the number one household pest in the country. They spread bacteria and germs wherever they prowl, causing diarrhea, dysentery, and food poisoning as they skulk about our kitchens by cover of night. Adaptable to many climates and hardy to a fault, this bug is becoming ever more resistant to common pesticides and chemicals, and costs homeowners thousands of dollars in extermination visits.
Now, for some cockroach facts having to do with size. The largest cockroach alive today resides in South America and is over six inches long on average. He does fly, and his wing span is an astounding one foot from tip to tip. Perhaps this particular roach is the meaning behind the Spanish word for cockroach, cucaracha, which means “crazy bug.” I, for one, would have to completely agree with that sentiment. And speaking of crazy bugs, the Madagascar hissing cockroach is a favorite household pet amongst children and insect enthusiasts alike. In tens of countries, this scentless and docile cockroach lives out its five or more years riding on the shoulders and hands of its adoring owners, blowing air out of the vents in his abdomen, hissing his way to attention and adoration.
And now come a few cockroach facts about the types of foods that they will consume. With the exception of a scant few roaches who insist on a very exclusive diet, such as the wood roach and the strictly vegetarian Madagascar hissing cockroach, these insects are pretty much walking trash compactors. They can, and will, eat cigarette butts, human remains, fingernail clippings, wallpaper glue, furniture adhesive, human food, animal waste, paper, soap, tooth paste, shoes, fabric…and just about anything else your home has to offer. A word to the wise: if you have a cockroach infestation problem, you may want to keep your house and its contents to a squeaky clean and barren minimum until the issue has been resolved.