Cockroaches are considered disgusting and dirty. This is why the first thing that comes to mind when you spot a cockroach is how to get rid of it. Even though cockroaches are mostly viewed negatively, like every other animal, they play a crucial role in Earth’s ecosystem. Here are some mind-blowing facts you need to know about cockroaches.
1. Cockroaches are Responsible for Most Asthma Attacks
Most parents assume that pollen and dust are the only asthma triggers in a homestead. Interestingly, cockroaches can also trigger asthma attacks. The shedding body parts of a cockroach and its saliva and feces act like dust mites. When they get suspended in the air, they can aggravate asthma symptoms.
2. Cockroaches Clean Themselves After Being Touched by a Human
Though considered dirty pests, cockroaches continuously clean their bodies. Actually, a cockroach will clean its body after being touched by a human. Not because they are disgusted but because it’s part of their natural habit. White at it, note that the claim that a cockroach cleans itself after being touched by a human because it’s disgusted is false! A cockroach will clean itself after being touched by any predator.
3. Cockroaches are Attracted to Earwax
Over the years, there have been many stories of cockroaches crawling into people’s ears. The main reason behind that is cockroaches are attracted to chemicals such as volatile fatty acids, which are produced in earwax. So, a cockroach can crawl into a person’s ear in search of these chemicals. Once it gets inside the ears, there is no way out, and it has to be removed through medical intervention.
4. Cockroaches Have Different Personalities
Like many animals on Earth, cockroaches have different personalities. A group of scientists conducted an experiment that showed that some roaches are shy while others love to explore. The shy ones tend to shelter and hibernate in hidden places for longer. In contrast, the more adventurous ones are always outside looking for a means of survival.
5. Cockroaches Live in a Democracy
Despite having different personalities, cockroaches live in a democracy. Every insect consults with others before making a group decision. To prove this hypothesis, scientists created three shelters that can accommodate 40 cockroaches each. They then introduced 50 cockroaches into the experiment. Interestingly, the cockroaches divided themselves into two groups and occupied two shelters, leaving one empty.
6. The Largest Cockroach in the World Can Reach 9.7 cm Long
The Megaloblatta is a cockroach species that can reach sizes of 4 to 9.7 cm. It can also possess a wing length of 20 cm. At the moment, the largest cockroach known to humankind is the M. Longipennis.
7. Human Beings Fear Cockroaches More than Mosquitos
From a scientific point of view, people should be more afraid of mosquitos than cockroaches because mosquitos are blood-sucking insects that carry diseases. However, people do not scream when they see a mosquito. The same can’t be said for cockroaches. There is a condition where people suffer from the fear of cockroaches. It’s called Katsaridaphobia.
8. Cockroaches are Nocturnal
Ever wondered why cockroaches scatter when you turn on the lights? It’s because they are nocturnal insects. Cockroaches prefer to live and feed in the dark. Spotting a cockroach during the daytime is a key sign of infestation. Note that cockroaches do not like both artificial and natural light.
9. Cockroaches Born in Space are Stronger and Faster
In 2007, scientists placed cockroaches in a Foton-M bio-satellite, which accompanied Yuri Gagarin on his trip to space. One of the roaches gave birth to 33 specimens while orbiting the Earth. Intriguingly, the space-born roaches were faster and stronger than their counterparts on Earth. They also proved to be more resilient and energetic.
10. Scientists are Building Cyborg Cockroaches
Various countries, including Madagascar and Japan, have built cyborg cockroaches. These are regular cockroaches fitted with wires, sensors, infrared cameras, and electrodes. They can be remote-controlled, and scientists plan to use them for rescue missions. For instance, they can be sent to look for survivors after disasters like earthquakes. These roaches are attached to a backpack that contains the above paraphernalia.
11. Cockroaches Can Survive Radiation More Than Humans
Did you know that after a radioactive fallout, cockroaches will still crawl on Earth long after humans have been wiped out? That’s because cockroaches can survive being exposed to 10,000 rad. That’s ten times more than the average radiation human beings can withstand.
12. Cockroaches Don’t Eat Cucumbers
Cockroaches have been known to have an appetite for almost anything. They can eat human food, paper, cloth, hair, and glue. However, the only thing that’s not on their menu is cucumber. If you leave a cucumber in a cockroach-infested house, not a single roach will come near it. That’s because cucumbers contain a chemical called trans-2-nonenal, which cockroaches don’t like. This doesn’t make cucumbers a cockroach-repellent or natural pesticide, though.
13. People Allergic to Shellfish are Also Allergic to Cockroaches
Tropomyosin is the key allergen found in shellfish, and it’s also found in cockroaches. So, if you are allergic to shellfish, you’ll also be allergic to cockroaches.
14. Cockroaches are Older than Dinosaurs
If surviving radiation didn’t prove how resilient cockroaches are, you should know that they are older than dinosaurs. Cockroaches were discovered to have been living in caves before dinosaurs were declared extinct 60 million years ago. Researchers have found some cockroach species that date back to 99 million years ago. It’s safe to say that they are older than dinosaurs.
15. Cockroaches Can Live for a Week Without a Head
The head does not control all of a cockroach’s bodily functions. So, if cut off, a cockroach can survive for up to a week. It can live for much longer, but it will eventually die out of thirst because they can only drink water through the head.
16. Cockroaches Can Hold Their Breath for 40 Minutes
Some people think the best way of dealing with a cockroach infestation is to submerge them in water. That won’t work because the animals can hold their breath for 40 minutes.