Horrible and disgusting are just two words used to describe cockroaches. And yes, this may be true. But you know what else? Cockroaches are incredibly unique insects. How incredible? Well….
- Cockroaches are older than dinosaurs.
If you have ever had trouble with cockroaches, take comfort from the fact that you’re not the only one. The first humans may have had the same problem! Indeed, the cockroach has been around longer than we humans. Recent research shows that they even have been there longer than the dinosaurs, as early as 359 million years ago!
- There are more than 4,000 species of cockroaches worldwide.
There are about 4,600 species of cockroach and they can be found all over the world, on every continent except Antarctica. Before you panic, though, only about 30 of these species are considered as pests. Most of them live in the forest, not in the basement. Most prefer to crawl on the forest floor or in trees, while others live in caves, fields, swamps and meadows. If they do become a nuisance for you though, contact Pest Control Essex at a site like Pest Control Essex through BPC
- Cockroaches can eat anything organic.
As well as indulging in human food, cockroaches can eat other dead bugs, paper, cloth, wood, glue, hair and dirt. This means cockroaches will never go hungry, even though they prefer to eat starch, sweets and meat. Cockroaches can survive for many weeks with no food! It has to do with the fact that they are cold-blooded, like crocodiles and snakes, which means they can keep their metabolic rate low.
- Cockroaches can hold their breath up to 40 minutes!
Okay, so starving cockroaches is out of the question. But how about flushing them down the toilet? Unfortunately, this might not work either. Cockroaches are brilliant at holding their breath! Similar to other insects, cockroaches breathe in air via holes in their bodies called spiracles. A cockroach can close this hole, both to prevent the absorption of too much oxygen and to prevent the loss of water. When underwater, cockroaches are able to close their spiracles for up to forty minutes and it can give them a lot of time to crawl to safety.
- Cockroaches can survive a nuclear explosion.
Research has shown that a cockroach can tolerate high radiation levels, far beyond the level that we humans can live with. How do the cockroaches survive? It is unclear but scientists believe it has something to do with the fact that cockroaches have a slower cell cycle, molting only once a week at most.
- The cockroach is a fast runner.
Anyone who has ever tried to catch a cockroach knows this fact – cockroaches can race! They can go up to 3 miles per hour, which is fast considering how small they are. Their hind legs are specially built for speed, moving over 20 times per second when sprinting. Cockroaches can also travel up walls by running faster than they do on a flat surface and spines on their feet help them stick to the slippery surface.