9 Facts About Cockroaches
They have populated the planet for over 350 million years. Its bad reputation is as great as its ability to adapt and survive. Today, let’s talk about some curiosities about cockroaches, those flat-bodied, hexapod insects that insist on living in our homes.
Did you know these curiosities about cockroaches?
Although they are considered a pest, only about 30 of the more than 4,500 species that make up the Blattodea order live with humans. The rest develop in areas where they have little or no contact with humans. With the exception of Antarctica, they are found all over the planet.
With an average lifespan of one to two years (they can reach four years in a laboratory), and a size that generally ranges between three and seven and a half centimeters, the curiosities about cockroaches are many and interesting. We will reveal some of them below.
1. They can go a long time without eating or drinking
While these insects feed on almost everything in their path, city dwellers seem to have a predilection for what they find in kitchens. However, if food becomes scarce, they eat everything from wood to glue, soap or paper.
They have the ability to survive without food for up to a month. That’s because your body is home to bacteria that supply vitamins and amino acids. In addition, they survive a week or more without drinking water, as they can absorb moisture from the environment.
2. They are able to survive without a head
Cockroaches breathe through spiracles, holes they have on the sides of their body. Also, we’ve already mentioned that they can go for a while without eating or drinking.
So, if due to adverse circumstances they lose their head and the wound clots without problems, their lives will continue until, after a few days, they die of thirst.
3. They resist a long time underwater
Among the curiosities about cockroaches, we can also mention that they are capable of not breathing for up to 40 minutes. This fact seems to be related to the body’s regulation in the face of water shortage. For this reason, they can survive underwater for up to half an hour.
4. They withstand high levels of radiation
While it’s a myth that these insects are able to withstand a nuclear explosion, reality indicates that they can tolerate 6 to 15 times more radioactivity than humans.
5. They even pass through the smallest hole
Blattodea insects have a very flexible exoskeleton. By flattening it and extending their paws, they can get into spaces that are up to a quarter of its height.
6. They are very fast
Speed is the weapon cockroaches rely on to escape their predators. That’s how they can run five feet in just a second. They are almost as fast as a cheetah.
7. They cannot fly
Although many of the species have wings, these insects are incapable of flying. Either way, they can glide over short distances, which allows them to land “worthy”.
8. They usually die on their backs
Because of rigor mortis , its paws twitch. This throws them off balance and makes them turn away. An equal effect is generated by the spasms caused by the insecticides.
However, this is also a posture they adopt as a defense mechanism. So, they pretend to be dead to escape from some dangerous situation.
9. They cause asthma and allergies
The species of cockroaches that live with man have always been accused of transmitting different diseases. It has been shown that saliva, feces and even the bodies of these insects can trigger asthma and different allergies in some people.
