Common Misconceptions about Cockroaches

Cockroaches are a common insect.

Cockroaches are a common insect. Out of 4,500 species, about 30 are associated with human habitats. Four of those 30 species are well-known household pests. While there’s no doubt that cockroaches are pesky creatures, there are several prevailing myths and misconceptions surrounding the behaviors and lives of these insects. Here are just a few of those myths.

Myth: Cockroaches only infiltrate homes that are dirty and in need of maintenance.

Cockroaches are often associated with dank, dirty, disgusting environments, and while they do enjoy characteristically damp environments, they are not picky about the homes they infiltrate. Cockroaches can enter even the most pristine of homes.

Even if a home looks like it belongs on a magazine cover, many homeowners bring roaches into their homes accidentally, usually from cardboard boxes or grocery bags from stores that have a roach problem. They can also live in the walls of clean homes.

However, this does not automatically signal an infestation. If cockroaches don’t have a food source or shelter, it will simply leave. Cockroaches are more common in “less clean” homes because there is a larger food supply.

Myth: Cockroaches are afraid of light.

A homeowner walks into a room, turns on the light, and sees several roaches scatter. Although most roach species do prefer the dark, some are actually attracted to light and will gather near TV screens and windows at night.

Those species that scatter from light are nocturnal and actually need darkness to properly navigate. While cockroaches are not afraid of light, they are afraid of humans. The reaction is probably caused more by the person than by the light bulb.

Myth: Cockroaches don’t bite.

This isn’t necessarily false. Cockroaches (or at least the ones most commonly seen) aren’t aggressive and will only bite out of desperation, but they are capable of biting, especially in the event of severe infestations. Larger cockroaches found in the wild have been known to bite humans.

The most serious cases of bites have been on ships. Cockroaches are omnivores and will essentially eat anything they can get their appendages on. Some cockroach infestations on seafaring vessels have become so large that the roaches actually began to gnaw on the skin and nails of those onboard.

However, this is an extreme case. The average roach will not bite or feed on humans.

Myth: Cockroaches have eyes in the backs of their heads.

Cockroaches are very attentive creatures; enough that people believe they have eyes in the backs of their heads. In reality, they only have eyes at the front of their heads, like humans. However, cockroaches have tiny hairs all over their bodies that gauge the way air moves around them. While they cannot see a person directly, they can feel someone’s presence, or at least the breeze they create.

Myth: Cockroaches will inherit the earth in the event of a nuclear war.

Cockroaches are hardy creatures. They can go without air for as long as 45 minutes. In an experiment, cockroaches survived and recovered from being submerged underwater for half an hour. They can also go without food for several weeks and can survive on next to nothing.

Amazingly, a cockroach can even survive for weeks without its head. A roach has several clumps of nerve tissue distributed throughout its body. These bundles of nerve tissue, or ganglia, can act independently of the brain. Its legs and body are covered in millions of sensory receptors. The head only controls the antennae and mouth. The roach can still control its legs and body without a head and would only succumb to death due to a lack of nutrients.

In terms of the nuclear war urban legend that we’ve all heard, it is partly based in truth. Cockroaches have a higher resistance to radiation than vertebrates. A lethal dose of radiation for a roach would be about 6 to 15 times that for humans. However, cockroaches are not more resistant to radiation than certain other insects like, say, the fruit fly. A cockroach might survive a nuclear blast but so would numerous other insects. However, lingering fallout radiation would still remain a threat for any survivors.

If a homeowner finds cockroaches in their home, contacting a reliable pest control expert is the best option to rid the home of them.

Russell Pest Control boasts a team of trained and certified technicians for providing comprehensive residential pest control solutions in the Phoenix Valley. From silverfish control, ants control, and roach control to wasp control and honey bee removal, expect nothing but the best from our family-owned business. Call today.