Amazing Facts About Cockroaches

Amazing Facts About Cockroaches

What are the things you need to know about cockroaches?

  • Cockroaches can eat anything
  • Some cockroaches can grow as long as 3 Inches
  • Roaches can live up to a week without their head
  • Cockroaches can survive immense nuclear radiation

 

Cockroaches are among the nastiest pests that humans would ever encounter. Pest control in the Philippines is instantaneously called once the sign of an infestation is detected. Compared to the detection of termites, the sight of cockroaches doesn’t mean that your house will be at risk, but you definitely would not want them to go around spreading bacteria and potential viruses around your household.

Despite their revolting presence, these nasty creatures have some pretty amazing features. Here are some amazing facts about cockroaches:

 

Cockroaches Can Eat Anything

Cockroaches Can Eat Anything

This may come to no surprise for many as we have probably seen cockroaches munching down on any food that drops to the floor. You may even see them feasting on random leftovers and scouring through the trash just to grab something to bite. But did you know that they could even take their diet further?

You’ll be surprised to find out the range or the extent of their meals.
Cockroaches will eat just about any kind of organic matter, from dead insects, cloth, paper, wood, and even things such as soap, glue, hair, and poop. Cockroaches are also known to cannibalize when they need to control the growing population of their group.

Due to their cold-blooded nature, they can survive for up to a month without food. But they cannot live for weeks without water.

 

Some Cockroaches Can Grow as Long as 3 Inches

Cockroaches are among the creepy crawlies we wish would never grow in size. Luckily, the ones we find in our homes and consider pests never grow more than an inch and a half or so. But there are other cockroach species that we will never encounter in our homes that can reach sizes bigger than a whopping 3 inches.

We should be thankful that out of the 4500 species across the globe only 30 of these species are considered pests, and the large ones are fairly uncommon. A cockroach that’s native to South America, called the Megaloblatta longipennis is known to grow up to 3 inches long and 1.75 inches wide. What’s amazing (or frightening), is its 8-inch wingspan.

In Japan, a preserved female Megaloblatta longipennis from the collection of Akira Yokokura measures up to 3.8 inches in length, this is known to be the largest ever recorded cockroach.

 

Roaches Can Live Up to a Week Without Their Head

Cockroaches Can Live Up to a Week Without Their Head

Did you know that a decapitated cockroach can live for up to a week or two without their head? To grasp how we can understand how they can live headless for a week or two, we have to know about our own biology. Humans can’t live decapitated because we rely on important bodily functions in our head; and our brain is responsible for handling, controlling, and maintaining most of our biological functions.

Without it, the rest of our bodily systems would cease to work. Plus, decapitation would mean a tremendous drop in blood pressure and loss of blood. Cockroaches, on the other hand, don’t have their brain located in their head, because it’s spread out across their body.

They also breathe through special pores located along their body. When a cockroach gets decapitated, they won’t experience any uncontrolled bleeding; right after their head gets cut off, their neck would be seal by clotting. They can only survive without their head for a week or two because they will lose the ability to drink and die of thirst.

 

Cockroaches Can Survive Immense Nuclear Radiation

The theory or myth that cockroaches can survive a nuclear blast has been debunked. Though their threshold for radiation is still astounding. In the past, the theory that cockroaches are believed to survive the effects of a nuclear blast. They came up with that conclusion because they found a vast number of cockroaches roaming around the Hiroshima and Nagasaki after its bombing, and in Chernobyl, cockroaches were one of the few living organisms around.

Well, scientists have tested the radiation resistance of cockroaches and found out that direct exposure to radiation that is equivalent to a nuclear bomb would kill them. But they can certainly survive radiation levels that would kill a person in 10 minutes. In a recent study, scientists found out that they can withstand up to 10,000 rads. This is due to their simple bodies and slow cell cycles.

 

Key Takeaway

These are but a few amazing features of cockroaches. Though the sight of these creatures will lead us to contact our pest control in the Philippines. Just like termite detection, we wouldn’t want to keep cockroaches running around in our homes. Because we associate their presence with filth. But it’s good to know these cool facts about these pesky pests, right?

Your Guide to a Termite-free Home

termite house

Maintaining the cleanliness and orderliness of your home is definitely a huge task. Aside from doing the household chores, you also have to ensure that your home is safe from intruders that might cause damage your house and your family’s health. This does not just mean installing a security system to protect your loved ones from burglars; this also entails availing services for termite control and cockroach control in the Philippines to prevent dangerous insects from harming your family and home.

More than that, this means preventing these harmful insects, especially termites, from invading your place in the first place. If you want to keep termites away from your family and home, take note of the following:

Prevention is Key

When it comes to termite control, prevention is key. Here are some of the ways to prevent the silent destroyers from intruding on your property:

fungus growing

  • Do the walls and other woody surfaces in your home have cracks? Seal these holes to prevent termites from entering your home through these gaps.
  • Clean your house’s downspouts and gutters regularly to avoid accumulation of moisture because pests, such as termites, are attracted to warm and moist environments.
  • As much as possible, refrain from buying wooden furniture since termites feed on wooden items.
  • If you are building a new home, use non-cellulose material as much as possible. Why? Because termites are not attracted solely on wooden things, they also feed on items that are made of cellulose materials.
  • Schedule a termite inspection at least once every year. Professional termite control service providers are experts in detecting termite infestation. In case you missed the signs or you failed to prevent insects from encroaching on your property, the pest control company can notify you immediately so that you can start considering how to eliminate them best.

Reliable Termite Remedies

If you can’t really prevent termite infestation, worry not! There are plenty of reliable termite remedies that will help you fight infestation before it worsens. Here are some of the ways to eliminate the silent destroyers:

  • Create a Natural Barrier. Dig a trench around your home and spray some termiticide on it. This will not just prevent termites from entering your home, it will also eliminate those that are tunneling their way inside your house. This method of eliminating termites is often used on newly built houses, like those available on housereal.
  • Use Termite Bait. Termite baits are composed of cellulose materials that contain poison for termites. Place several of them around your house. As much as possible, make sure that they are 10 to 12 feet apart, but if there is a large infestation in a particular area, then place additional baits. This will not just kill the termites which were directly exposed to the baits but the whole colony as well.
  • Expose Them to Nematodes. What are nematodes? They are roundworms that are harmful to termites. Release some of them in areas where termite activity is abundant. For better results, use Steinernema carpocapsae – a type of roundworm that is efficient in eliminating termites. However, it is important to note that this particular method is not very effective.

pest controller

  • Call a Termite Control Company. For one reason or another, DIY termite control methods sometimes fail. If you really want to eradicate the termite infestation in your home, your best option is calling a professional for help. Experts know how to totally eliminate this pest as efficiently and safely as possible. This will help remove the termites in your property easily while preventing accidents that DIY methods might cause.

Remember that, as a stay-at-home mom or dad, you are not just in charge of doing the household chores. You also have to prevent harmful insects from entering your home. After all, they can cause numerous diseases and wreak havoc in your property as well.