10 facts you did not know about cockroaches

You probably already know that most people are repulsed by the simple sight of cockroaches. If you are personally dealing with a cockroach infestation, the feelings of disgust are probably even more intense. Unfortunately, the cold winter weather tends to be one of the reasons this pest ends up in your home in the first place, What is Any Pest. While you may know that you don’t want to share your home with cockroaches this winter, there are a number of interesting facts about this pest that you’ve probably never heard.

Here are 10 facts you didn’t know about cockroaches.

It’s survival mechanism is impressive

1. Did you know that a cockroach can live a full week after its head has been removed from its body? According to the National Pest Management Association, this is absolutely possible. Its open circulatory system lets it breathe through little holes in each of its body segments, which means it doesn’t need a mouth or head to strive. The cockroach does need its mouth to drink, so it ends up dying of thirst.
   
   
2. While the cockroach can only survive a week without water, it can live without food for an entire month. If you’re working to eliminate the pests in your home and you’ve made the steps to get rid of food waste piles, make sure you’re also getting rid of excess moisture.
   
   
3. The cockroach might be small, but it’s pretty fast for its size. This pest can run up to three miles in an hour! Unfortunately, this means it can spread a large number of bacteria throughout the home in a short amount of time. Make sure you’re always keeping your home nice and tidy to keep the cockroaches away.
   
   
4. As soon as a cockroach is born, it can almost run as fast as a grown cockroach. Keep in mind, it’s only about the size of a speck of dust!
   
   
5. The cockroach reproduces extremely fast. Halina Siekanowicz, pest control business owner told City News that cockroaches reproduce every 30 days in the winter and every 14 in warm weather. If you’re currently experiencing a cockroach infestation, try to eliminate the problem as quickly as possible to avoid a new batch of pests being born in your home.

It has been around for a while and enjoys beer

1. Cockroaches like beer! According to the NPMA, cockroaches are attracted to alcohol, but especially beer. It’s likely that cockroaches enjoy the scent of alcohol mixed with sugar or hops. So, if you have a cockroach problem, don’t leave your beer unattended – it might get stolen.
   
   
2. Some believe that cockroaches lived through the Carboniferous era over 280 million years ago. In other words, they’ve lived through it all, so make sure your strategy to eliminate them is more intimidating than the dinosaurs.
   
   
3. Did you know that the world’s largest cockroach measured six inches long with a one-foot wingspan? Don’t worry – the average size cockroach varies from 1/2 inch to 2 inches, so you probably won’t be dealing with anything more intense than that.
   
   
4. The cockroach can hold its breath for about 40 minutes. It can also strive after being submerged under water for about a half an hour so if your tactic is to drown it, you may want to reconsider.
   
   
5. Did you know that there are over 4,000 different species of cockroaches around the world? Of that number, the more common species include the German cockroach, the brownbanded cockroach and the American cockroach. Don’t let that number scare you, you can tackle any cockroach infestation.