Date Posted: February 7, 2018
Category: Cockroaches
Is it true cockroaches will be the only creatures left after a nuclear explosion? Or that they can live forever without a head? How about the idea that they are able to walk across any surface, even upside down? While these are, decidedly, hardy creatures, some of the legends that have grown up around them are simply untrue. Here are a few of the most popular myths--followed by the facts.
Myth 1. Cockroaches are afraid of the light
While it may seem like roaches hate (or are afraid of the light) because of the way they scatter and disappear when lights are turned on at night, it is more that they are running from the danger that light presents. Any creature will do that. And while there are some species of cockroach that do prefer to live in dark, quiet areas, there are some that actually love the light as much as we do. You can find these roaches sitting on window sills in the day and perching on TV screens at night.
Myth 2. Cockroaches can survive a nuclear explosion
As mentioned above, these creatures are hardy, and they can survive higher levels of radiation than humans but--let's be real. If they really could survive nuclear explosions, don't you think scientists would be scrambling to try to reproduce their exoskeletons for use in protecting our troops in combat? This story simply is not true. However, cockroaches can be extremely difficult to completely eradicate since they reproduce quickly, hide well, and can live long periods of time without eating.
Myth 3. Cockroaches can live for months without a head
This is more of an exaggeration than a myth. The truth is, a cockroach can go a full week without its head, before it eventually dies of thirst. Yep, thirst. Losing its head will not cause a cockroach to suffocate. This is because cockroaches don't breath from their heads. They breathe through little holes in each body segment. Speaking of breathing, cockroaches can affect human breathing, because their shed skin and droppings can cause complications in people suffering from asthma. With or without heads, cockroaches are not good to have around.
Myth 4. Cockroaches only infest dirty homes
The truth is, cockroaches will eat just about anything. Even in very "clean" homes, if a cockroach can find a source of food, he will stick around. And sometimes their sources of food include dead insects, human hair or fingernails, and even their own young. So clean as you may be, it is impossible to totally get rid of all sources of food for cockroaches.
Truth 1. Cockroaches CAN be eliminated from your home
It is an unarguable statement that cockroaches can be hard to kill, and very difficult to completely eradicate from a structure; Perhaps this is why so many myths exist about them. However, eliminating cockroaches from homes and businesses is no problem for a professional pest control company like Big Blue Bug Solutions. Reach out to Big Blue today and get immediate help. That is no myth.
