5 Reasons Roached have Survived Thousands of Years

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November 1, 2015

Cockroaches. Those creepy, filthy creatures that scurry across a kitchen cabinet when the lights go

Roaches’ resiliency to all kinds of conditions is well documented, but here are five reasons why the cockroach species has survived thousands of years through all kinds of threats.

  1. They can adapt a tremendously rapid rate. In the mid-1980s exterminators mixed a sugary substance with a poison to kill roaches. It worked for a while, but in about 13 years, the  material quit working. What happened? The roaches’ internal chemistry changed so that the sugar tasted bitter (don’t ask us how scientists know this!). Future generations of roaches passed this trait down to their descendants. The roaches evolved in just a few generations.
  2. They could probably survive a thermonuclear war. We’ve all heard that cockroaches could survive a nuclear bomb but the theory was tested and only about 10% survived in a simulated nuclear bomb. But 10% is enough to keep a species going!
  3. They run fast! The very long metathoracic legs are the roach’s back legs, and they move the roach forward. Using its metathoracic legs, a roach can move about 50 body lengths in a second. A human moving that quickly would be running about 200 miles per hour. When a roach runs this quickly, it sometimes raises up and runs on its back legs only. The force of the air it encounters keeps it upright
  4. They’ll eat just about anything — from glue and soap to books and hair. Moreover, one tiny meal can satisfy a cockroach for up to six weeks. Can you imagine going that long without food? Cockroaches can go so long between meals because special bacteria that live in their cells produce all the vitamins and amino acids they need to live.
  5. They are darned hard to kill! Small wonder their fossils date back to 350 million years! Though these little critters can be difficult to control for the lay person, they are no match for the experts at DA Exterminating!

Call us today (800-650-PEST) if you suspect roaches!