Why Cockroaches Have Survived Since Prehistoric Times
Submitted by Andy_B on Saturday, 03 October 2020 Page Views: 341
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Cockroaches are known for being a pest that infests the home and are difficult to get rid of once you get an infestation. However, not only is it hard to remove cockroaches from your home and property, they have also refused to leave the Earth as a whole. While it is natural for species’ to go extinct and for new species’ to take their places, cockroaches have seemed to ignore this rule entirely. For millions of years cockroaches have survived on this planet, even making it through the event that caused the dinosaurs to go extinct. While huge prehistoric creatures were wiped off the face of the planet, cockroaches managed to persevere and survive until this very day. Find out more about how these creatures have survived since the days of the dinosaurs.Their Incredible Adaptability
As you may have already figured out by now, cockroaches can survive almost anything. They are incredibly adaptable creatures. Our planet has gone through many changes over the course of its existence, and cockroaches have been able to seamlessly adapt and adjust to each new set of conditions, something that is almost entirely unique to their species. It was even proved that cockroaches can survive levels of radiation that are one thousand times stronger than the radiation released by Hiroshima’s infamous atomic bomb. This is due to their genetic makeup, which is simpler than many other creatures, and their slower cell cycles.Cockroaches have an insanely fast reproduction rate that means their population as a species is constantly growing. Some species of female cockroaches can produce four hundred offspring over the span of a year, an incredibly large number. In addition to this, cockroach nymphs do not take very long to grow into maturity, allowing them to begin reproducing as well. Interestingly, like cockroaches, Isopods also exhibit rapid reproductive rates and adaptability. Overall, the constant reproduction rate ensures that there is never a lack of cockroaches in the world.
The Variety of Cockroach Species
While you may only be familiar with the types of cockroach that you find crawling around in dirty homes, these types of cockroaches only make up about one percent of the vast cockroach species around the world. There are around five thousand to ten thousand cockroach species around the world, and they can be found in many different climates or environments. Even if household cockroaches could be eliminated as a whole, this would only make a miniscule dent in the massive cockroach population across the globe.Their Reproduction Rate
Cockroaches have an insanely fast reproduction rate that means their population as a species is constantly growing. Some species of female cockroaches can produce four hundred offspring over the span of a year, an incredibly large number. In addition to this, cockroach nymphs do not take very long to grow into maturity, allowing them to begin reproducing as well. Overall, the constant reproduction rate ensures that there is never a lack of cockroaches in the world.
Their Diet (Which Isn’t Picky)
Cockroaches are omnivores, which means they can and will eat anything that is available to them. Sweets, meats, and starches are usually what these creatures prefer to consume, though they can also live off of books, toothpaste, rotting organisms, and even human hair. Even if none of these things are available to them, cockroaches can survive for an entire month without consuming anything at all.The guys at Diamond Pest Control are cockroach experts. ”We witness first-hand how indestructible these pests are in our London operations“, says Glen, the company’s founder. “We use heat on to destroy them as they are often so hardy that they are immune to chemical treatments.”
In conclusion, cockroaches have survived longer than nearly any other species on this planet, and it is unlikely they will be going extinct anytime soon. Due to their omnivorous diet, reproduction rate, incredibly large population, and adaptability, they will likely continue to thrive as a species, no matter what happens to our planet.
With many thanks to Adina Vocu and Anja Cocoparisienne for their kind help and support of this article, including copyright-free photos.
