Cockroaches can withstand just about any living
situation.
The natural History of the Cockroach, on this
Moment of Science.
For certain species of cockroach, humans make
the perfect room mates. Why do cockroaches like
living in our houses? And what do they do when
they're not bugging us?
Although most us think of cockroaches as vermin,
they do have a useful ecological role. Cockroaches
are professional recyclers, chewing down just
about anything, including dead plants and
animals, and animal waste.
Their digestive systems are up to the task because
they contain bacteria and protozoa that help
convert the world's waste into easily-absorbed
nutrients. In the wild
300 million years ago, the Carboniferous period
was the cockroaches' day in the sun so to speak.
The whole earth was swampy and hot, with new
plants and animals appearing on the scene,
creating lots of waste for roaches to recycle. As
the earth's climate changed, becoming colder and
dryer, cockroaches survived mainly in the tropics.
A few hundred million years later, ships full of
food and humans set out from the tropics,
carrying clandestine cockroaches on board.
Cockroaches disembarked in ports all over the
world, searching for new homes. You might not
have compared your house to a Carboniferous
swamp, but the similarities wouldn't escape a
cockroach.
Cockroaches And Humans
There are lots of tasty crumbs littering the floor, a
nice warm temperature year-round, and endless
crannies to hide in. Despite these ideal living
conditions, not all wandering cockroaches chose
to shack up with humans. Of the 55 species of
cockroach in the US, only 12 prefer human
dwellings. The rest live outside, recycling without
bugging us at all.
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