As summer is approaching, there is an influx of cockroaches all over. For most of us, these creepy critters make our skin crawl, but they are extraordinary insects with abilities that some might see as close to having super powers!
Have a look at these amazing facts about cockroaches. It might not make you like them more, but at least see them in a new light and even make you pause a bit next time before you call your favourite pest control specialist, Service Master.
The Chuck Norris of the insect world
Not only can they live without food for a month and without water for a week, they can even survive temperatures as low as zero degrees. Don’t even think about trying to drown them to kill them off, cockroaches can survive being submerged under water for 40 minutes! It was also rumoured that they can survive a nuclear blast, but this was proved untrue in 2012 when US TV series Mythbusters tested the cockroach survival theory when they exposed cockroaches to radioactive material. The roaches survived longer than humans would have, but they all died at extreme levels of radiation.
Speedy Gonzales!
Cockroaches aren’t only tough, they are quite fast as well. When at full speed, they can run up to almost 5km an hour. This makes them spread bacteria and germs very quickly throughout your home. To put it in perspective, that is the equivalent of a human running at 320km per hour. Even just one day old, German cockroaches can run almost as fast as their parents. Add to that, they are the size of dust particles, which makes them not only fast, but elusive as well.
What shall we do with the drunken…cockroach?
Cockroaches have been known to be particularly fond of alcohol, especially beer, most likely being attracted by the hops and sugar it contains.
It’s ginormous…it’s gigantic..it’s it’s…ruuuuuuun!
Living in South Africa, you’d be glad to know that the world’s largest cockroach is only found in South America. This giant monster grows to a whopping 15 cm in length with a wing span of 30cm!
Fancy a cup of tea?
It might sound like an episode of Fear Factor to you, but some cultures even use cockroaches to brew tea! The Greeks, Egyptians and some cultures in New Orleans, use ground up cockroaches to make a tea which they drink for medicinal purposes.
Off with its head!
We already told you that you won’t be able to drown a cockroach, but even if you decapitate a cockroach, they will still live for half an hour. This is due to cockroaches breathing through a system of tubes called tracheae attached to the insect’s spiracles (an opening in the insect’s exoskeleton) which are independent of the mouth and windpipe.
As you can see from these few facts, cockroaches are pretty tough creatures. They are not easy to get rid of and once they start invading your home, normal shop bought bug spray might not do the trick, due to them usually hiding in unreachable spaces.
If your home or office are riddled with a cockroach infestation, a more aggressive approach is needed to get rid of them. Service Master has a variety of cockroach control services, to make sure that wherever they hide, they can be eradicated. Contact Us today to access the situation and advise and administer the most effective cockroach control solution for your environment.
