While cockroaches do not have teeth in the way we think of teeth in our mouths, they do have a process for breaking down food. That includes parts that can be considered teeth: Mandibles: Mandibles are the large, extended jaws that many insects have, which often resemble pinchers.
Cockroach Bites
They have been recorded to eat human flesh of both the living and the dead, although they are more likely to take a bite of fingernails, eyelashes, feet and hands. The bites may cause irritation, lesions and swelling. Some have suffered from minor wound infections.
Gizzard or proventriculus has an outer layer of thick circular muscles and thick inner cuticle forming six highly chitinous plate called teeth. Gizzard helps in grinding the food particles.
It is likely to lack key features such as 'distress', 'sadness', and other states that require the synthesis of emotion, memory and cognition. In other words, insects are unlikely to feel pain as we understand it.
After entering the stomach of the cockroach, food is broken down by enzymes present within the gastric caecea and in the middle of the intestines is the mid-gut, which is responsible for nutrient absorption. Spiracles are visible on the sides of the cockroach's body; these are used for breathing.
Yes, cockroach hearts are multi-chambered. Cockroaches have a 13-chambered tubular heart. Each chamber is filled with oxygenated blood through a slit-like opening called ostia. There are two chambers that open into the aorta and then into the sinuses of the head.
Cockroaches Have Feelings Too
While we may not always see them displaying these emotions in the same ways we do, that doesn't mean they're not there. Cockroaches can exhibit fear responses when faced with predators or dangerous situations. They also display happiness and contentment when they're safe and comfortable.
The World Health Organization also advises against crushing them, for reasons of hygiene. According to the body, which classes cockroaches as “unhygienic scavengers in human settlements”, squashing them can spread bacteria into the environment that can lead to asthma, allergies and illnesses.
Another mind-blowing fact about cockroaches is that they are thigmotropism. They like to be touched all over. This is the reason why they love tight spaces in your homes like crevices and fissures. They also love living in clutters because they love the sensation of being touched.
The entomology literature has historically suggested insects cannot feel pain, leading to their exclusion from ethical debates and animal welfare legislation. However, there may be more neural and cognitive/behavioural evidence for pain in insects than previously considered.
Each species of cockroach has their own estimated lifespan but on average, cockroaches live for about one year. Factors such as food supply, habitat and climate affect lifespan. American cockroaches can live for about one year while German cockroaches are estimated to live for about 100 days.
American cockroach life cycle
American cockroaches go through 10 to 13 instars before reaching maturity; this process takes an average of 600 days. Adult males can live up to 362 days, whereas adult females can live more than 700 days.
Researchers found that cockroaches are immobile a few hours before the night ends, throughout the day, and after an extended period of being active. Scientists view their immobile state as their sleeping pattern. During this time, roaches do not sleep but rather rest.
Roach Repellents
Peppermint oil, cedarwood oil, and cypress oil are essential oils that effectively keep cockroaches at bay. Additionally, these insects hate the smell of crushed bay leaves and steer clear of coffee grounds. If you want to try a natural way to kill them, combine powdered sugar and boric acid.
If you touch a cockroach, you risk becoming infected with some serious diseases, including bacteria that cause dysentery. According to the World Health Organization, cockroaches commonly transmit these diseases to humans: Salmonellosis. Typhoid Fever.
“There are 4,600 species of cockroaches – and only a small percentage of them – around 30 species – exhibit pest-like behavior, but it's safe to say that any species of cockroach would not be able to survive a direct nuclear bomb blast; if the radiation doesn't get them, the heat and impact will.
A cockroach can feel the change in air current and change in the surroundings, and when they encounter us, they look in their surroundings, looks for a place from where they can escape, and then chase you, scare you, and make a run toward the escape. They use this strategy against many other predators.
It's a fact that cockroaches are afraid of humans and other mammals or animals that are bigger than them. They see us as predators and that fear triggers their instinct to scatter away. However, they dislike strong and distinctive scents such as citrus, peppermint, lavender and vinegar.
These hissing roach noises may also be produced if the insect feels threatened or is handled by a human. Now that you know why some roaches do what they do – cockroaches make noise during a variety of social interactions – you should learn how to stop it.
Hence, stepping on and crushing a cockroach using your foot is not a good idea, as it can cause its bacteria-carrying gut juices to splash around your floor. Aside from carrying bacteria and viruses, cockroaches also contain a protein that serves as an allergen for numerous people.
The first instinctive thing to do when you see a cockroach is to stomp on it or whack it. But it seems that stepping on a cockroach isn't as harmless as one might think. The World Health Organisation (WHO) has revealed that crushing a cockroach releases a harmful bacterium into the environment.
Myth #3: They can see me coming…
True: Why yes, they can. Cockroaches can see humans, and that is why they tend to run in fear when we are in their line of sight. The eye of the cockroach is like a compound lens, made of over 2,000 mini lenses that are photoreceptors and allow them to see in complete darkness.
Cockroaches are repulsive and embarrassing to most people simply by their presence. They may contaminate food, kitchen utensils, and other household items, and they leave an unpleasant odor.
This week, we'll wrap up with insects. So, do they experience stress? The answer probably won't surprise you: yes they do. Stress is a normal and adaptive response to an ever-changing environment, and without it an organism can't survive.