Cockroaches have been around for some 70 million years, and their genetic ancestors existed another 200 million years before that. While we all know roaches can be a pain, we bet there’s a few things you don’t know about them. Here are 10 fascinating facts about cockroaches you probably didn’t know:
1. Cockroaches can live up to a week after decapitation.
2. Cockroaches have six legs, but they also have eighteen knee joints.
3. Cockroaches have been clocked at over 3 MPH. If a cockroach were the size of a human, their top speed would be over 200 MPH.
4. There are over 4,000 species of cockroach, but only approximately 40 of those are known pests to humans.
5. Cockroaches mate one time; the female stores the male’s sperm throughout her twelve-month lifespan and uses it on an as-needed basis, producing up to 400 offspring.
6. Cockroaches are able to eat virtually anything for food, including paper, glue, soap, leather, even hair.
7. A cockroach cannot live longer than a week without water.
8. Cockroaches can sense the slightest changes in air movement and react within hundredths of a second.
9. Termites are a close genetic cousin of cockroaches.
10. The only way to eliminate cockroaches is by killing them at their source. This is why All Pest Pros uses Baits and Gels to get rid of cockroaches completely.