Crawl Into 41 Facts About Roaches [Free Fact Cards]

Explore the intriguing world of insects with our Facts About Roaches. Discover surprising and fun insights into these resilient creatures that have roamed the Earth for millions of years. Get ready to be amazed by the secrets of roaches!

Are you ready for a creepy-crawly adventure? Today, we’re diving into the fascinating world of roaches. These tiny creatures might seem a little bit yucky, but they’re actually quite amazing. Get ready to discover some cool facts about roaches that will make you say, “Wow!” So, put on your detective hats because we’re about to uncover some interesting facts about these little critters that have been around longer than dinosaurs!

For fun fact facts, be sure to check out our Mt. Rushmore facts and our elephants facts.

Facts about roaches that you will not believe!

1. Cockroaches are incredibly tough.
2. When cockroaches need oxygen, they take in air from these breathing holes and move it through their tracheae so that oxygen diffuses into the cells where it’s needed. Then, they exhale carbon dioxide through their spiracles again.
3. The world’s largest cockroach is the Australian giant burrowing cockroach.
4. Roaches rest for 18 hours a day, and with them being nocturnal this makes a sensible sleep cycle.
5. Cockroaches bleed white blood, the next time you squash a roach you will notice!

6. They are thigmotropic, which means that they like to be touched, hence the reason they like to squeeze into small cracks and crevices.
7. Depending on the breed of cockroach, most can survive perfectly happily without food for a month or more. 
8. Cockroaches breed quickly.
9. There are more than 4,000 species of cockroaches worldwide, including 30 species that like to live in our homes. Check out our guide to the common types of cockroaches in NC!
10. Cockroaches can be trained.

11. A cockroach can hold its breath for 40 minutes
12. A cockroach can live for a week without its head
13. Cockroaches often leave chemical trails in their feces. 
14. The first cockroach fossils look just like modern cockroaches — they were probably brown or black and had wings.
15. Even a guillotine won’t stop a cockroach.

16. All cockroaches have strong legs that allow them to run very fast — up to 3 miles per hour — when they need to escape predators or get away from danger.
17. Cockroaches are one of the few animals that can survive a nuclear explosion.
18. Roaches chew sideways and they will eat nearly anything including book bindings, glue, and even feces.
19. Cockroaches often do not make much noise. If enough of them are together in a small area, you might be able to hear them crawling around or flapping their wings. 
20. Cockroaches have been around for more than 280 million years, which makes them one of the most successful species to ever exist.

21. Cockroaches can run fast and spread disease
22. Newborn German cockroaches become adults in as little as 36 days
23. The Madagascar Hissing Cockroach, will make a hissing sound, an indication that they are scared or attracting a mate.
24. The world’s largest roach is six inches long
25. While the majority of cockroach species have wings, many are not good flyers and will often use their feet for traveling and escape.

26. Cockroaches spend 75% of their time resting and can withstand temperatures as cold as 32°F.
27. They have been around for hundreds of years, and they are not going anywhere anytime soon. 
28. These insects may play dead when they feel threatened. They will even lie on their back, with their legs in the air, to really sell it.
29. Cockroaches have top-heavy bodies.
30. The name cockroach comes from the Spanish term cucaracha, which derives from the Latin blatta, “an insect that shines the light.” 

31. Female cockroaches can reproduce without males
32. The average cockroach has six legs and two antennae, but there are also many other species of cockroach with different numbers of legs.
33.  Cockroaches moult their exoskeleton.
34. The females carry their eggs until they’re ready to hatch. 
35. Cockroaches eat literally everything

36. The average lifespan of an adult cockroach is one year.
37. The American cockroach loves to drink alcoholic beverages, specifically beer and sugary mixed drinks.
38. There are bacteria that live in roaches & help them survive.
39. A group of cockroaches is called an intrusion. 
40. Baby cockroach can run almost as fast as its parents
41. There are many types of cockroaches.