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Call for questions: COCKROACHES (Patreon)

Published:
2025-09-15 01:58:55
Edited:
2025-09-17 08:18:59
Imported:
2026-06

Content

They live in your kitchens, bathrooms, and nightmares. I was afraid of backlash if I posted a photo of them. Cockroaches! What questions do you have for an evolutionary biologist who specializes in roaches?

Deadline: Wednesday, September 17 at 5pm PST

Comments

Jamie

What about them makes them so “invincible”

Priyal

Why are Australian cockroaches so big and numerous? Why? Sincerely, a traumatised Sydneysider.

Carter Hawkins

Question of the century, can cockroaches nuclear warfare? How did we get this idea of their supposed durability?

Keenan Dailey

I heard cockroaches clean themselves after being touched by humans. Is this true? Do they think we’re dirty?

Trevor Spring

First time asker here! What would happen if all the cockroaches in the world disappeared? They’re everywhere, they must serve some purpose right?

Kyhlykat

I have a roommate who is allergic to cockroaches. I heard that they are really clean creatures because of how well the groom themselves. Would this allergy be similar to how people are allergic to cats? For cats it’s the protein in their spit that people are allergic to. Same for roaches ???

Yasmine Alu

why are they always in my house?? like what’s the environment that they really prefer that’s somehow always my ground level apartment

Jamie

What kind of pressures led to the evolution of their insane survival capabilities?

Yasmine Alu

what’s the difference between a household cockroach and the kind that fly?? are they actually related or is it just an issue of naming two different things the same thing?

Moriah Bell

Will they rule the world one day? And why DO they get such a bad rap?

Rebecca Roehm

Were there any cockroaches found after Chernobyl? If so, were there any differences between before and after the catastrophe?

crystal

How can they be so crunchy when squished (something I no longer do) yet somehow slip through the tiniest spaces? How can their exoskeletons be both rigid and flexible??

KineticKyle

They get such a bad wrap, I love an ‘under-bug’ and they do so much good! Why is it that they get the label ‘dirty’ and ‘invasive’?

Jamie

Are there any benefits to having cockroaches around? Whether in your house or just in general?

MissChris

Are they social like ants or honeybees? Is there anything about their behavior that would make them seem less creepy and more interesting or relatable? Thank you!

Annie

Could you please ask about their GI and GU systems? do they have a stomach, a colon, and a rectum? do they have little tiny bladders for pee? do they choose when and where to the poop or pee or can they not control it?

Ry_ofthetiger

COCKROACH MILK. Is it really milk? Why is it crystallized? Does it taste good? Are cockroaches good moms? Tell me everything. Please.

Jamie

How many different kinds of species of roaches are there?

Jacob Shepherd

Why is there such a variation of sizes of them? Also, are they basically the trilobites of our time?

Eva Berger

I grew up in Georgia and I swear cockroaches fly. My question is can they really fly or just glide and how many species can do this?

bird.talking

Where would cockroaches naturally dwell if they were not living/thriving in urban environments? What would they eat? Also, where did the name cockroach come from?

Potato Puffer

Please ask about the fact that female Dubia roaches regulate the temperature and humidity of their ootheca (egg case) by partially extruding it from and retracting it back into their bodies. Very cool and very weird.

haille ragusa

Why do they have such a bad rep?? They seem like cute little guys who are just trying to clean

Laura Owens

First time question asker!! Hi, Alie I work at a bar with a patio that has some bushes planted in mulch. At night when we’re closing the patio is COVERED in these big and dark “wood roaches?” (I haven’t done the research on their real name, that’s just what my coworker calls them). Normally I feel like I’d be nervous with a roach near my business but they don’t come inside! I never see them anywhere else but around the mulch. My question: why don’t they do the cockroach thing and try to infest the building? Are some roaches garbage lovers and some just happy with wood?

the ren you know

Any tips for keeping a "common" cockroach as a pet? I see a lot of advise on hissing cockroaches, but none on random ones I find on the ground.

rowantree

AHH!!! why are there so many different sizes and why do they terrify me so much?! also do they provide any ecosystem services?!

Potato Puffer

Are we (from the US southeast) lying to ourselves when we call the big ones “water bugs” ? lol

Jess Bowker

First time question asker! Is it true that seeing a bigger cockroach (like a palmetto bug) is better than seeing smaller ones? I've always been told that the bigger palmetto bugs aren't that bad, but it's the smaller roaches that are indicative of an infestation/bigger problem

James Orsatti

Why do cockroaches freak us out so much when they don’t bite, sting, or even sparkle. Are they just really good at being creepy?

Savannah Johnson

First time question asker here!! I had a cockroach as a classroom pet when I was a kid and this cockroach had babies!! All of us had a great time letting them crawl over us until we came in after the weekend and had to be sat down and informed that apparently mother cockroaches can smell it when humans touch their kids and will EAT THEM?!? is this flim flam?? If not, huh?? What?? For why? Thank you :)

choirqueer

Are there cultures where cockroaches are celebrated instead of feared/loathed? What can we do to help cockroaches live their best lives even if we don't want them populating our homes?

Susanne Collins

I love dubias, I keep them for my gecko and they’re so cute. I’d love to hear more about the other kinds of roaches that don’t commonly live in our homes.

Simone Francoeur

I work with Madagascar Hissing Cockroaches and I was wondering why their heads are sort of underneath their body and if all cockroaches are built like that? Also I've seen them, from what I believe, air out their egg casing? Can you talk a little about this and their process of giving birth?

Rachel

Can they really survive a nuclear apocalypse??? Radiation??? Also, are there bugs that are commonly mistaken as a cockroach, and vice versa?

Sienna

Please teach me how to love them. Cockroaches are the only animals in the world that I dislike (aside from a few notably awful human animals) I love learning about animal perception, anatomy and ecology, so I think understanding them better would help me hate them less. What makes them amazing? Pretty? Ecologically useful? How did you find a path to loving them? Did you used to think they were gross?

Rosy Clark

I once heard that you should never kill a cockroach by smushing it because if it has an egg sac on it you will soon have baby cockroaches everywhere. Flimflam or sage advice?? Obviously I can't google because the resulting images and stories would be the stuff of nightmares

Simone Francoeur

I've seen Madagascar hissing roaches do this too and would love to know more about it!

Deborah L Blanton

Similar question - why do I feel the deepest abhorrence of roaches when I don’t think one has ever “hurt” me - certainly has never bitten, stung, or invaded me?

hegular

i love cockroaches!! i find them so cute even when my instinct is to think they’re gross. why is their “grossness” something we’ve all been taught to believe?

Thorpasaurus Jess

I need to know more about species! How many urban species might I be seeing? (As a high school teacher in a large city I see roaches regularly, and it seems like there is some variety.) I love the roaches in the zoo’s insect house, and I’ve held hissing madagascar cockroaches…but when I see one in my classroom or home I FREAK. (Cause geeerrrrmmmsss. Ew.)

Lexifer

Why are they more intelligent than other bugs and are they going to continue getting smarter??

Thorpasaurus Jess

Ooo! And how are their exoskeletons so hard??? I assume this would be a similar answer to other insects but, I don’t know the answer!

Christine Rohanna

Will cockroaches really outlive us all in the apocalypse?

sierra

i got tarantulas so that i wouldn’t feel bad about killing the many bugs that invade my home in the deep south, though recently i’ve read that you shouldn’t feed them wild roaches because of disease. how dangerous are they really? i also worry for my cat who leaves their bodies chewed up under my bed.

Deborah L Blanton

What do roaches know/perceive? Sometimes they look at me like they’re reading my body language. I’ve had a few move toward me like they were chasing me or bluffing me, I’ve also had them leisurely disappear beyond my reach like they knew I couldn’t get them. What do they think or know?

desertpainfrog

Do roaches pose a risk of biomagnifying toxic pesticides for the birds, rodents, and other species that eat them?

Lauren Hurlburt

Does the scientist like the book "how to hold a cockroach" by Matthew Maxwell. It made me love cockroaches.

Wandering Wyatt

I’ve heard that they aren’t a sign of things being dirty per se but they are as clean or dirty as their surroundings. Truth or flim flam? And I’m a little bit curious about them because I’ve never seen one IRL

Ara Victor

i used to keep a tank of about 8 male cockroaches as pets (i loved watching them eat!!) and they often woke me up in the middle of the night with excessive scrabbling and noisy activity. Why were they so active at night like that, and quiet at other times? even while eating?

Brynn Olive

There are lots of cool cockroach species that don't infest homes! I love domino cockroaches, super cool Batesian mimicry and they're cute 💕

Erin

How are they so resilient?!

Rosy Clark

My understanding is that cockroaches fly when they're in a hot enough environment. Are we destined for flying cockroaches everywhere after another decade of global warming?

Nina Eve Z.

Maybe a myth to bust: do they really carry egg sacks on their underside that can stick to your shoes and spread more cockroaches elsewhere if you step on them to kill them?

Thorpasaurus Jess

My husband once, instead of trying to kill a large cockroach in our apartment opted to catch it and walk it several blocks away and re-released it. His perspective being that A.) it would have been difficult amd disgusting to kill and that B.) “things dont deserve to die just ‘cause they’re gross.” (Why I married him y’all.) Question is: how far do they roam/range? Did that roach just walk (or fly?!) right on back to our place? Or set up shop elsewhere?

Sunflower star

I've never lived with roaches and generally don't mind bugs, so why do I have such a visceral "EW NO" reaction to them? What's the difference between a cockroach, other roaches, and beetles? Does studying them teach us anything about human trash and habits, (aside from letting us know when something's filthy and disease ridden)?? Do they spread disease or just gravitate to filthy residences and approximately what percentage of restaurants are commonly roach infested? Do they peacefully live alongside rats and who would win in a fight, a roach vs a rat? (Asking the important question here lol)

Mini Minnie

What is the ratio of the number of cockroaches on the planet to the number of people on the planet?

Greg Walloch

The flying ones can bite, right?

Thorpasaurus Jess

If they have everything they need in one spot (like my colleague’s colony where she raises them as food for her tarantulas), are they fine chillin’ in a few square feet?

Thorpasaurus Jess

How did the wild species become so urbanized and good at life here? Was it just natural selection and abundance of food if they stayed in proximity of our sloppy settlements? What niches do they fill in other environments (like Madagascar)? Are they ground-dwelling scavengers or is there more variety of lifestyles? Are their populations threatened in places like Madagascar or are they indestructable everywhere? Why do they seem to mock us when you find one and cant catch or kill it?

Ariel Wood

What kind of parasites do they carry? My cat eats everything that isn’t bolted to the floor and I am always afraid she’s going to get a horrible dose of pesticides and/or intestinal worms from the random little critters she ingests.

Margaret Aisenbrey

I've heard they are very fastidious and think we are gross. Is it true?

Greg Walloch

How dirty are they? Moreso or less than other bugs?

Sunflower star

Plot twist - roaches find us as disgusting as we find them?!

Larn Arn

DO THEY REALLY CRAWL INTO AND THEN STAY IN PEOPLE’S EARS SOMETIMES 😩

Addison

why do they never die. like why will the cockroaches still be around after nuclear winter

Marissa Jacobsen

What's the flim-flam on what they can survive? What kills them?

Valerie Bertha

I’ve heard cockroaches can survive anything including nuclear fallout. Could they truly survive a nuclear bomb?

Sydonie S.

How small are the smallest species of cockroach?

CARLOS L DE LA ROSA

I think some credit needs to be given to “the other roaches,” those that do not live off our stuff, invade our houses, and possibly carry diseases. There are many actually beautiful and interesting species of cockroaches that live quiet lives in forests like rainforests. Perhaps you can talk about some of them? I can send you a short essay I wrote about them with photos of pretty roaches. Just let me know if you would like to have it. 😍

Ettegoom

OMG! I was just thinking that we need one of these episodes because I HATE them, but You've managed to convince me that flies are ok, so I was hoping for someone to heal the emotional scars from the emergency house that we lived in when I was a teenager. Does squashing them really make their eggs come out? Because I've diligently caught and flushed them my entire life out of fear of creating more cockroaches... but then I freak out and think that they might swim up the pipe again and I don't want a surprise cockroach on my naked butt in the middle of the night!

Brynn Olive

What's your favorite cockroach species? My personal favorite is the domino cockroach (it's definitely the cutest).

Keely Chavez

I can attest this is NOT film-flam, had to remove them in the ER.

DeeDeeNoodle

Can confirm. My friend was in the hospital yesterday next to a guy that had one is his ear

Audrey Hudak

Are they edible? Who/what eats them?

Nancy Kay Clark

They have a reputation for being so resilient, but then why don't I see them at higher altitudes? How high above sea level can they live? Will that change with global warming? Also, are water bugs the same as cockroaches, or different?

Striving to thrive

Do they need a minimum temperature to live in an area? Or can other bugs similar be dominant in a place? I feel like they don't exist here in north western Canada

Aurora Cullen

How do you get rid of them humanely?

Michael Crosa

Are “palmetto bugs” and “water bugs” just really good PR for roaches? Are there other names that people use to avoid saying “roach”?

Ann Eby

How come we are spared from them here in the Pacific Northwest? I thought they could survive anything… but they can’t handle a little Seattle rain?

Michael Crosa

Is there a difference in a roach and a cockroach? Why the hell are they named “cock” ew

ValBeListening

What's up with German cockroaches living in the craziest places (I've seen a light socket, the area between the fridge and the outer flap to keep the cold air in)

Nicky G

What makes them so hardy?

Michael Crosa

What’s a normal amount of roaches and what’s a problem?

Meaghan Ratcliffe

oh wow i have so many 😮 what makes hissing cockroaches hiss, and why do they do it?? what do they eat?? do they really carry and transmit diseases to humans?? how the heck do they survive in pipes and crawl out of bathtub drains?? is there a difference between roaches and cockroaches?

Keely Chavez

Why not? I find some of us more disgusting than them. And I do find them gross. Seem fair

Michael Crosa

I want to use some kind of pest control for my house bc the palmetto bugs always find their way in but I always stop out of concern for polinators and the like. What dost thou recommend I do about that?

Sydney Booker

I’ve heard that cockroach infestations can attract black widows….i want to know more but also I don’t 🫣

Kate McCune

First time question asker. Just why? What is the ecological benefit of these freakishly fast, kind of gross, and seemingly indestructible creatures?

the ren you know

I saw a cockroach self-aborting once.... what is the evolutionary advantage of this, and why have humans not adapted this yet when many other species have??

BeckytheSassySeagrassScientist

So I don't have a pet lizard, but I would love a pet lizard and I watch pet lizards on YouTube try to avoid eating their nutritious roaches in favor of tastier junk food gummy worm looking buddies. Are roaches a perfect prey food? Did predators evolved around the nutrition available in roaches as a super common prey item? Are they not tasty as a defense mechanism?

Anthony Richards

Why are no weapons, included nukes effective at killing these bugs?

KELLIE D MORGANTINI

What ecological impacts would happen if cockroaches (and other bugs) were actually eradicated?

Tortellini Hot

I have several madagascar hissing cockroaches. One of them, Potatus, has a white wormy alien blob coming out of his butt. None of the entomologists I work with know what is going on, but he seems to be fine? Do you have any guesses....?

Keely Chavez

I feel like we have an ideal “clean” environment generally warmer weather, not too many freezes, sandy soil, ~500 yards from the Rio Grande; and I’ve heard when the river (and/or our water table) rise they run to higher ground (aka our house) True? we don’t use pesticides, have pets, & got new windows & doors. It would be cooler if I could just take down the welcome sign. Any way to discourage them?

Noelle

Some of the world’s roaches are so beautiful, do you have a favorite species?

the ren you know

Why do humans view creatures that remove "waste" as gross (aka: vultures, maggots, cockroaches, crabs, etc.) Is this a philosophical and/or psychological and/or evolutionary view of our own mortality?

Alistair Allan

Nuclear radiation-resistant? Really? Flim-flam or not? So, assuming they really are, what's that about? A specific evolutionary response, or is it a coincidental side benefit of some other protective adaptation?

Mina Azarnoush

When I first moved to new york I had so many people tell me you should NEVER kill a cockroach in your apartment because that will result in even more cockroaches in your home. Is there any scientific basis to this or is this just NYC folklore? (also I generally avoid killing cockroaches and just catch them and let them out on the sidewalk, but I'm just curious where this legend came from)

Sharknerdo

I upgraded just bc I need to know: What is up with palmetto bugs? Are these also roaches? Are they as “bad” as your classic German roaches??? I just moved to the south and I feel like these things are everywhere, regardless of how clean you keep things. Why do they seem to come out more when it rains?

Michael Swords

Are palmetto bugs roaches?WHY DO THEY FLY (AT MY HEAD EVERY SINGLE TIME)????

Mariana Alvarez

Why do they disgust me so much? I should be more disgusted by spiders, who have the ability to hurt me, but something about cockroaches makes my stomach turn. Spiders are kinda cute. I like most other bugs. What is happening here?

Kellie Due

What species should I have as pets?

Elinor Wahl

Probably you learned by example - adults around you showed horror at the sight of cockroaches from childhood, and you picked it up from them. Nearly all fears are acquired, and humans are believed to be born with only two fears: loud noises and falling from a height

Annmarie Everhart

If humans didn't exist and there was more oxygen in the air, how big would they grow?

Darren Bush

How are cockroaches different from other plain roaches? Or are they all that different?

Darren Bush

I don't know, I think they're disgusting, and I had pet tarantulas. I think the shiny black ones are more disgusting that the lighter brown ones. Maybe it's the shiny.

RG

Twinkies and cockroaches: do they really have apocalyptic staying power? Flim-flam? If not, what’s underlying the resilience? If it IS rubbish, what started the myth that they’d outlive us all?

Bonnie M Rutherford

I know cockroaches can cause severe allergies in some people but I don't understand the mechanism. Does it have to do with the body parts or is it something else? Is it just live cockroaches or is it their feces?

Amanda

Why are the cockroaches in Arizona and Mexico so big? And so they really crawl up drains? What can I do to never see one ever again?

Wendy Miller

I have the same question. I was surprised that they were high on my allergy list.

Bradley Ladwig

I live in the Las Vegas area and had a cockroach crawl out of my shower drain after being in the shower for 10 minutes. How the actual f*** does that happen?!

Cynthia Cinnabar

Do cockroaches have a social organization that would be recognizable by people? (How) do they communicate with one another? Is it true that if you see one roach, there are a million hiding nearby?

Chris Waylett

Why does it appear that some cockroaches have wings, while other species (like the Madagascar Hissing cockroach--that I own a colony of!) don't have any wings at all? Is it related to their mating behaviors?

Britney J.

My Arizona friend says she is absolutely haunted by the threat of "sewer roaches," as in she'd rather deal with a rat than a roach. As a PNWer, I just don't understand. Why are people so freaked out by cockroaches? And how can they survive sewage to make their way up a toilet?

Olivia Yu

My brother is allergic to cockroaches, not that he’s ever had a reaction, it just came up on his allergy test

Olivia Yu

And isn’t that kind of counter intuitive? Because by being the waste removers, aren’t they cleaning up the space?

Olivia Yu

Was curious why cockroaches always die on their backs, and I googled it, was horrified to learn it only happens when they’re poisoned and have a fit that flips them over. They are then paralysed and slowly starve to death. What is the most humane way to kill cockroaches and bugs in general? Should I squish/flush them after spraying them with poison?

Marla J

Do giant exotic cockroaches really make good pets?

Melissa Berger

What is the actual health risk to humans from cockroaches, and why did my NYC landlord insist on calling them water bugs when those are clearly their own thing?

Marla J

How long have they been around - as in living with humans? Were they in caves chewing on left over bones? What are the first historic references of people being bothered with roaches? Are they a New World Western Hemisphere critter or do they live everywhere? When I was a kid nobody in my California neighborhood had roaches in their homes. Then a neighbor came home from a visit with some "dirty lower class trashy relatives." After that they had roaches. Was it because their house was none too clean, or did they bring roaches home with them? FYI: After 60 years nobody else in my parent's neighborhood had roaches. Yeah, there was a lot of gossip about that family.

Jeff Goodhartz

Discuss the myths. Would they survive a nuclear war? How long do they survive if you cut their heads off? Will they still be here after humans are gone? 😎

Nicole Stredulinsky

I heard their milk is the most nutritious of all milk makers in the world. Do they have little cockroach nipples? How many roach babes can suckle at once? Has anyone milked a roach. Have they tried the milk. Would they try it.

Melissa Berger

For real, I pulled up photos of actual water bugs compared to the cockroaches that were living in my basement, and my landlord just kinda shrugged and continued to call them “just water bugs”. It’s not Iike water bugs are great roommates either!

Anastasia Press

What's the most underrated thing about cockroaches?

Anastasia Press

Have people always hated cockroaches or is it more of a recent thing?

Maggie Brown

Are they really in all of our coffee? I’ve always heard that and I just found out cockroaches are my only allergy. Should I not drink coffee?!

Nicole MacIlvane

Do strong smells like citrus and coffee grounds really keep them at bay? Or is that just a big flashing neon sign that i have yummy things in my apartment?

Becca Van Tassel

Are there any plants or natural things I can do to make my home less desirable? I am a renter so I can’t really do anything structural to prevent them from coming in.

Nicole MacIlvane

Are pesticides used in stores or professionally updated every so often for immunity, similar to vaccines? And does spraying roaches with these just create a cycle of more ultra resistant super roaches?

Cat

How rare is a white cockroach and why is it white?

Miranda Panda

Why are cockroaches seen as so much more gross than other critters?

Zyz

WHY ARE WE SO SCARED OF THEM?? Is it fully cultural/learned? Theyre big and common bugs? Do they actually carry diseases or completely harmless?

BENJAMIN

If Ali doesn’t already ask it, what are (I’m assuming there are some??) the benefits of cockroaches to the world? Do we really need them? 😅😬

Zyz

How many species of cockroach are there, and why don't the gorgeous white/blue/spotted species in the tropics invade our houses?

Justin Bowen

My wife wants to know why they smell like they do. I want to know why she's been so close to them that she knows what they smell like.

Time Dr., Phd

Are they social? Some hang out in groups, but do they actually communicate with each other, or organize, or anything?

Ellie Snowden

How are they so unsquishable and has this inspired any technology to make us less squishsble?

Ursula Goodwin

I don't mind bugs, but I HATE cockroaches. Why do I dislike them so much? Is this completely irrational?

Peregrine

Hello Alie and Guest! From a biology student: I’m curious about the diversity of roaches- they make up a whole order of insects with termites! How limited is their public perception and is there a lot of diversity amongst cockroaches? I imagine there are a lot of species with different habitats/habits that aren’t associated with humans, but people only care about the pests.. Thanks! Looking forward to listening :) I’ve held a hissing cockroach and they were pretty charming

Greg Walloch

"Someone once said 'The only thing that will be left after a nuclear holocaust is Cher and cockroaches.' I think that's funny, because, you know, I'm a survivor. If I'm anything, that's what am." - Cher Are cockroaches "Strong Enough" to last as long as Cher?

Reilly

I’ve heard Madagascar hissing roaches are some of the cleanest animals in the world, is this true and if so, how? What makes them so much cleaner than say, American or German roaches?

Marc Rubin

Do cockroaches just have a branding problem? Are they really that gross? Maybe if they were called something fun like peanut scuttlers more people would appreciate them. Also, please do an episode on veterinary gerontology with my lovely wife, Dr Ashley Portmann of Home Together Vet!!! https://www.instagram.com/p/Cw8etcPL6KF/?igsh=MXB5eWppcDY3Z253Nw==

Ruby Gordon

What makes them able to survive so much? What percentage of cockroaches are actually harmful/annoying for humans?

Marina D

How are they spread across the globe? Are there countries where there aren't any?

Alisha Harris

I am curious, are they really that impenetrable? Like, why and how can they survive literally anything?!

Felipe Jimenez

As much as I dislike them, I would ask the ologist: is your ringtone La Cucaracha? Because it should be. Other than the obvious joke, I wanted to know if they can swim, fly and walk… is there anything that can stop them?

Iris

Are cockroaches edible? If so, do you think we (in the western world) are likely to start eating them? Bonus question: how would you turn them into a tasty meal?

Joe Porfido

Can they spread diseases into our houses and what should we be doing to prevent that.

etherdog

Lobsters and other crustaceans are often called "cockroaches of the sea". They seem to serve similar roles in their ecosystems, so how related are they?

Jacob Morvay

Why do they give us the ick?

maya katherine

tropical climate lover cockroach hater here - are there any hollistic/natural ways to get rid of roaches? ive heard cinnamon works, but would it work if i sprinkled it around my yard?

Andy Pepper

Cockroach milk: what is it? What does it taste like? Does it cancel out the nausea the idea alone is giving me?

Andy Pepper

What’s up with their color?? It’s such a specific, identifiable, high gloss brown-black, it’s gotta be a successful adaptation.

Andy Pepper

Are some roaches good flyers? I have a childhood memory of opening a door to a giant roach hovering in my face. (Grew up in Deep South US where there are monster ones people call “pine bark beetles.”)

Andy Pepper

Why why why do they sometimes go in people’s ears???? 😱

Storm

ok but do they actually have harmful germs and diseases??? my family yells every time there's a cockroach in the house, both bc there's a cockroach and bc i just pick it up with my bare hands and put it outside (tell me their wrong and im not diseased lol)

DeWaine Tollefsrud

I don’t know if my post made it in so forgive the repetition! When I was younger, I wished to have a ranch when I grew up! I maybe should have been more specific because I found my adult self the overlord of of over 5,000 head! Of Mad Hissers. Madagascan Hissing cockroaches. You know ‘em, you love ‘em. My five-year-old daughter used to help me wrangle them into another terrarium in order to clean their cage. Seeing her grabbing handfuls of these little critters was so endearing to us. She still to this day shows no indication of childhood trauma. Anyway, my question is, given how vocal they can be when they are disturbed, how do they perceive the sounds emitted by their opposition. Where are their ears? Do they care?

Chrysalis Ashton

I heard they are actually “cleaner” than we’re made to believe. Is that true and if it is how did they get the reputation as a sign of filth and disrepair?

Emma

Are they just picking up salmonella as they walk around or do they carry it in their droppings?

Emma

Not a questions but from observation.. they are little snugglebugs is what they are

D.J. Brenner

Can people catch cockroaches with their own food?

Britt Carp

Why do some of them give off an odor when squished? Disclaimer: I am NOT typically a bug squisher but I live in the U.S. south and you gotta do what you gotta do with the roaches sometimes 😫

Britt Carp

Yes! I wanted as this too.

NanoNaturalist

First off, love roaches and how gorgeous they are. Curious to hear more about the taxonomic shift to lump termites and cockroaches into the same order.

AJ

Cockroach milk. That is the question.

Britt Carp

Do cockroaches have personalities? I live and grew up in coastal NC where it’s inevitable to see them inside sometimes, and I’ve noticed they seem have individualized behaviors. For example, some will scurry to the floor and search for dark crevices when threatened, and others take flight through the house if you so much as look at them wrong, at times appearing to search for the nearest human head.

Allison Belolan

Water bugs (the giant flying roaches), are they also cockroaches or are they a different bug all together?

Meg Saluga

Why do they flee from the light? Are they real life vampires of the bug world?

Meg Saluga

Is it true that if there were an event of apocalyptic proportions, they would be the one critter to survive?

Meagan Walker

Are the ones that live in our houses different from the ones outside?

Meg Saluga

Approximately how many cockroaches live within each community of them? I’ve always heard that if you see one, there are likely a hundred others nearby. What’s the average size of a cockroach colony?

JawsThemeSwimming

Are roaches themselves dirty or is it that they are just attracted to dirty environments? What’s going on there?

Vanessa Adams

They’re said to be apocalypse-proof. What’s the craziest thing you’ve seen a roach survive?

Vanessa Adams

How smart are they? Are they just really evolutionarily well adapted or do they actually have anything we’d consider intelligence?

Vanessa Adams

If you know there are roaches in a place and if you have food left slightly open, what are the chances that a cockroach will have had a midnight snack on it?

Elise C.

(First time question asker!) Historically, how long have cockroaches been an indoor pest in places like Europe that don't have a lot of outdoor cockroaches? Were there any ways of controlling them before modern insecticides?

Julie Stephens

I once patted a cockroach and it seemed to purr and wiggle its butt but I’m not sure it was enjoying the experience as much as me. Do some cockroaches purr or was I imagining it?

Kimberly Peck

(First time question asker!) Do they have nests, eggs and then take care of babies? Are nests or eggs easy to identify?

Reese Perini

I hate them so much. They haunt my nightmares. When faced with one I drown it in poison and beg someone braver than me to dispose of the body. I guess my question is: what is the best way to kill them with the most minimal cleanup? Do they have any redeeming qualities? Is my hatred justified?

Katie Hammond

I was trying to scare one off once and stomped the ground around it, but that just seemed to attract it. A friend said they're attracted to vibrations. Is that what was happening?

Cyntia B

Do cockroaches carry disease?

Priyukli

Is there some particular reason roaches are more upsetting than other crawlies in the home? I can see a line of little ants on my counter and mostly just sigh about it, but if I see one tiny roach I suddenly imagine that hordes of them will start spilling out of every crevice and freak out

ChickenHawk

I freak out about ants way more than roaches. I had a giant water roach living for months in the sink of my downstairs bathroom, named him Charlie and hung up a sign on the bathroom door warning guests to be courteous. When I saw ants in the laundry room I immediately went to DEFCON 4.

Christine Hurley

I remember on another episode, it was mentioned that cockroaches feed their young milk. Can you talk more about that? It's the first time I've ever not completely 100% hated them. Also, why do they want to get me? It's like every time a giant cockroach is around, it flies right at me. Once there was one so large, it was literally parting the grass as it walked across the yard and (we were hanging out on our porch) I backed up to the door, reaching behind me to grab the knob to be ready. My husband said, "oh it's just passing through!" But when it was directly across from me in the yard, it lifted off and flew DIRECTLY at me. I barely shut the door in time to hear it thunk off the door right where I had been mere moments before. Here's a video our security camera caught of a SEPARATE time when a friend was visiting and we were leaving and I pointed out a massive one going up a column on the porch only to have it fly right at me again! My flip flop betrayed me and I fell in slow motion. :( https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mt4VD0abN0A (This was at a condo we used to live in, we didn't keep bags of trash just out on the porch -- it was a hike across the block to the dumpster, so we had just set it out to bring there when we got back. Just to clarify I did as much as I could to NOT attract them.)

ChickenHawk

Can they work collectively, piling up into one large body and moving synchronistically a la Buffy - "Cockroach Man"?

Sarah king

Evolution of them!! Please! How did they get so tough?!

the ren you know

It was a white oblong object (ootheca) sticking out of the cockroaches "butt" 😬

Shelby Bossler

Why are they actually so boopable? Maybe I’m just a weirdo, but if I see a cockroach on the street, my first instinct is to boop (and then sanitize my hands, but it’s worth it).

mish the fish

would they really survive a nuclear apocalypse? why?

Madeliene Fox

Why do they flip on their backs and die?

Austin Johnson

Will you settle some flim flam? I’m hearing they’re clean, I’m hearing they’re not. Which is it??

Madeliene Fox

Is it true that the cockroaches that are seen in the home are close to death? ( I dont know if its a rumor or not)

Madeliene Fox

There was one time i was sleeping and i had a baby roach crawl on my leg while a big one crawled on my chest.. needless to say i didnt sleep a wink that night... ( i was at a hotel) When they crawl on you while sleeping are they attracted to the body heat of a human??????

Madeliene Fox

Whats the difference between a water bug and a cockroach???

Madeliene Fox

What other species does the ologist know of that cockroaches get mistaken for?

Amanda Metcalf

Why do they incite my gag reflex when I see or think about cockroaches

Madeliene Fox

Is it true they carry infectious disease?

Madeliene Fox

How can I befriend a cockroach so i can tell it and its sister cousins to not enter my home ?

Amanda Metcalf

What's with the hissing? Andhow is their hissing noise a beneficial trait

Madeliene Fox

Okay Alie, I have a question that's a bit out there, but in the spirit of your show's boundless curiosity and with a nod to the video game "Fallout 4" I've gotta ask. We all know cockroaches are famously resilient, surviving everything from an errant shoe to, supposedly, a nuclear apocalypse. But in the fictional world of "Fallout," these roaches don't just survive; they mutate into massive, cat-sized "radroaches" that are, well, a potential food source for desperate survivors. So my question for a real-life scientist is this: Setting aside the massive rads, is it even theoretically possible for a human to eat a cockroach? And if so, what would be the nutritional and biological considerations, especially if a nuclear event caused them to supersize like their video game counterparts? Could a radroach ever truly be a post-apocalyptic protein? Thanks for indulging my morbid curiosity!

Tommy McElrath

How many species are beneficial/non-pestiferous compared to the pestiferous ones? What are your top five favorite non-pestiferous species?

Tommy McElrath

Is the best course of action for a place infected with Blatella germanica to move out? Is it possible to eradicate them from a home once infested?

Talia Dunyak

what's the biggest ever cockroach?

Cat

Do they feel love??

Elinor Wahl

You probably picked up the fear from adults as a child - they reacted with horror at the sight of cockroaches, and you absorbed their distress. Human infants are believed to be born with only two fears: loud noises and falling from a height

julia_loves_fun_facts

I've heard in the south that they are called Palmettos, is this just a regional term or are they actually a different insect? What are your thoughts on the scene from Joe's Apartment, with all the cockroaches in the bathroom? I have been told not to squish cockroaches because they would expell their eggs and you would end up with more cockroaches. Is this true? Are they the only insect that does this? Could they really survive nuclear war? I know they are hearty, but are they that hearty? Could we eat them like people eat crickets?

Elinor Wahl

Even jellyfish possess cognition in the absence of a brain; 'sentient' merely means 'in possession of senses', so philosophically you might consider anything with senses intelligent

Elinor Wahl

Social osmosis - we learn horror of cockroaches from the distress adults show at the sight of them as we're growing up

Elinor Wahl

Cockroaches predate us by many millions of years

cheesemonger

Why haven’t other insects adopted similar biology to be so durable? Or is that in progress right now

Chris Eff

Probably already asked but were they adept at flying at some point and just decided crawling around in dingy corners made it easier to keep a low profile?

Blair C

Two questions. Why does a dying cockroach come out of hiding to die? And why do palmetto bugs smell like almond extract? Ok. Three. Is “Palmetto bug” a euphemism?

ReigningEmily

According to my allergy tests I am allergic to cockroaches, but what exactly am I allergic to? Why are they an allergen and other bugs aren’t?

Matt Ceccato

Where do cockroaches fall on the food chain? What species prey on them? And how can I convince my cats to eat them once they kill them?

Chloe

Hello! I love these little bugs, and I heard people refer to them as one of the cleanest bugs out there. If that’s true, why do people think they’re so gross? Thanks!

El Pete

Why do I find dead or dying cockroaches on their backs?

guido

I rented an apartment in Benson Hurst Brooklyn for a while. It was infested with cockroaches. Once I turned an empty glass upside down on top of a live cockroach. I lifted the glass a week later and he scurried away like nothing had happened. How long could a cockroach live under an empty glass with no food or anything?

Lauren McBride

I want to try to love cockroaches more (or at least reach cockroach neutrality) - what is their role in the ecosystem? Are they beneficial?

guido

I’ve been listening to your show for a couple of years now and wanting to join. After I saw you on drunk history, I knew I had to. I am a first time questioner

Eating dog hair for a living

What is it that makes them so hearty? Why is it we always say they'd be the first thing you'd see after a zombie apocalypse? But at the same time why are they so vile? What do they eat? Why can't they just live outside like the other bugs do? Are they long and flat for a reason? Are there any "pretty" colored ones other than that ugly brownish red?

Mariko

Why DON'T I have cockroaches? I've lived in the SF Bay Area my whole life and they haven't reared their little heads in any of my homes. If they are so well adapted to living with humans, why are they more populous in some cities than others?

Kait

New Yorker here! I’ve surrendered. It’s a roach’s world and I just live in it. That said, and basic hygiene aside, when should I be freaked out and scrubbing everything vs when can I just be chill?

Kait

What is the least cruel way to kill a roach?

Kait

How many species are there? Do they evolve to certain territories? Like, have NYC roaches become evolutionarily their own thing?

Kait

My mail carrier said roaches can hide in the cardboard packages and I still haven’t recovered from that. Where else might they be that seems innocuous?

Kait

Are Madagascar hissing cockroaches actually wittle sweetie babies? Do they seem to have social affiliation with other species, particularly in the case of those under human care? Or have I just anthropomorphized the ones I’ve met?

Erin Dewberry

Could they actually survive nuclear apocalypse?

Hope

What makes them so much of a universal “ick” bug versus other home pests? Why are they so durable? Will other types of cockroaches bond with you like Madagascar hissing roaches or are they special?

Sabrina Williams

LONG time listener, first time question asker here. Just WHY? I don't mind most bugs but I run from roaches like some people would fear a snake. Growing up in TX, where roaches/water bugs (WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE?!) reign, waking up with one tickling your face in the wee hours of the morning, hanging out INSIDE my wash rag in the shower 🤢, flying at your face outside during summer. UGH! I know they are beneficial but they scare me and gross me out so much I have a hard time accepting them. What are they doing inside? Why do they flare up my asthma? How do you get them to stay outside? Why do some fly AT you, when some run away? Help me understand these creatures that I'm terrified of! Thanks!

Kelly Shaver

Not a question but I was in Costa Rica as a teenager trying to sleep while my brother had food poisoning in the bathroom like 20 feet away and it was dark and suddenly something hit me in the head and when I screamed and got a light on, there was a 4 inch long plus wings angry buzzing cockroach writhing on my bed. So I screamed more.

Kelly Shaver

Truth/flim flam: cockroaches can survive nuclear explosions?

Kelly Shaver

My classroom has a frequent visitor of the cockroach variety that we’ve named Priscilla. How do I make my classroom less comfortable for Priscilla?

Olivier Calas

How long have these creepy crawlers been around exactly and what is their rate of reproduction?

Amanda Lask

Is it true that cockroaches can survive multiple nuclear explosions worth of radiation?? What kind of evolutionary need to they have for that kind of superpower??

Cloudsnbugsnshrooms

WHY does everyone think they're so gross? People eat them all the time, yes? Also... city cockroaches vs hillbilly cockroaches?

Cloudsnbugsnshrooms

I had a guest from Thailand come into the Bug Conservatory I was working at and she said she had these suckers lay eggs in her knuckles. Is this possible and/or common??

Cloudsnbugsnshrooms

What would you name a pet cockroach? Ok I'll go first- Nearly Headless Nick. Is it true they can survive headless for like a week?

Cloudsnbugsnshrooms

I feel like a lot of bugs were giant, eons ago. What's the biggest cockroach ever recorded? (either living or fossilized)

RoadLesTravelled

Back in the day when nuclear warfare was a common talking point, documentaries that spoke of the aftermath often mentioned cockroaches (and reptiles) as the likely survivors, post humanity. Presumably proved through government studies. True, or merely conjecture?

Mark Hewlette

People freak out about cockroaches but as far as I know, they don't really harm anyone? Is this true? Also, it seems like cockroaches are much bigger in tropical climates - is this true? Lastly, is it true - "if you see one cockroach, there are 10x that number hiding"

Dr. Lina Carpenter

What CAN cockroaches survive? Are they really durable enough to survive the apocalypse? Is there any cockroach that has as much charm as the roach in WALL-E? Or are they just bugging along w/o much interest in other non-roachy beings? If I find a dead one, how freaked out should I be about its brethren? (i.e., Do I have an infestation?) Some roaches fly -- WHY did some evolve this capability, and which species should my mom be freaked out about (she has a phobia about things flying around her)? Why do hissing cockroaches hiss, and are there other cockroaches that have novel characteristics? Are there any cockroaches that bite? How "gross" are cockroaches -- do they transmit disease? How are they so damn FAST? When roaches grow, do they shed their exoskeleton or does it grow with them? How bad does a roach infestation have to get for another apartment's/house's roach problem to spread to adjacent units/homes? What's in roach poison? How nasty or effective is roach poison, spray, and/or traps? Does it travel up the food chain like rat poison?

Katie Biardi

Why do Madagascar hissing cockroaches hiss? What is the advantage to that?

Katie Biardi

Why are cockroaches so scratchy??? I had one crawl on my arm once when I reached for a towel after my shower, and I can still feel its creepy, scratchy legs moving on me when I think about it too much.

Pavka34

Will cockroaches really survive a nuclear apocalypse?

Pavka34

Many, many years ago I was cleaning out the fridge in a group house I’d just moved into. I discovered a Tupperware container a previous tenant had left behind that had a large, slow moving Georgia cockroach in it. The first question is how long can a cockroach survive in a cold space without food or much air? The second question is, what kind of sick bastard sticks a cockroach in a fridge for future tenants?

Pavka34

I remember hearing a cockroach can survive as long as 30 days without its head. Is that true?

Ennifer Jelly Tot

Why do people hate them so much? Do they spread diseases or get into food? Folks seem to be more icked out by them than any other bug and I don't know why!

Violsk

My question has been ready since childhood and will probably reveal how deep in hell the seat prepared for me is, so I cross my fingers it gets asked :D As a child I was endlessly curious about what was inside things, and cockroaches were no exception: whenever I managed to catch one, I would open it with toothpicks to see inside. So my question is: do cockroaches feel pain, and if they do, is there any hope they get an immediate release of endocannabinoids under threat, sparing them the agony I inflicted? I am so sorry cockroaches! didn't mean to hurt 🪳❤️‍🩹

Pseudonym Jones IV

Which species of cockroach is the cockiest? And which is the roachiest?

Lady Sarahpurr Whiskervale

First time question asker. Can cockroaches bite? I swear one landed on my arm once and bit me but I couldn’t see a mark.

Lady Sarahpurr Whiskervale

Second time question asker. 😝 how concerned should I be that my cat loves to eat them?

Meg is Me

Can you include the timezone for question cut-offs? Just makes it easier for international people to figure out when the cut off is for us (it's probably almost a day earlier for me in Australia)

Meg is Me

Are they actually way more dirty than other bugs?

Meg is Me

Is it true they would survive a nuclear bomb? What other extreme situations would they survive or not, like would they survive extreme climate change? Would they survive when the sun dies? What do they need for survival and what can't they survive?

Meg is Me

Do they have different personalities like we are aware that our pets have distinct personalities, do cockroaches?

Lisa Gorman

How do we know all of the insane situations that they can survive? Have scientists just fucked with cockroaches in all possible ways, and if so, why?

Meg is Me

Why do I never see cockroaches in my compost or worm farm? It seems like an attractive ideal situation for them being damp, warm and with constant food

Meg is Me

Do they do anything good for the environment?

Katy

I am one such person and I have the same question.

Katy

Actually, I know where my personal phobia stems from, but I still wonder in general.

Empress of Smallwood

What is their biggest predator? Where do they fit in the food chain?

4d916

First time question asker! Are some breeds more aggressive? I lived in Hamilton On Canada and they never scurried when a light went on, they handed you a beer. Every time I hear about them in other places they scurry.

Erin White

As a New Yorker resident, we tend to believe our bagels and vermin are something special (shoutout to our genetically distinct rat populations!). Are NYC roaches any different from anywhere else, or is it just about the quantity?

Charlton

why does their poo cause allergies? cos wtaf

Casa Reed-Dean

WHY ARE COCKROACHES SO INVINCIBLE??? The medias make it seem like they can survive the earth exploding or is this not true?? What should they eat in nature if they went surrounded by food scraps and humans? How many babies can they have a year because they seem to multiply everyday? Sometimes I’ll see one darker, chonkier roach next to a lighter, long, almost feathery looking one. Are those two species or is that sexual dimorphism? How long is their lifespan?

Charlton

Name etymology? why are they called that? its so perfect for them.

Casa Reed-Dean

Do cockroaches make the same sounds like the one in Wall-E??

Casa Reed-Dean

When I was in 5th grade, my classroom had a pair of Madagascar hissing cockroaches named Homer and Marge. They had a bunch of babies that escaped the terrarium they lived in and it was TOO MANY Bart and Lisa and Maggie’s for a roomful of small humans to stand.

Chelcy

Yes! I am also allergic and curious. I found this out living in a cockroach infested apartment in Washington Heights NYC during COVID. 😭 there was no escaping them!

Chelcy

Noooo Alie Ward! Are you about to make me feel for these nasty little demons? I am not ready to have complicated feelings for them. Are they sentient? Do they have friends? Can’t they just go away forever? - a former NYC resident with too many traumatic cockroach stories to count

Chelcy

I always grew up hearing from my mom and grandmother that there was a correlation between cockroach presence in a home and if a person was “clean” or not. They grew up pretty poor in New Orleans where like NYC, cockroaches are just a part of life. Once they moved out of New Orleans, my family became insanely anal about cleanliness in a very intense way. To this day, they will freak out if a crumb is left on the counter. Once I moved to NYC and had my first cockroach infestation situation, I was incredibly distraught to the point of tears and intense anxiety/depression. It also didn’t help that it was COVID lockdown times and I found out I was allergic to cockroaches. I had a hard time not thinking I was somehow “bad” or less than because I had cockroaches in my home. It took many years for me to find peace in the fact that you can sometimes do everything right but getting rid of a population in NYC apartment living settings can be incredibly difficult no matter what you do and it has nothing to do with your worth. Yay therapy! I am curious about what your ologist’s thoughts are around the social/moral stigmas surrounding cockroaches?

Mindy Corcoran Turley

How are cockroaches both very clean and very dirty at the same time?

Mikaela

do they contribute to the world’s ecosystem in any legitimate way or could we carry out without them?

RE

Why are Madagascar cockroaches calmer than the common cockroaches?

Caforia's Classroom

We are a middle school classroom in Enosburg Falls, Vermont and our teacher wanted to give us (/forced us to have) more opportunities to ask questions. We had five minutes to learn about this ‘ology’ and develop questions. Here are our most pressing questions: Why are they able to survive so many things other organisms cannot? (Jacob) Specifically, can they survive through bombings (Zach) and their heads being cut off (Amberlin)? How long have cockroaches been around for? (Wyatt) Why do they hiss? (Levi) Can we eat them, how many calories are in one? (Asher) Why are they called COCKroaches?! (John, Cate, Olivia, Marissa, Aleena, Blake) What are their ideal living conditions (Mackenzie), and why is it always in our houses (Peyton)? What is the safest most effective way to get rid of them? (Noreen) Have you ever seen ‘Joes’ Apartment’? (Ms. Livy)

Leo Chiang

Is there a realistic future where cockroach farming can provide sustainable nutrition for people and animals? (Not necessarily on a ever-moving train in a frozen tundra world, of course 😉)

Clairebear

Are they social bugs? Do they have a communal society?

Shayla Borger

I have pet hissing cockroaches and I breed dubias. I used to be scared and I had heard that roaches are basically indestructible. I know for the dubia roaches, that is certainly not the case, and for the hissers, they are super vulnerable after molting. Is there any type of roach that is genuinely hardy at all times?

Shayla Borger

Having hissing cockroaches as pets, I accidentally found out that they can have multiple "litters" following a single instance of mating, and they can have SO MANY BABIES in just one "litter." What is up with that? If roaches are as hardy as we have been led to believe, then they should not need that many offspring, right? Usually species that have absurd amounts of babies do so because most of them won't survive and in order for the species to survive, they obviously need babies that survive into adulthood. Are they just that scrump-diddly-umptious to their predators?

JenniLikesTheWorld

Why does it creep me out that they can rotate their heads?

JenniLikesTheWorld

Truth or flimflam? — A pest guy once told me that cockroaches might come inside to get cool in hot weather or to get warm in cold weather, even if they aren’t actually living inside. (This was in California.)

izzy bee

SO CURIOUS about immunological serum proteins in cockroaches as opposed to vertebrate antibody immunity. like what?!

ZenFrog

If I see one, how many are there really?

ZenFrog

How many different species of cockroaches are there?

ZenFrog

What's the oldest fossil cockroach that we have? Where was it found and how was it preserved?

Bryodiversity

Can you talk about Simandoa conserfariam, the so-called extinct cockroach, known to inhabit a single bat cave in Guinea, West Africa, which was destroyed by bauxite mining, leaving the species extinct in the wild? Or Helmablatta louisrothi, a cave cockroach that hitches rides on bats in order to disperse to new caves? Or general information about the evolution and ecology of cockroaches that inhabit the cave ecosystems formed by bat guano?

Feylin

Truth or flimflam? Cockroaches are related to lobsters??? And what about palmetto bugs?

Feylin

I remember as a photojournalist following a company that cuts tree roots from pipes and when they opened the manhole it was swarming with German cockroaches - do they love dark dank warm spaces?

Anna Guzman

Are water bugs and roaches the same thing? I hate them both but people say water bugs as if thats supposed to make the scary giant brown bug in my sink any less terrifying.

Ursula Goodwin

Why are they so damned hard to kill?

Megan Younce

How'd they get such a bad rap?? Also I heard on another podcast about an entomologist who developed an allergy to cockroaches from so much exposure in a lab, and then also became allergic to peanut butter**. Not really a question, but thought it was fascinating. **Edited to correct myself - i meant pre-ground coffee, not peanut butter. Don't know where my brain was that day. (Apparently on peanut butter)

Cooper Michael

I’m allergic to cockroaches, which was such a weird thing to be allergic too and very inconvenient for living in nyc, but what about cockroaches makes that allergy possible? And is it as uncommon as I think?!

Marisa Asher

why are they so bad at walking. the size freaks me out but more than anything the way they stumble around depletes all of my bravery when it comes to trying to kill the things

Marisa Asher

also marisa pronounced like muh-riss-uh ❤️

Squirrelmo

English teacher here. It was teaching Kafka that eased my phobia. Has the Ologist ever named a specimen after Gregor Samsa?

Raja

I had learned several years ago that they are significantly important for decomposition in (on?) the forest floor (at least, in Costa Rica where I was volunteering at the time). Is this true?

Raja

The large (and beautiful, to me) cockroaches we presented to the public at an insect ed centre / butterfly garden I used to work at in Costa Rica were white when they initially molted. It was so cool! Is that the case with all cockroach species?

Raja

How do the household cockroaches in North America react to coffee grounds. There was a cockroach infestation in a house I would be at sometimes and they were in all kinds of kitchen nooks and crannies, but I never saw them hanging out by the wet coffee grounds left in the sink. Do they actually not like coffee or were there just more appealing places to be?

KeyLime Pi

Hi Alie! Two questions from my 8-year old: 1. How many eggs do they lay at a time? 2. What is the average weight of a hissing cockroach? We love Smologies, btw!! :-)

Sarah Chaney

Is it true that a female will instantly drop all her eggs when you squish her? Does she lay An ootheca or individual eggs?

Sarah Chaney

I find the nature-loving cockroaches (the ones that live in the forest, not in my kitchen) really beautiful. Do the American and German cockroaches ever live in the wild anymore or are they 100% dependent on humans to cohabitate? How did that shift happen evolutionarily? What were their lives like before humans had kitchens? Also I think the American cockroach has possibly the best scientific name, Periplaneta says it all.

Mouse Paxton

Excited to learn more about these much maligned bugs! My friend and I once held a Viking funeral for a cockroach in our bathtub because we loved her. Please talk about Bob Mortimer the Cockroach King. Why is the Emerald Cockroach so pretty? Every time I eat Bugles I remember the time I once watched a Madagascar Hissing Cockroach give live birth for like ten minutes at the science center while eating Bugles. Are they good parents?

Curlyhaired_G

Can they truly survive nuclear warfare????

Field Trip Mail Club

Why do cockroaches look similar to trilobites when they aren't even related??

Field Trip Mail Club

if I see a cockroach in a hotel or home I'm staying in, how unrealistic is it of me to be afraid to go to sleep because I'm afraid of them crawling under the covers with me

GhoulNextDoor

I want to like them. I really do. How can I like them more or at least be at peace? Especially when they fly because that feels like a cruel trick

Sarah Talbot

It seems like the indestructible stories of roaches have to be exaggerated. Can you really chop of their head have them keep living? Doesn't seem logical and I am not trying it lol

Katie O

What makes these guys so good at surviving literally everything?????

Anton Kleynscheldt

We once lifted a storm drain cover in an open area next to our house (Eastern Cape, South Africa), and the opening was about a meter across. At the bottom were hundreds of large (I don't think 3" is an exaggeration), and as the light hit them, they scattered. What I've always wondered about is what they were up to just chilling there. There wasn't any food, water or anything. Is this just how they socialise?

Anton Kleynscheldt

Ooh, and fun story: I was driving with my then gf (now wife), and a cockroach started walking up the side of my neck. I'm not squimish, so it was okay (I just pulled over), but I can imagine someone having a real bad accident this way!

who_let_the_lucy_goose_loose

How are insect sprays effective on them, when what I've heard tells me they are otherwise indestructible? What is the best way to kill them?

Jade Greene

Is it true that they aren't larger because the weight of their exoskeleton would crush their guts because of the atmospheric pressure? I've always wondered about the math behind that.

Jade Greene

Also, is the cockroach on WallE your favorite or what!?

Dunlap Girl Squad

How do they survive the un-survivable? Can you really not squish a cockroach?

the tangle system

can they spread diseases? what other creatures are they related to? how many different species are cockroaches? why did we grow up with them everywhere as poor kids? why do we hate them so so much and is it deserved? are they actually dirty? do they clean their environments and therefore are they actually good for us to have around somehow? why do they trigger us so bad and how can we get less murderous about them? (we hate killing insects but these are one of the few bugs that’s it’s ON SIGHT if they’re in our house)

Rayna

FL native born & raised— whats the scariest cockroach and why is it a palmetto bug?

aura ♡

First time question asker, incase the audio doesn’t get included I really want my question answered lol: Ive read that trace amount of insect frass, including cockroaches, is allowed in the production of chocolate. How much if any contributes to chocolate allergies? And has this always been the case? I’ve been obsessed with this question for 20 years, but the internet can’t seem to agree, so I’m hoping to get some closure hehehe ♡ tysm!!

aura ♡

Cucaracha hehehe I like your choices a lot guyz

aura ♡

Now that I’ve opened up the can of cockroaches… I’m a second-time question asker and it’s my duty to ask: If I ever see one out in the wild (ideally not in my kitchen), are there any fun facts or weird party tricks I can whip out? like, can I tell the age by its antennae or identify the species by how dramatically I scream? Just wondering what I can do to impress or horrify people at the next get-together. Thanks so much ♡

aura ♡

Oh good question! Can I piggy back and ask: any good recipes????

aura ♡

Where does its name come from and what does it mean?

aura ♡

Do you know the cucaracha song? Do you sing it to them when they are acting up?

Matt Schmidt

Why am I seeing them in New Zealand? Are they truly everywhere? My guess is we’d find them at McMurdo if we looked hard enough.

Loren Thomas

Slightly embarrassed but owning it - I have a cockroach phobia. I know they don't "harm" people but it feels like the most shuddery terrible omen when I see even one inside a building. Is this common? Is there something amazing I should know about these creatures that could help counteract my repulsion? Also, core childhood coachroach memory...my sweet Mexican grandma used to sing the cucaracha song while pinching my lil toes. All the time, nonstop.

Sonya Nelson

If I’m very clean but my neighbors have them and they come into my apartment, how can I deter them? And are they actually disgusting or just negatively advertised?

Jeni

Do cockroaches that live in your house mutate and eventually become immune to the repellents you use?

KimberlyBimberly

How important are they from an ecological standpoint? What would happen if there were no cockroaches? Also, what’s with the name?

Judy

I read somewhere that cockroaches can live 10 days without their head. What other creature can do this!? And why would this be an evolutionary advantage?