Why Cockroaches Are the Real Environmental Heroes

Cockroaches are most homeowners’ nightmares. This is because where one is seen, there are more that are hiding in the cracks and crevices of the home. Because they are such survivors, eradicating the home and the environment around it of the beetles is hard to do long-term.

As it turns out, though, completely eradicating an environment of cockroaches may not be the best thing. This is because they are gross, to be sure, but cockroaches are real environmental heroes. Not only do they keep decaying matter at bay, but they also help the Earth replenish itself. Without cockroaches, climate change could even be affected. Therefore, people understandably may not want cockroaches in their homes, but keeping them in the environment is a must for the health of the planet.

Cockroaches Play A Critical Role In Balancing The Ecosystem

While most people have the knee-jerk reaction to say “ew” when it comes to cockroaches, the fact of the matter is that without cockroaches, there would be a massive hole in the ecosystem.

Cockroaches play a crucial role in maintaining the balance of the ecosystem. The beetles are omnivores and eat both plant and animal decaying organic matter. By doing this, the cockroach helps not only to clean up the environment where the plant or animal lies deceased, but it also replenishes the soil with their nitrogen-rich feces so that it is ready to grow more plants and flourish.

If cockroaches were to be eradicated, there would be far more dead organic matter left to rot. In addition, without the nitrogen returning to the soil, forests would have a hard time regenerating the plant matter there.

Even the animal species would be negatively affected by the loss of cockroaches. This is because cockroaches are food for insects, rodents, small birds, and the like. If cockroaches disappeared, these species would also see a population decrease. This would have negative effects up the food chain, with larger mammals that hunt the animals that eat cockroaches eventually seeing fewer of their species due to a smaller amount of resources.

Cockroaches are found in most locales around the world, with the exception of the Arctic Circle and Antarctica. The reason is that it is far too cold for cockroaches to survive. The environments that cockroaches can be found in include:

• Aquatic ecosystems
• Desert ecosystems
• Forest ecosystems
• Urban ecosystems

Each of these ecosystems is different from one another, which means the cockroaches that live in each one vary slightly to have adapted to their environments. It is this adaptability that has allowed cockroaches to survive as long as they have and help keep the Earth functioning in the process.

While cockroaches do carry a whole host of germs, bacteria, and viruses on their feet that can get people sick, without these creatures in the environment, the world as people know it would be a far different place.

Cockroach Jobs Vary By Species

When the word cockroach is spoken, most people have an image in their head of one species of roach. However, there are over 4,600 species of cockroaches worldwide. It should be noted that termites are now classified in the same order (Blattodea) as cockroaches, based on genetic evidence, though they are not in the same family.

Despite the large number of cockroaches, some are more common than others. The most common cockroaches include:

• Albino Cockroach
• American Cockroach 
• Australian Cockroach 
• Australian Rhinoceros Cockroach 
• Asian Cockroach 
• Botany Bay cockroach 
• Brown-banded Cockroach 
• Cape mountain cockroach 
• Central American Giant Cockroach 
• German Cockroach

These cockroaches all have their jobs within the ecosystem. Some of the jobs that cockroaches have include:

The job of these and other cockroaches is to break down organic material, generally decaying, and return it to the environment to make habitats healthier. However, the German cockroach relies on humans to survive. Their ideal environment is indoors, where there is plenty of water and organic material to consume.

In addition to breaking down organic matter and returning it to the earth, cockroaches also serve as a food source for other insects and animals. Some of those creatures include:

• Praying mantis
• Spiders
• Birds
• Snakes
• Geckos
• Mice
• Opossom
• Frogs
• Fish

While not a typical food around the world, some cultures eat cockroaches as well. Consequently, cockroaches are a necessity in the world, as much as some would prefer the roaches to be eliminated completely.

Cockroaches Are Scavengers, Making For A Varied Diet

Cockroaches are omnivores. This means they eat just about anything. From plant and animal matter to paper products and more, there is just about nothing off-limits to cockroaches.

The ability to eat a wide range of organic materials is what has enabled many species of cockroaches to exist worldwide. There is no shortage of dead and decaying matter, which is what cockroaches enjoy consuming. However, cockroaches will stay away from soap, bleach, and cleaning products, sensing they are toxic, and not even touching these products when food is scarce.

If organic matter to consume runs out, cockroaches are not out of options. This is because cockroaches will turn on one another and eat each other if there are no other options.

Fortunately for the cockroaches, but unfortunately for those who view them as pests, this does not appear to be a problem in urban areas, given the abundance of food sources people make available. It can be a problem for those cockroaches that live in the desert, given that their survival is highly dependent on finding food and water in environments where both can be scarce. Yet, desert-dwelling cockroaches have managed to find a way to survive, even under some of the most extreme conditions.

Cockroaches Have Not Evolved Much From Their Early Ancestors

Cockroaches are one of the oldest living creatures on the planet. They have been on Earth for over 300 million years. During that time, they have managed to survive three mass extinction events, including the one that killed the dinosaurs.

This ability to survive in evolving habitats suggests that cockroaches have undergone significant evolution over the hundreds of millions of years they have been alive. What is truly impressive is that cockroaches have changed very little over millions of years, instead adapting to new environments as they arise.

Throughout their existence, cockroaches have been providing a vital service to their habitats by breaking down organic matter and serving as a food source for other creatures. However, what those habitats and creatures have looked like has changed multiple times. Yet, the cockroach has managed to survive.

Cockroaches will stop mating if temperatures get below 45°F or above 115°F. However, they can withstand temperatures ranging from the freezing point to 140°F for short periods in a laboratory setting. They can survive for weeks without food or water, thrive in urban environments, have survived nuclear explosions, and have even developed resistance to insecticides. This has made cockroaches a species worth studying by scientists to figure out just how they have survived for so long.

The answer comes from the genes that make up the cockroaches. DNA sequencing has revealed that 60% of cockroach genes are related to taste and smell receptors. These genes help the cockroaches sense when something is poisonous to them. However, cockroaches can eat and break down toxic organic material, which is what has enabled cockroaches to become the resilient insects they are today.

Long after humans are gone from the planet, cockroaches will continue to live. They will do their part to help the environment thrive, as they have in the past, until Earth becomes uninhabitable, which is believed to be approximately 1.3 billion years from now. Whether that means uninhabitable for all or if cockroaches will live on remains to be seen.