Cockroach Facts for Kids

19 Cockroach Facts For Kids

1. Cockroach is the common name for a larger group of insects in the Blattodea order.
2. Cockroaches and their ancestors have been roaming Earth for at least 320 million years.
3. Cockroaches are distributed worldwide, with several species inhabiting any geographical location settled by humans.
4. Cockroaches can survive in extreme temperatures, allowing them to survive in the Arctic cold to the tropical heat.
5. Cockroaches are omnivorous and will eat just about any type of meat or plant material.
6. Cockroaches can live up to 30 days without food and up to 7 days without water.
7. A cockroach body is made up of three parts, the head, thorax, and abdomen.
8. There are an around 4,600 cockroach species that have been scientifically described.
9. Between 20 and 30 of the known 4,500 cockroach species are classified as pests and infest human structures.
10. The most invasive cockroach is the German cockroach (Blattella germanica) which infests human structures worldwide.
11. The fastest cockroach is the American cockroach (Periplaneta americana) which can run 3.4 miles per hour.
12. The size of a cockroach varies by species, being as short as 0.4 inches or if 3.8 inches.
13. The largest living cockroach is the Megaloblatta longipennis with a body length of 3.8 inches.
14. The smallest living cockroach is the brown-banded cockroach (Supella longipalpa) with a body length of 0.4 inches.
15. The Madagascar hissing cockroach (Gromphadorhina portentosa) is infamous for the loud hissing noise it can make when threatened or irritated.
16. The average lifespan of a cockroach is between 90 days and one year.
17. A cockroach can really live without its head, since they breath through holes in their body, they can live without a head. However, they can only live without water for a week, so technically a cockroach can live 7 days without a head.
18. A cockroach can live up to 7 days without a head, they breath through their body, but drink through their mouth, so they’ll die about 7 days after no water.
19. Cockroaches are commonly eaten in non-Western countries, like China, Mexico, and Thailand.

Cockroach Pictures

If a picture is worth a thousand words, then the below images will be helpful for your research on cockroaches. Below are three pictures of various cockroach species. These pictures should help you better understand the different types of cockroaches found around the world.

A picture of a cockroach on the wall.

A picture close up of a cockroach.

A picture of a cockroaches eat some bread.