Fun Oriental Cockroach Facts For Kids

Oriental cockroaches are one of the common insects in the USA. They are also known as water bugs or black beetle because oriental cockroaches live in the damp areas of the USA. Oriental cockroaches are usually dark brown, reddish-brown, or shiny black in color with a glossy body. The oriental cockroach size may vary as adult oriental male cockroaches are 18–29 mm in size and adult female oriental cockroaches are 20–27 mm in size. The male and female roaches have a somewhat different appearance from each other which can be specified as females having a wider body than males. Males have wings longer than females which cover three-quarters of their abdomen. There are a lot of damp places where we can often found oriental roaches such as decaying organic matter, and in sewers, floor drains, damp basements, porches, and other damp locations. Roaches come under some of the major pest species found in the world. These pests need a warm and dark place to survive comparatively with high humidity. Sometimes they are also seen in garbage cans and also in drain pipes outside the home.   That is why they have been unable to produce egg cases in temperatures below 59 degrees Fahrenheit. Talking about the oriental cockroach life cycle, a female oriental cockroach produces an average of eight egg capsules per lifetime. The female of the oriental cockroach species lays about 16 eggs on an average and will produce eight oothecae during her lifespan making it around 128 oriental cockroach eggs with an average incubation period of 60 days. Females have an estimated adult lifespan of 180 days, while males have an adult lifespan of about 160 days. Imagine with this speed of reproduction how hard it is to get rid of these pests! Sometimes the cockroach infestation becomes so active that at the end of the day people have to call pest control.

Read on for facts about the oriental cockroach (Blatta orientalis). You may also like longhorn beetle facts and dung beetle facts.
 

What type of animal is an oriental cockroach?

Oriental cockroaches come under the species of insects. They are pests that are usually found living in the drains or damp areas where most of the other insects are commonly found.

What class of animal does an oriental cockroach belong to?

The oriental cockroach (Blatta orientalis) belongs to the class of Insecta.

How many oriental cockroaches are there in the world?

There is no exact record of how many cockroaches are present in the world. This not only the oriental roaches but any kind of roaches. Roaches are some of those insects which are abundant in the world.  

Where does an oriental cockroach live?

These oriental roaches have only one preference in terms of living i.e. they prefer warm places and places with high humidity. If this preference of them is being satisfied, then you can find these oriental cockroaches anywhere around the world too, although these are commonly found in America. Cockroaches are very adaptive in terms of living. Some of its favorite places are decaying organic matter, and in sewers, floor drains, damp basements, porches, and other damp locations, garbage cans.

What is an oriental cockroach's habitat?

Oriental cockroaches' habitat is commonly found outdoors and they live in warm, damp, shady areas near the ground. The black beetle usually prefers a cool temperature so sometimes they are seen as making indoors as their habitat too like in basements, crawl spaces, underneath sidewalks, sewer pipes, floor drains, under sinks, or any other damp, cool area in the house. These are some of the most common habitual areas where you can find these roaches every time.

Who do oriental cockroaches live with?

Adult oriental roaches are pests that have also been seen living in packs or with the other roaches. Insects are some of the species that, because of their size, usually prefer to live together and do all the tasks collectively such as having or collecting food.

How long does an oriental cockroach live?

The average life of an adult oriental cockroach (Blatta orientalis) is said to be around 6-12 months after developing into fully-grown adult roaches.

How do they reproduce?

There's no specific way in which they reproduce which is actually different from the other insect species. The only thing known about the reproduction parts of these pests is that the female oriental cockroaches tend to produce eight egg cases with 16 eggs per case and the female cockroaches have to carry the egg capsules around for 30 hours before keeping them in a safe place. Almost sixty days later, the oriental cockroach nymph hatches and reaches maturity 6-12 months later. After developing into adults, oriental cockroaches usually live for 6-12 months, in which the females produce an average of 200 eggs for a lifetime. The roach egg looks similar to a small brown pill or a miniature coffee bean.

What is their conservation status?

The conservation status of these pests is considered as Least Concern because there is really no need to conserve them as their reproduction level is very high.

What do oriental cockroaches look like?

Oriental cockroaches are also known as water bugs because they belong in or are found in drains. They are usually dark brown, reddish-brown, or shiny black in color with a glossy body. They are smaller in size than other roaches species, males are an inch in size and have wings that cover almost half their abdomen. On the other hand, females are half an inch in length. Despite having wings, they can't fly in reality.

How cute are they?

Even though cockroaches are the tiniest of insects, still most people are afraid of them, so there's no way that we humans can ever find them cute.

How do they communicate?

Oriental cockroaches tend to communicate with their antennae present on their head and most of the roaches communicate with the help of these. Also, they communicate with the help of a foul odor too when there is an oriental cockroach infestation in your house.

How big is an oriental cockroach?

Comparing to other roaches the oriental cockroach is slightly smaller in size, and between the male and female also as most males are bigger in size than females.

How fast can an oriental cockroach run?

There's no specified speed known for the oriental cockroaches with which they run, but we do know that they can't fly like other roaches even though they have wings.

How much does an oriental cockroach weigh?

Even though cockroaches don't weigh much, these oriental cockroaches are slightly heavier than others and they weigh up to 30 g.

What are their male and female names of the species?

No different names have been given to the male and female of the species.

What would you call a baby oriental cockroach?

An oriental cockroach baby would be the best name of the baby.

What do they eat?

These cockroaches are often seen feeding on different kinds of garbage, sewage, or decaying organic matter and will eat almost anything. Also preferred is a diet high and rich in starch.

Are they dangerous?

Yes, these roaches are considered as one the most dangerous of them all, as they live in more dirty and damp areas compared to the other kind of cockroaches. They are typically known for transferring bacteria and viruses from their legs to food, dishes, and utensils and are known to spread dysentery, e. coli, salmonella, and food poisoning. These pests can contaminate your food and kitchen surfaces, which may make you or your family sick. If you have numerous in your house, it might be best to call pest control.

Would they make a good pet?

No one would like to make them a pet on purpose, as they already live in the house rent-free!

Did you know...

Did you know that these roaches sometimes survive on human scraps? However, in general, they mostly enjoy a diet of decaying plant and animal matter which is quite natural for them.

During the winter these roaches are more likely to be seen inside the house.

Despite having wings that are fully developed wings, these pests are not able to fly, which is a plus point for humans.

These roaches are also known for transferring bacteria and germs in a more proactive manner than the other species of cockroaches. Also, sometimes they get very tough to get rid of due to their nature, but the way to get rid of them is to clean them with some insecticides. With the help of insecticides, you can actually prevent them from coming to your house.

These oriental cockroaches can survive up to a month without food, but they can live only two weeks without water.

Do oriental cockroaches infest homes?

Yes, an oriental cockroach infestation is a real thing and they can be identified by the particular kind of strong oriental cockroach smell they spread, which serves as a way for these roaches to communicate with other roaches. For oriental cockroach extermination, you can use insecticides or call pest control.

What temperatures do oriental cockroaches survive in?

To live and to reproduce and communicate, these roaches need a specific temperature. In short, their only condition to thrive best on earth is a particular temperature. That is why they prefer warm places with a lot more humidity and a source of food and liquid. The required temperature for oriental cockroaches is between 68-84 °F (20-29 °C). If they have the right temperature to live in, they actually can survive for very long and can produce a very big family of their own, which can also lead to very big damage in a house. So, to prevent them from becoming multiplied we should always be looking for these roaches in these kinds of places in our home, and cleaning of such places should be done regularly.

Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly animal facts for everyone to discover! Learn more about some other arthropods including water beetle, or atlas beetle.

You can even occupy yourself at home by drawing one on our Oriental cockroach coloring pages.