How many cockroaches live? Without food, without water and without a head?

A lot of rumors are circulating about the amazing survivability of cockroaches, according to rumors that do not know borders. They say that these insects are able to live for years, even strong radiation will not kill them, and they use food and water from a whim only driven by them, that is, if necessary, cockroaches can live without eating. Some argue that they don’t need a head either, they can exist without it.

Radiation can still kill parasites, since it infects all living things, without any exceptions, however, a dose that can cause critical damage to a person will be harmless to a cockroach, their threshold is overvalued by fifteen times. However, the veracity of other legends, in particular, those that say how many cockroaches live, remains to be well understood.

how many cockroaches live

Life expectancy of red cockroaches

How many cockroaches live, popularly referred to as “redheads” or “Prusaks”, provided that they have no food problems, depends largely on the air temperature in the place where they have to live. The most optimal temperature is around twenty degrees. Given the larval stage of life, in a comfortable environment, cockroaches are able to live a year, leaving decent offspring during their existence.

how long does a cockroach live without a head

Life expectancy of black cockroaches

This type of parasite is more hardy and fertile, compared with red brethren. They are mainly planted in garbage cans and basements, that is, they terrorize more residents of the lower floors of multi-storey buildings. Many people ask: how many cockroaches belonging to this species live? After all, their getting into the house bodes many problems. Under favorable conditions, black cockroaches can survive for two years, bringing stably impressive offspring. The female of this parasite lives longer than the male.

how many cockroaches live without food

How many cockroaches live without food?

To the great disappointment of many people, these parasites can do without food for quite a long time: the Prussians live without food for up to forty days, and their black counterparts - up to seventy. Such survivability can be explained quite simply: cockroaches are poikilothermic organisms, that is, in simple terms, they are cold-blooded. They do not need to maintain a fixed body temperature, so a significant part of the energy is not wasted, but accumulated in the cells of the body.

The metabolic rate of poikilothermic creatures is twenty times lower than that of warm-blooded animals, so it’s quite enough for a cockroach to eat food once so that the energy received is enough for a long period, including several weeks, without experiencing hunger. This device of the body has significant disadvantages. The main source of energy for cockroaches is external resources, that is, insects can live comfortably only in well-heated places, at a negative temperature, their population is significantly reduced.

How long does a cockroach live without water?

It would seem that since parasites are able to exist without food for many weeks, then water should not play an important role in their life. However, this is not quite true. In this case, how many cockroaches live without the use of life-giving fluid? Not more than a week. This is because water performs a key function in the life of every creature, because it is an important component of every cell in the body.
Cockroaches are not able to live long without water, so they choose moistened foods (for example, waste) as food. They need water for the process of digestion, as well as for the full functionality of the salivary glands, for the coordinated work of the circulatory system.

how much cockroach lives without water

The excellent heat-conducting properties of a fluid in many respects open its eyes to the importance of its role as a temperature regulator in animal organisms. Thus, the release of water droplets through special openings on the body helps to prevent the parasites from overheating, and keeping a nocturnal lifestyle and a durable chitinous shell that protects the cockroach from fluid loss helps the insect to survive in conditions of low humidity.

Can a cockroach live without a head?

Each of us has ever wondered how long a cockroach lives without a head, and in general, is this possible? The answer may seem strange, but it is positive. To understand the unusual nature of this phenomenon, it is enough to find out that the life support system of a cockroach is not arranged like that of a person. If the latter loss of head promises huge blood loss, a drop in pressure and the cessation of oxygen production, then the insect will not have any of the above. The circulatory system of the cockroach is not closed, it is completely devoid of capillaries, so the pressure in it is not important. According to the scientist who studied the structure of the cockroach organism, if you tear off the head of the insect, the vessels on the neck are sealed with clots of clotted blood. The circulatory system will resume work.

Source: https://habr.com/ru/post/F18940/


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