Content updated: January 26, 2026

Transcript

Cockroaches are no fun when they invade our homes, but as a species, cockroaches can be intriguing. Here are some interesting facts about cockroaches:

An American cockroach can travel over three miles an hour. While that may not seem fast, that's fifty lengths of the roach's body every second. For comparison, a cheetah, the fastest land animal, can only run 18 of its body lengths per second.

The world's largest winged cockroach is found in Peru, Ecuador, and Panama. This cockroach can have a wingspan of up to eight inches. A preserved specimen in Japan measures 3.8 inches in length and 1.75 inches across.

The cockroach has been around for a long time. There are roach fossils dating back as far as 350 million years; they actually predate some of the dinosaurs.

A cockroach body can survive without a head for up to a week. This is because a roach breathes through small holes in its body segments and has an open circulatory system. Since it doesn't need its head to breathe, it can survive without one for a short time. However, without a way to drink water, the roach would eventually die of dehydration.

Hopefully, this information has provided a little insight into the cockroach's world. If you need additional information about roaches or any other pests, please feel free to reach out to us.

Cockroaches might be considered pests, but there are also several fun and cool facts about cockroaches, such as their ability to run at speeds equivalent to 50 body lengths per second. Roaches are also incredibly resilient, having existed for 350 million years, and can even survive for up to a week without a head.