How Do Cockroaches Care For Their Young?

Cockroaches are one of many insects that care for their young. This behavior was thought to be an evolutionary oddity, but other insect groups have the same behavior. Mothers may feed their young, and some species even produce milk, which may benefit humans. This activity varies from species to species, and it may have evolved as a survival strategy.

Most roaches care for their young by laying eggs in warm, moist crevices and leaving them there. However, some species take a more interesting approach to motherhood and actually carry their young. The American and German roaches are two examples of roaches that have this behavior. The young roaches are white and are named nymphs.

Baby cockroaches are vulnerable to predators and must get creative to survive. Although they can’t be very sneaky, roaches can hide from their potential predators. They also have hairs on their bodies that alert them to movement in the air. Hence, it’s important to get rid of a baby cockroach infestation as soon as possible.

In addition to feeding their young, cockroach moms will also guard them by keeping them close. This protective behavior has helped them survive 125 million years.