Will Cockroaches Eat Each Other?

In their quest for food, cockroaches will often eat one another. These creatures will also eat leftover food, organic waste, and trash, but not live food. This behavior is natural and occurs to create more room for the cockroaches. Roaches are also known to thin their colonies naturally. Larger roaches will often eat the smaller members in the colony. This happens to create more space for the larger roaches. A larger cockroach may also eat an injured one.

Researchers have found that cockroaches may eat one another when they are mating. Studies on wood-eating cockroaches have shown that they often eat the wings of other cockroaches during the mating process. Cockroaches can also eat a variety of paper materials. Some will even eat dead skin and hair.

During mating, female cockroaches may eat their partners. This behavior allows the female to replenish its nutrient reserves. However, the male does not seem to be a part of this behavior, so if you see a cockroach cannibalizing its own male, you will want to avoid letting it live in your home.

Some predators of cockroaches include lizards, amphibians, and mammals. Many homeowners use water features in their yards to attract these animals. Spiders and lizards also have been known to eat cockroaches.