Hissing Cockroach Birth - Pt. 2

Madagascan hissing cockroach giving birth. Part one: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OhOGQI...
This video was featured on Animal Planet's Weird, True & Freaky. I am not partial to how the show portrays them to be horrifying, "sci-fi" monsters, and they didn't even talk about the part where she squirts out "cockroach milk" to feed her babies after they're born, which is probably the "freakiest" part to most people :P Ah well. It's sad that most people can't enjoy and celebrate these animals without thinking of them as horrifying, dirty creatures. I understand it's unusual and "gross", as any birth is... but I get so sick of the blatant hate and constant actual threats from people just for loving these animals.

Also I feel the need to note: Don't bother leaving rude comments. They will not be approved (unless I find your comment SO ignorant that I think everyone should see it and have some big, hearty lols), and you will be blocked. FYI, I have studied these insects for over a decade, and believe it or not, they are VERY helpful to the ecosystem. There are around 6,000 different species of cockroach, and only NINE are known pests to humans. The rest prefer to live in the soil, where the eat decaying matter, serve as food to many mammals and other invertebrates, and some species are even pollinators. The Asian cockroach, Blattella asahinai, is a predator of boll worm larvae, which destroy crops. They also eat the eggs of the beet armyworm - a pest to cotton, cabbage and a variety of other crops. Farmers release these roaches into their crops for this purpose. Termites are, in fact, cockroaches, and they are enormously important to the health of forests. It is also said that cockroaches eat bedbugs. Think about all that before you prove yourself to be ignorant by saying they have no use in the world. It's likely that they are making themselves more useful to the environment than you are.

Answers to some common questions:

- Did the mother roach survive after such a painful-looking childbirth??
- Yes, the mother survived the ordeal. The babies are not nearly as big as they look while within her body; they instantly inflate with air as soon as they are born, giving the impression that they took up THAT much space inside her, when they really didn't take up that much.

- Aren't you afraid of them getting out and infesting your home??
- No, because hissing cockroaches are one of about 96% of all roach species which don't infest homes, as mentioned above. The only time roaches carry disease are when they crawl through -our- filth, or otherwise only carry it on the outside of their bodies.

- What did you do with all those babies??
I either gave them to friends, kept them, or sold them. It's really quite simple to keep hundreds of hissing roaches with minimal effort and space. I find that it's far easier to keep up with 300 of these roaches than 1 fish or hamster. :)

- WHY DO YOU HAVE THESE AS PETS OMG??
They've actually got a fascinating social structure, much like a wolf pack. There will be one dominant male, several females he keeps, and usually one or two males that are the weakest and keep off to themselves. Sometimes a female will actually take pity on him and stick nearby him rather than the dominant male. They're fascinating to watch and observe, and I love to hear them rustling around at night :)

• Category

  Pets & Animals

[Bethany Kline]

Also, what do the babies eat? like after this initial "roach milk" is there more they she excretes or is that a one time thing like the placenta?

[PenanggalanMonster]

After eating the "roach milk" their exoskeleton will harden and then they will eat the same stuff as the adults :)

[Bethany Kline]

do you have to worry about the males or any of the adults eating the babies?

[PenanggalanMonster]

The only time I've witnessed cannibalism is when the roaches don't have enough hiding spots or haven't been fed properly. Often the babies will switch from adult roach to adult roach to hide under them and they don't seem to mind :)

[OtherAsianKev]

How old was the mother when giving birth? Like, what's the exact age for a cockroach to reproduce?

[PenanggalanMonster]

They can reproduce as soon as they hit their final molt, which can vary drastically.

[EpicMonotony]

Is it just me or were they like constantly getting bigger? o.O

[PenanggalanMonster]

A hell of a lot of people. Young, old, rich, poor. I've known girls, guys, professors, & people who make money BY keeping them. If it weren't for people taking interest in their biology & importance in the ecosystem, we wouldn't have certain alternatives to harmful pesticides or even a type of artificial heart fashioned after a roach's superior heart design. So you know what? You can shove your rude comment. I should be the one making you feel like an ass (and I think I sufficiently have).

[Bree Hilda]

I've watched the part 1 of this and it has too much rude comments. I find it creepy but AWESOME. I'm not that fan of insects but i love to see how they give birth. I love watching such vids. thanks for uploading. :)

[PenanggalanMonster]

Certainly not. They're just partaking of a protein-rich fluid she leaks after birth. It's a great first meal for baby roaches!

[Remolfm]

Question. Do the babies eat the mom after birth?

[kayla laskey]

that was amazing :)