If cockroaches we see living in our kitchens, bathrooms, and the sewers are such hardy creatures, why don’t we see large populations of them in gardens and woods where there’s plenty of moisture and food?

Question

If cockroaches we see living in our kitchens, bathrooms, and the sewers are such hardy creatures, why don’t we see large populations of them in gardens and woods where there’s plenty of moisture and food?

In: Biology

Answer 1

They are not particularly hardy. The “after a nuclear war, only cockroaches would be left” meme is utter nonsense because many other insects, like houseflies, are more radiation resistant and the cockroaches we see depend on humans for their food and water.