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 *do* live outside, in Florida. They’re called Palmetto bugs and they’re more solitary than their indoor, colonizing cousins. They’re basically giant (2-inch +) roaches that fly. ~~Sometimes~~ often they get indoors, which gets cats excited and makes humans freak out.

I think in the Great Outdoors, regular cockroaches wouldn’t have enough food sources (they’re pretty reliant on humans’ garbage and waste for food) there would be too many predators they couldn’t escape from, and also colonies would be exterminated by winter temperatures everywhere except the world’s hot and humid places.