Cockroaches can easily invade your home, and they’re known for causing havoc.
They’re also fairly sneaky and can be difficult to spot. If you’ve noticed cockroaches on your property, it’s essential to take steps to keep them at bay.
So, can cockroaches hear? The answer is yes.
Cockroaches can hear sounds at frequencies between 20 and 100 kilohertz. However, cockroaches’ hearing isn’t as good as that of mammals or birds.
In fact, their hearing is worse than that of insects such as grasshoppers or crickets. Part of the reason for this is that cockroaches’ ears are too small for their huge heads.
Furthermore, cockroaches have poor hearing in humid environments because their exoskeletons absorb sound. These facts show that cockroaches aren’t deaf, but they can’t hear as well as mammals or birds.
Can Cockroaches Hear?
Contents
Cockroaches may be small, but they can make a lot of noise.
They communicate with each other by stomping their feet and tapping their bodies. They also make squeaking and hissing sounds during mating season.
However, cockroaches can’t hear their own sounds or loud noises. They only have hearing organs on their front legs.
Therefore, cockroaches use other ways to sense their surroundings. For example, cockroaches use their antennae to detect odors and vibrations in their environment.
Why Cockroaches Can’t Hear?
Cockroaches can’t hear because they have no eardrums.
Instead, they sense sound vibrations through their body. When cockroaches hear a sound, their nervous system reacts by changing their muscles.
If they hear a sound they don’t like, such as the sound of a predator, they freeze and stiffen up. If they hear a sound they like, such as the sound of a mate, they relax and start wiggling their antennae.
Cockroaches can also hear through vibrations in the ground, known as seismic sense. When cockroaches hear a seismic vibration, they launch themselves into the air.
To avoid predators, cockroaches often hide in dark places during the day and then come out at night.
Can Sound Kill Cockroaches?
Cockroaches can detect vibrations in the air using hairs on their antennae and on their legs.
This served as the foundation for the creation of an ultrasonic device that repels roaches by emitting sounds at a frequency above human hearing but below that of insects like roaches.
However, one research done at Kansas State University’s Department of Entomology found that cockroaches were able to detect sounds at 17 kHz — about four times higher than what some devices emit.
Also Read: I Saw One Cockroach. Should I Be Worried?
Conclusion
In conclusion, cockroaches can hear. This ability isn’t special to cockroaches. Many invertebrates, such as scallops and crabs, also have this ability.
Cockroaches can hear through three means.
First, cockroaches can hear sounds through vibrations on the floor.
Second, cockroaches can hear sounds through their antennae, which are sensitive to vibrations.
Lastly, cockroaches can hear sounds through vibrations in the air around them.
Cockroaches can even hear sounds at higher frequencies than humans can. Overall, cockroaches can hear a wide variety of sounds.
