Cockroaches are highly adaptable survivors recognized for their ability to thrive in diverse and challenging environments. Their success stems from a flexible diet, allowing them to utilize nearly any available organic matter as a food source. The answer to whether they consume other bugs and cockroaches is yes, confirming their diet is much broader than simple discarded human food. This omnivorous behavior sustains their colonies under adverse conditions.
Scavenging and Predatory Behavior
Cockroaches are primarily scavengers, consuming dead or decaying organic matter, including other insects they find. They readily feed on the carcasses of various bugs, utilizing the protein and nutrients of dead house flies, spiders, or pantry pests. This scavenging is opportunistic; they do not actively hunt these insects but capitalize on what is already deceased or severely injured.
Cannibalism—eating their own species—is a prominent part of this diet. A cockroach that is weak, recently molted and soft, or has died quickly becomes a meal for its colony mates. This consumption recycles nutrients within the population and is not typically a predatory act against a healthy adult. Some species, like the American cockroach, may opportunistically prey on smaller, vulnerable insects, such as bed bug nymphs or fly larvae, if alternative food sources are scarce.
Factors Driving Cannibalism
The main reasons cockroaches resort to eating other insects and their own kind are tied to population stress and nutritional needs. High population density, often seen in severe infestations, quickly leads to resource scarcity, forcing individuals to seek out less desirable food options. When the standard food supply diminishes, the demand for protein and nitrogen becomes acute.
Female cockroaches, in particular, require significant protein to produce egg cases, called oothecae. If this protein is unavailable, they may consume smaller nymphs or egg cases to obtain the necessary nitrogen compounds for reproduction. This behavior ensures that some members of the colony survive periods of starvation. Intense competition for limited resources means the weak often become a food supply for the strong.
The Full Scope of Cockroach Omnivory
Eating other insects is only one aspect of a cockroach’s omnivorous nature. They consume a wide variety of non-traditional items derived from materials that were once living organisms. For example, a cockroach’s diet can extend to the starch-based glues found in bookbindings and wallpaper, the cellulose in cardboard and paper products, and the fatty residue in soaps. They also eat hair, dead skin flakes, and fingernail clippings, all of which provide protein and other organic compounds. This adaptability confirms that any organic material in their environment is a potential food source, making the consumption of other bugs a logical extension of their survival strategy.