Cockroaches' global spread and survival expertise

These six-legged, hairy creatures are persistent invaders that refuse to die, no matter how much effort is put into eliminating them.

Initially, cockroaches were not adept at surviving indoors; however, they have since become proficient at hiding in kitchen pipes and musty drawers.

Genetics research reveals that cockroaches have spread globally, from their origins in southeast Asia to Europe and beyond, possibly due to traveling with humans. The study covers thousands of years of cockroach history.

"Stephen Richards, an assistant professor at Baylor College of Medicine who studies insect genes and was not involved with the study, stated that the story is not just about insects, but rather it is a story about insects and humanity."

Scientists have confirmed that the German cockroach, a species found worldwide, actually originated in southeast Asia and likely evolved from the Asian cockroach around 2,100 years ago.

The journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences published the research on Monday.

The cockroaches traveled west to the Middle East about 1,200 years ago and may have stowed away on Dutch and British East India Company trade routes to get to Europe about 270 years ago, according to scientists' reconstruction and historical records.

The steam engine and indoor plumbing likely helped insects travel further and get cozy living indoors, where they are most commonly found today.

Investigating how cockroaches adapted to previous environments could potentially improve pest control strategies.

According to Qian Tang, a postdoctoral researcher at Harvard University, modern-day cockroaches are difficult to control because they rapidly develop resistance to pesticides.