Cockroaches can eat almost everything, so you would assume they have teeth, right? Do cockroaches have teeth, actually?
Not in their mouths, but they have teeth-like plates in their stomachs. Roaches have a different mouth layoutfrom other animals and humans.
- Cockroaches have a different structure for chewing and eating
- They eat wood and plastic, so teeth wouldn’t last
- There are three parts to the eating system of a cockroach
Do Cockroaches Have Teeth?
So roaches eat wood, cardboard (glue), and plastic, so they have something in their mouth to much those hard things with, right?
No. There are no teeth in roach mouths.
There are no teeth in roach mouths.
That said, their mouths’ structure is complex, allowing them to chew and bite. There are three distinct parts to a roach mouth.
Food is ground up inside the stomach by weird teethlike structures known as gizzard plates. These plates act as something akin to teeth, but obviously function differently because they are located inside the stomach.
Additionally, roaches chew their food before swallowing it with their maxilla, located in the front of their bodies. Finally, the mandibles part does all the biting and pulling of the food into the mouth.
Roaches Grow Teeth When They Are Babies, Right?
There is no tooth growth in roaches. The cockroach doesn’t produce individual teeth, nor do they produce more as they age. As soon as a cockroach hatches, most of its body is fully formed. It will molt several times to gain strength, speed, and size.
It does not, however, develop body parts as it grows. As a result, cockroaches can “bite” even as babies, but they don’t have teeth.
Can Cockroaches Bite, and Are They Harmful?
Yes, they can bite for sure.
However, this is quite rare as they have no reason to bite humans. There is no venom or toxic substance in cockroaches, so there will be no lasting effects from the bite.
There is no venom or toxic substance in cockroaches, so there will be no lasting effects from the bite.
Some may find the bite to be a little irritating and itchy.
Others won’t even know they have been bitten.Â
Unfortunately, like mosquitos and other insects, roaches carry bacteria and germs which can be passed on when they bite you.
Cockroaches don’t go out of their way to bite you, but it is possible they will if their food source is scarce. They seem like they are biting your skin, but they are actually attempting to eating dead skin. Sometimes they bite too far and can pierce the skin.Â
They also like eating eyelashes.
If you have an open wound that is not covered, they can feed on it when their food source is limited. This only really occurs when there is a large, sudden infestation in the process of being cleared out.
Always wash your hands and around the mouth before bed, so roaches are not attracted to the food residue.
If A Cockroach Bites You, What Should You Do?
- Wash the area with soap and water
- Expose the area to air and keep it clean
- The area shouldn’t be bandaged, and tight clothing should be avoided
Any redness and bite marks will likely fade within a few hours without causing long-term damage. If you have pet roaches and handle them often, you are less likely to be bitten.Â
If you have pet roaches and handle them often, you are less likely to be bitten.Â
Roaches don’t bite out of fear. If exotic cockroaches are biting you, then you may not be feeding them the right food, or they are lacking in something important.
Ensure you always have a fresh and healthy diet for pet roaches.
Working Your Way Around a Cockroach’s Mouth
1. Mandibles
Insect anatomy is perhaps best known for the mandibles, as the insect’s mandibles are usually located at the front, on the head (we mean… when the head is still attached!). The mandibles serve as teeth for cockroaches.
These are used to bite and chew. Despite looking small, roach mandibles are powerful.
Insect anatomy is perhaps best known for the mandibles, as the insect’s mandibles are usually located at the front.
Often the mandible is the strongest part of the mouth of insects that bite.
2. Maxillae
Cockroaches have other pincers than their mandibles, called maxillae. Just below the mandibles are the maxilla, which are pincers. As secondary chewing parts, they are smaller. Therefore, they provide support for the roach’s chewing organs.
Maxillae are responsible not only for chewing food but also for grounding it down. This makes it easier for the food to pass through the digestive system and the stomach. Breaking it down and digesting it so it can be further absorbed into the body.
3. Labrum And Labium
The labrum is a flat cuticle in the shape of a flap located on the roach’s frontal area. It is technically the top layer of the mouth. Labrums are the upper lips of human anatomy.
Food is brought into the mouth by the labrum. Since roaches lack hands, they cannot grasp objects. Furthermore, the labrum holds the food in place. As a result, the food does not move forward, and the roach can chew it for longer.
The labium is the labrum’s counterpart. You can consider this to be the roach’s lower lip. In addition to preventing spills from the mouth, the labium also serves as a stopper for food.
Can Cockroaches Eat Fast With Their Mouth Design?
These pests are even more disruptive due to their stomach teeth. In addition, roaches typically prefer softer food, such as rotting or kitchen scraps.
Despite eating soft foods, a gizzard allows roaches to chew their food without using their teeth. Instead of going down the digestive tract, the gizzard directly absorbs these chunks.
Further breakdown occurs within the organ as a result of the gizzard plate teeth. Roaches can eat quickly because of this. This is why roaches can destroy and eat something so quickly.
Despite eating soft foods, a gizzard allows roaches to chew their food without using their teeth.
Conclusion
Cockroaches don’t have teeth in their mouths the way humans, snakes, dinosaurs, and cats have teeth. They have mandibles and maxillae, which they can use to bite with, but not to chew with.
Roaches digest their food in their stomach with teeth-like plates called gizzard plates.
