What is a cockroach's niche in the world?

Question

I understand some of the other pest's niches; like mice and spiders; even ants. Cockroaches I have no clue....do they even have a purpose? If so...please inform me.

Answer 1

In the wild they are scavengers. Yes , there are wild cockroaches.

Answer 2

that's not a question that has a simple black and white answer. the cockroach has evolved into a nearly perfect organism, assuming the game we are all playing on earth is to see how we can pass our DNA onto the next generation and have it proliferate. the cockroach is found in almost every corner of the planet and can survive on an extremely varied food source. they are an excellent organism in terms of survival. i believe you are misusing the term niche in this sense. a niche in biology is more akin to how an organism differentiates itself as a species and exploits an unused food or land source. so, the short answer is, for humans in developed nations, they are a nuisance. but they may provide a critical link in the food web in the ecology of more natural environments, both as a predator and prey.

Answer 3

Organisms don't need a purpose; they just have to be good at adapting to environmental changes and passing along their genes. And cockroaches, damn 'em all, are superb at both of those things.

I've often wondered what, if any, negative effects we humans would notice if we were somehow able to eradicate them. Same with mosquitoes!

Answer 4

The " purpose " of cockroaches is to replicate cockroach genes.

Answer 5

They are the only thing that survived the ice age. They used to be the size of dogs. They are amazing and I think they could be very helpful in science.

Answer 6

They are scavangers. Treat them nice, they resist radioactivity and will take over the world if we blow ourselves up with nuclear bombs.

Answer 7

pest