Well, the education department now has these wonderful creatures on display, but it is not as bad as you think. They are not the pesky kind that once in a while try to invade our homes. The cockroaches we have are Madagascan hissing cockroaches. Cockroaches do have a bad reputation, but most are actually very beneficial insects. Of the 3,500 different species, less than 1 percent are considered pests.
Cockroaches are an integral part of our ecosystem.
Called decomposers, they help break down dead plant and animal material. A great example of their vital contribution is in the tropical rain forest ecosystem. Rain forest soils are so poor that, without cockroaches and other decomposers helping recycle fallen vegetation, the forests would not exist. The cockroach is among the oldest living insects. Fossils dating back more than 250 million years show very little change from the cockroaches of today.