COCKROACH

(Ok-ok or Ipis)

Habitat: Cockroaches are commonly found in buildings and homes because they prefer warm
environments close to food and water. Unfortunately, cockroaches can cause allergies and trigger asthma
attacks, especially in children. They can also spread nearly 33 different kinds of bacteria.

Food Eaten: Cockroaches usually eat anything, especially decaying matters and food stuff.

Movement: Cockroaches crawl through dirty areas and then walk around our homes tracking in lots of
bacteria and germs.

Organ for Locomotion: Cockroaches use their 6 legs to crawl or use their wings to fly around.

Harmful Effects: They can contaminate food by shedding their skins. Their casted-off skin and waste by-
products are allergens that can trigger allergic reactions, asthma and other illnesses, especially in children.

Beneficial Effects: Cockroaches play a vital role in the life cycle of plants. As they crawl through flowers
seeking food, they also transport pollen and thus help with plant reproduction. Cockroaches eat what
other organisms leave laying, breaking it down and increasing the amount of nitrogen in the soil. Without
their nitrogen-rich excrement, the forests would suffer. They are also food to other animals in the food
chain.