We've all had that encounter. You wake up in the middle of the night to go to the bathroom only to be surprised and disgusted by a cockroach crawling on your feet.
Sometimes, these creepy crawlies would go away as soon as they appeared, seemingly cleaning themselves as if they regretted touching us.
Are we as disgusting to cockroaches as they are to us? Is it a mutual disgust?
Verdict:
FALSE
One trait of a human being that defines us from cockroaches is the ability to assume the worst out of everything and come up with a negative conclusion.
If cockroaches can talk, they would probably say; "I know what this looks like, but let me explain".
Most people assume that roaches are disgusted by humans because they have been seen to react in strange ways when they come in contact with people.
After coming into contact, it isn’t uncommon for cockroaches to run away and clean themselves.
Despite how it may seem, there is no scientific evidence that could back the claims of cockroaches being disgusted by humans.
As a matter of fact, their simpler nervous system doesn't have the ability to allow them to understand disgust.
Most insects don’t appear to be able to process emotions like pain, let alone something more emotional like disgust.
These actions are mostly survival instincts and impulses.
The oils on a person’s skin may either irritate them, smell like a threat, or dampen their senses.
So it makes sense for them to "clean themselves" after being in contact with a human being, not because they feel disgusted but as survival behaviour.
While it may be funny to think they feel the same way about us as we do about them, sadly, this is not the case.
But that doesn't mean you should start petting them because these carriers of bacteria, parasites, and viruses are still, well... disgusting!
References
https://www.reptileknowledge.com/reptile-pedia/is-it-true-that-cockroaches-are-disgusted-by-humans
https://pestlockdown.com/are-cockroaches-disgusted-by-humans/
https://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/health/healthyliving/cockroaches
https://www.lakenormanpest.com/blog/post/facts-cockroaches-not-ignore
https://pestwisdom.com/cockroaches-disgusted-by-humans/
