Oct 13, 2011 – Roaches – Fast Food for Rodents
QUESTION:
Do rodents eat cockroaches?
ANSWER:
Absolutely rodents will eat cockroaches if they find them and can get them before the roach hides. In Dr. Robert Corrigan's excellent book on Rodent Control he makes the statement that natural populations of rats and mice in habitats away from structures consume "tremendous numbers of insects", and this is one of the beneficial aspects of rodents in nature. He also states that our perimdomestic rodents, specifically the house mouse, will consume cockroaches in and around our structures. We also know that rats feed on insects as well as slugs and snails, and because these rodents are omnivorous (feed on many different kinds of foods) and opportunistic, they will take advantage of what they find available.
Rats and mice certainly have preferred foods, and I suspect that the mouse with an abundance of seeds, grains, or cereals to feed on might turn up its nose at cockroaches. This may not be the case though, because insects do provide a great source of protein that the rodent may feel a need for. Cockroaches could be fast enough to skitter away and into hiding when seen by a mouse, making its capture more trouble than it is worth to the mouse. But, both animals being nocturnal should bring them into contact with each other where both infest a structure.
Just because mice and rats "will" eat roaches does not suddenly make rats and mice desirable biological controls for cockroaches. There are just too darned many negatives to having rodents living with humans to really call rodents beneficial. And, there is no likelihood that rats and mice are going to eliminate a cockroach infestation, any more than a few assassin bugs living inside a home are going to eliminate bed bugs.
View past Ask Mr. Pest Control questions.
Do rodents eat cockroaches?
ANSWER:
Absolutely rodents will eat cockroaches if they find them and can get them before the roach hides. In Dr. Robert Corrigan's excellent book on Rodent Control he makes the statement that natural populations of rats and mice in habitats away from structures consume "tremendous numbers of insects", and this is one of the beneficial aspects of rodents in nature. He also states that our perimdomestic rodents, specifically the house mouse, will consume cockroaches in and around our structures. We also know that rats feed on insects as well as slugs and snails, and because these rodents are omnivorous (feed on many different kinds of foods) and opportunistic, they will take advantage of what they find available.
Rats and mice certainly have preferred foods, and I suspect that the mouse with an abundance of seeds, grains, or cereals to feed on might turn up its nose at cockroaches. This may not be the case though, because insects do provide a great source of protein that the rodent may feel a need for. Cockroaches could be fast enough to skitter away and into hiding when seen by a mouse, making its capture more trouble than it is worth to the mouse. But, both animals being nocturnal should bring them into contact with each other where both infest a structure.
Just because mice and rats "will" eat roaches does not suddenly make rats and mice desirable biological controls for cockroaches. There are just too darned many negatives to having rodents living with humans to really call rodents beneficial. And, there is no likelihood that rats and mice are going to eliminate a cockroach infestation, any more than a few assassin bugs living inside a home are going to eliminate bed bugs.
View past Ask Mr. Pest Control questions.
