When it comes to the most cockroach-infested cities, New York City is typically assumed to be at the top of the list. This is the common assumption when considering the United States, but it is well known that other regions of the world, especially tropical regions, contain an even greater number of cockroaches, and much larger ones too. While no city in the US can match the hot and humid regions of southeastern Asia and South America when it comes to cockroach-abundance and cockroach-size, several big cities in the state of Texas contain far more individual cockroaches than can be found in the Big Apple. But it is, of course, the southern-most areas of Florida where the largest-sized and most populous cockroach communities can be found, at least when it comes to population density.
Considering that New York City contains well over 8 million residents, which is more than twice the amount of people that reside in second place LA, one cannot be blamed for assuming that the city is also home to the greatest number of cockroaches. Although New York is home to a massive amount of cockroaches, the city’s northern location in the US is too cold for most cockroaches’ taste. It is actually the cities of Austin, or possibly Houston, Texas that contain the largest cockroach populations. These cities are not only located in the relatively warm southern region of the US where the climate is more hospitable to cockroaches, but the size of these cities, in terms of area, are also much larger than most US cities. Naturally, they will contain a greater number of cockroaches too.
Residents of Texas, especially Austin, believe that their state also contains the largest-sized cockroaches of all US cities, but according to University of Texas paleo-entomologist, Dr. Christopher Durden, cockroaches in Texas are typically no longer than 1-1/2 inches. Cockroaches in Key West, Florida, on the other hand, grow to be an inch longer than any other cockroaches found in Texas. Considering the tropical climate and the relatively small size of the Florida Keys, it is also likely that the cockroach population is at its most dense within the Keys. That being said, experts have no way of knowing how many individual cockroaches exist in a particular region, but factors such as climate and urbanization allow for accurate predictions.
Do you believe that you live in an area that contains a disproportionately high cockroach population when compared to other regions in the world?