As our time together comes to a close, I am observing lil' Ricky and Sticky's interactions with each other. Currently they are underneath the paper towel bedding, and they have been there since Thursday. These bugs really don't move around very much. They are playing a little antenna tag, however.

I really do wonder what they are thinking about as they sit, wiggle their antennas, and then start climbing on each other. Are they friends? Do cockroaches have big enough brains to feel a brotherly connection?

I just learned from National Geographic, that the hissing from the hissing cockroaches comes from a swift exhale of air from the abdomen of the roach. Also, this hissing is used in the mating ritual and to determine roach hierarchy.

Additionally, Madagascar Hissing cockroaches do not infest human habitation. In the wild, they live in the forest and mostly feed on plant and fruit debris.

One last little tidbit of cockroach trivia! Female cockroaches carry their fertilized egg sac inside of their body. When it is time for the eggs to hatch, they give birth to live young!


I have been watching Ricky and Sticky for about 15 minutes now, and they still haven't really moved. I think that my apartment is just too cold for them to get their groove on.

Well, as the Malagasy people say it, "Mahayanona!" (Translated: It has been brought to completion!" Malagasy is the official language of Madagascar spoken by the Malagasy people.)