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Why are cockroaches so yucky?

But Why: A Podcast for Curious Kids

But Why is a show led by kids. They ask the questions and we find the answers. It’s a big interesting world out there. On But Why, we tackle topics large and small, about nature, words, even the end of the world. Know a kid with a question? Record it with a smartphone. Be sure to include your kid's first name, age, and town and send the recording to questions@butwhykids.org!

That’s a question a lot of people have, honestly. But a kid named Rosie was bold enough to ask us to investigate why. So, in the latest episode, we dig in on why cockroaches get such a bad rap and why you might want to reconsider if you’re not a fan.

Only two percent of the world’s cockroaches are considered pests. Those are the ones that can live in houses and potentially make us sick. But the vast majority of cockroaches don’t bother humans at all! Some, like the social cockroach species known as termites, work to decompose organic material and are hugely important to our environment. So where do people learn negative attitudes toward insects? We dig deep into insects with Jessica Ware, an entomologist and curator at the <a href="https://www.amnh.org/exhibitions/permanent/gilder-center/insectarium" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">American Museum of Natural History</a>. She’s also the host of the <a href="https://www.pbs.org/show/insectarium/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">PBS digital series</a> <a href="https://www.pbs.org/show/insectarium/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Insectarium</a>. Answers to your questions about cockroaches, termites, dragonflies, praying mantises and more!

Download our learning guides: <a href="https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/be/c6/c86269894539bebe8ec95ed4a51a/why-are-cockroaches-so-yucky.pdf" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">PDF</a> | <a href="https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/17Kiia_f7g2bkbq3Q08HNPxT9Czr-H2fd97ka9vw1oLs/copy" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Google Slide</a>

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Why are cockroaches so yucky?

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