Hissing Cockroach Inquiry

Objective: To determine what types of food hissing cockroaches eat.

Materials:

- Hissing cockroaches

- Food items (Hissing cockroaches will eat a variety of food items ranging from apples to dog food) Allow the students to suggest different food items to test

- Terrarium or escape-proof container

Methods:

- Divide students into groups of 2 to 4 students per group

- Place different food items in the center of the container (select between 2 to 5 different foods to test)

- Add one hissing cockroach to each container

- Record the feeding preference of the cockroaches. The results can be recorded by simply stating if the roach consumed a food item or not. An alternative to this method would be to determine initial and final weights of the different food items. By comparing the initial and final weights of each food item, information can be inferred about the food preference of the roaches.

- Be sure to replicate your inquiry

Conclusions:

- What did you learn about hissing cockroaches and their food

preference?

- Do male and female cockroaches prefer the same foods?

- Do immature and adult cockroaches eat the same types of food?