* There are three main types of cockroach in Bermuda ? the large dark brown American or Australian roach and the smaller tan-coloured type, with dark brown marks on their heads, which are German. The smaller kind are more of a concern if found in the home (usually the kitchen) as they breed rapidly.

* It is true that if you crush a pregnant female cockroach underfoot you could release an egg and end up with more cockroaches. But the chances of you stamping on the creature at the exact moment that the egg is due to be released are pretty slim. If crushed, a cockroach will emit a putrid odour.

* There are about 6,500 species of cockroach in six families. They exist all over the world, except in the polar regions and at elevations above 2,000m (6,500ft).

* The earliest cockroach fossils are from the Carboniferous period between 354 and 295 million years ago.

* Cockroaches live for up to a year.