'Bugman' answers your questions about those disgusting cockroaches invading Kiwi homes

With winter upon us, some Kiwis may have noticed an influx of cockroaches in their homes as the insects seek shelter from the cold.

Speaking this morning to TVNZ 1's Breakfast, 'Bugman' Ruud Kleinpaste addressed a few persistent myths about the well-known creatures.

Some people thought that they release eggs when stepped on, but this is false, Mr Kleinpaste said, as those eggs are held embedded inside the body of the cockroach to keep them in certain conditions.

When those conditions change - like when the cockroach dies - the eggs die too.

Could they survive a nuclear explosion? It's unlikely he says, although Discovery's Mythbuster programme found during experiments that cockroaches are extremely resilient against radiation.

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Can they survive a nuke? Will they drop eggs if stepped on? Do they climb into mouths when people are asleep? Source: Breakfast

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