Cockroach Immigration, Migration, and Neighborhoods (aka The Post with the Roaches In the Mail)

The Wall Street Journal recently published an article “Why Cockroaches Stay in Your Neighborhood” on how cockroaches came to New York (and the U.S.) and how the insects segregate themselves, similarly to the many ethnic groups that live in the city.

“A cockroach found on the Upper East Side is genetically different than the Upper West Side and Roosevelt Island cockroaches, Dr. Stoeckle and his team have found. On the Upper West Side, about 80% of the American cockroaches belong to the same gene pool. On Roosevelt Island, it is 90%.”

It’s an interesting article that’s worth a read.

The methods used to get specimens are what attracted others to pick up and republish the study. As NBC-4 termed its summary of article a couple of days later: “Cockroach Project Studies Dead Bugs Sent by Mail, Finds Pests Vary by NYC Neighborhood.”

BTW – NBC’s headline is why we gave this post the alternative title “The post with the roaches in the mail” just like the title of every episode of “Friends.”