And you thought your apartment was a roach motel. In China, a growing number of farmers are making their living by breeding a rather unusual variety of livestock: thousands and thousands of cockroaches.
The roach farming industry remains secretive in China, with proprietors wary of attracting government attention or the ire of their neighbors. But the industry is also an increasingly prosperous one, as the Los Angeles Times points out: the price of dried cockroaches has soared from $2 per pound in 2010 to $20 today. That's mostly because roaches are more popular than ever among Chinese medical providers, who incorporate crushed roaches into experimental baldness and cancer treatments, as well as cosmetics firms. They're also being marketed as mouthwatering delicacies by some restaurants. Bon appétit!