Cockroaches can turn into a nightmare for a home or other place in which people live. With the appearance of such "neighbors" to bring them out is not an easy task. As soon as insects occupy a room with suitable conditions, their numbers grow exponentially. And you can only bring them out if you accurately determine the type of cockroaches.
Years of study
Science knows about the existence of approximately 5, 000 species of cockroaches. About 55 of them can live in houses and apartments, but often we come across only a few. Almost everyone is afraid of large cockroaches. And this is not strange: such insects can hardly be called pleasant neighbors.
Can cockroaches fly? They can, since they have wings that are reduced only in some species. A flying insect causes even greater horror in people who are panicky afraid of cockroaches. In nature, there is only one species of these insects capable of effortless flight. However, it does not occur on the territory of our country. By the way! It is believed that every ten years a new type of cockroach appears.
Insects prefer rooms that are warm and humid. The activity of these creatures manifests itself at night, which prevents their timely detection. The body length of insects is different and can vary from 0.4 to 10 cm. The head is in the shape of a triangle, flattened in the dorsoventral direction. The mouth apparatus is gnawing, and the opening of the mouth is in the lower part.
Black beetle
Black cockroaches are the most common. Food they serve fresh and spoiled foods. In areas with a warm climate, they live even on the street. In fact, the house for black cockroaches is only a small part of their range. And the definition of a black large cockroach is quite broad. Their color can vary from saturated brown to black.
The sizes of this type of cockroach also has various. The term "large" for a specialist in disinfection is taken literally (ten centimeters). However, in reality, the body of the insect does not exceed 3 cm in length in females. By the way, their presence in the room is a sign of poor sanitary conditions. They live in garbage bins, dressing rooms and other similar places. It is not surprising that these creatures are carriers of many diseases. The horror is just the appearance of cockroaches. A photo of insects clearly demonstrates this.
Red cockroach
The red cockroach is one of the species with the widest range. We mostly meet them. They accompany the person everywhere where he leaves the remains of food.
The structure of red and black cockroaches is identical. Only the former have an elongated body with a reddish-brown chitinous cover. The popular name is Prusak. Red species of domestic cockroaches surround a person everywhere.
American cockroach
The size of an American cockroach can reach four centimeters. They feed on almost everything and are highly fertile. The considerable growth rate and ability to survive make talking about this cockroach representative seriously.
American cockroaches can move everywhere, even on the ceiling. In danger, this insect exudes a smelly liquid that causes the enemy an instant allergy. It can be attributed to centenarians among the entire cockroach family. If this creature is found in your home, immediately contact the appropriate service to remove them. An American cockroach in the fight for food can even attack a pet! Agree, such creatures are very unpleasant neighbors.
We have listed the most famous types of cockroaches. Next, we’ll talk about those that can cause surprise and even amazement at a meeting.
Albino Cockroaches
This is a rather rare occurrence, nevertheless causing unpleasant sensations. It looks like an insect that threw off the shell during molting. The procedure for changing chitinous cover (molting) occurs up to 8 times during the life of a cockroach. Then it becomes quite bright, but soon chitin is formed again.
Albinos are endowed with a colorless carapace. This phenomenon is also found among other species of animals and plants. It is worth remembering that albinos are the same pests as other cockroaches. It is difficult to say exactly how many species of cockroaches are known to scientists. Their approximate number is five thousand, other sources call the figure 4600. Any insects can be albinos.
What individuals end up in homes?
Not all types of cockroaches tend to get into the house. But if red-haired Prussians made their way into the dwelling, then the struggle would be serious. Those residents who have already been involved in cockroach breeding remember their agility. It is difficult to find out exactly where these insects got into the house. But the main reasons for their appearance in the apartment are known:
- dirty dishes in the sink, which does not wash for a long time;
- garbage with food debris, which is rarely taken out of the house;
- neighbors who already have cockroaches.
Increased risk of pests in those living near cafes and cafes. There are cases when cockroaches are simply brought from work. Maintaining cleanliness in the house (especially in the kitchen) is the main means of preventing the appearance of disgusting insects. Even one cockroach that got into the house can multiply quickly. By the way, it also happens that insects appear in those who zealously monitor the cleanliness of their homes.
Reproduction of different species
Knowledge of the basics of the life cycle of cockroaches will help prevent their appearance and facilitate the process of exterminating unwanted guests. One female is able to give life to 40 young individuals. Their number depends on the number of larvae in the egg carried by the female. Outwardly, such an egg is more like a sack. All types of cockroaches in the apartment breed year-round.
During her life, the female lays eggs up to 4 times. Detecting such masonry is problematic. Another feature of the life of these creatures is their ability to leave tags at food and water sources for their relatives.
But getting rid of any type of cockroach is difficult. Sometimes even expensive drugs can not cope with this task. Pest controllers advise taking preventive measures to prevent these creatures from appearing in your home, because destroying them will be quite problematic.
It is well known that these insects can spoil food. Most people think that they only eat crumbs and leftovers. In fact, cockroaches can get to the food contained in a thin shell. Also attacked are leather goods, books, flowers, paper wallpapers. Individuals that feed on feces can carry pathogens of dangerous diseases, including parasites. For this reason, it is better to prevent their appearance in the walls of the house.
Life span
Perhaps you remember the joke that cockroaches existed before the dinosaurs and survived them for many thousands of years. This joke is just a fraction of the joke, and the rest, alas, is true. The remains of the cockroach are, along with the remains of the cockroach crickets, the most numerous traces of insects in the Paleozoic sediments. Cockroaches adapt very well to changing conditions. For life they need only water and food.
Life expectancy is determined by the availability of food. Different types of cockroaches live their term. The Prussians can survive without food for up to a month, and black - up to 70 days. With food insecurity, cannibalism is common among them. And sometimes cockroaches can bite people.
You may be surprised, but these creatures can live with an absent head! The experiments are staggering: a headless insect will live for several more weeks. This is due to structural features. They breathe the entire surface of the body. Scattered throughout the body, the nervous system retains the main reflexes. However, the headless creature will practically lose its orientation in the world around it, will not be able to memorize and learn.
Insect bites
Cockroaches bite when they are deficient in food or water. Obviously, bites are not a manifestation of wild aggression, but only a way to make up for the missing nutrition and survive. The following areas of the body are most affected:
- elbow and knee bends, eyelids, lips (bite off particles of the skin);
- skin near the eyes and lips (bite women and children during sleep);
- skin in the nasolabial fold.
Recall that a cockroach bite is disgusting, disgusting and dangerous. The site of damage to the skin can become inflamed. Sometimes a parasite-borne infection can get into the wound. Pests sometimes bite off eyelashes and eyebrows in a dream in children. Prevent existing skin lesions.
Cockroaches can eat later, sebaceous secretions, saliva and feces. We can say with confidence: cockroach bites are a rather dangerous thing. Damaged places almost always swell and become inflamed.
There is an opinion that there is a type of cockroaches eating eyelashes. In practice, almost all members of the family can eat the hair of the human body.
Cockroach Allergy
People are often allergic to cockroaches. Allergens penetrate in different ways: with air, with food, directly by contact. According to doctors, the bulk of patients with asthma are prone to allergies to cockroaches. The consequences of such a pathology can be very different:
- Feeling of stuffiness in pest habitats.
- Feeling unwell while cleaning the apartment with cockroaches.
By the way, any type of cockroach can cause allergies. A photo of insects provokes an attack of brutal disgust, what to speak of "meeting face to face"! And if we take into account that "close acquaintance" is fraught with grave consequences, it is not surprising that people try by hook or by crook to get rid of their uninvited neighbors.
You can avoid trouble if you follow the simple rules of room hygiene:
- Monitor the health of plumbing equipment.
- Wash dishes in a timely manner and keep them in a designated place.
- Always take garbage out of the house, avoiding stagnation.
- The garbage bucket should be hermetically sealed so that insects are not interested in it.
These simple recommendations will help prevent pests in your home and prevent them from returning after exile.
Where are cockroaches hiding?
Many people know the appearance of a cockroach, but finding it is not an easy task. Usually we learn about their presence at a time when insects already feel at ease in the vastness of our home and do a lot of dirty things. If the landlord wants to know about an unpleasant neighborhood sooner, he can follow simple recommendations that will help find the habitat of intruders.
Firstly, almost any type of cockroach likes dark dirty places. As for everything else, the main signs of the presence of cockroaches are as follows:
- black dots are visible on tiles and furniture - insect excrement;
- an unpleasant specific smell is felt;
- cockroach eggs are visible in the crevices.
There are frequent cases when the owner sees all this, but does not focus his attention on this. This may continue for some time until the cockroaches start to run around the house in groups. Do not forget that if even insignificant traces of the insects considered by us are caught in the eye, then it is definitely worth declaring war on them.
Begin by carefully checking all the secluded places in the kitchen where parasites could hide. Perhaps your fears will be confirmed if you find conclusive evidence of their presence. Then thoroughly wash the dishes, pots and other utensils on which particles of food could remain. Inspect all foodstuffs to see if the cockroaches ruined them. Because in case of spoilage, they will continue to use them for food.
