What do different types of cockroaches look like? What types of cockroaches are there? Cockroach without a mustache

The roots come from warm African latitudes and have been taken by man to all continents. Almost all types of cockroaches feel great in our homes, despite numerous attempts to get rid of pests. Cockroaches are very tenacious creatures, they withstand radioactive exposure ten times the lethal dose for humans.

The insect organism is designed in such a way that it can digest leather products, paper and even wood, thanks to the plates located in the stomach and helping to process food.

An insect can survive most low-toxic poisons if there is access to water. Even in the absence of food, insects can live up to two months, thanks to the ability to slow down metabolism. The only thing all kinds of cockroaches is frost, they are cold-blooded, therefore, at sub-zero temperatures, they freeze to death.

Cockroaches not only disgust the owners of the apartment, but can bring serious trouble, cockroaches can carry diseases such as typhus, tuberculosis, dysentery, hepatitis and many other diseases, pests can also carry worm larvae and other unpleasant things on their paws.

furniture cockroach

Furniture cockroaches were discovered in Russia about 100 years ago. From the name it is clear that these insects like to hide in furniture. The species of these cockroaches can often be found in city libraries, furniture factories and bedrooms.

A characteristic difference between these cockroaches is the light color, as seen in the photo below.

american cockroach

His homeland is Africa, but he was brought to America and he remarkably took root in human homes, where the optimum air temperature is constantly maintained and food is in abundance.

The size of the insect does not exceed 3 cm and the reproduction rate is inferior to the Prussians familiar to us. The American cockroach was able to move to Europe and even took root in many countries with a relatively warm climate.

Vietnamese cockroach (Shelfordella tartara)

This species lives in the southern regions of Russia and is known under the names "Turkestan cockroach" and "Central Asian cockroach". This cockroach is quite rare and lives mainly on the street. Adults reach 2.5 cm, are able to jump far, helping with wings. The cockroach has a dark abdomen and a yellow cephalothorax, which is clearly visible in the photo.

exotic cockroaches

Such cockroaches are specially bred by lovers of exotic animals. Some exotic species of cockroaches reach 10 cm in length. Some keep cockroaches in the house as a pet, but many breed large cockroaches to feed various pets (snakes, frogs, lizards, fish), and do not require special care, so many prefer not to buy dubious food, but to grow them on their own and be sure of its freshness.

Dead head cockroach (Blaberus craniifer)

This species lives in the tropics of South and Central America. It got its name from the pattern resembling an ugly mask located on the head of an insect. It is also called the Cuban cockroach. Cockroaches grow up to 8 cm, the chitinous shell is matte black, the cephalothorax is light with a black pattern in the middle, as seen in the photo.

The Cuban cockroach can fly well, and its wingspan reaches 10 cm. When threatened, the cockroach releases a pungent odor that does not disappear for a long time. Life expectancy is about a year and a half.

Rhino cockroach (Macropanesthia rhinoceros)

The Australian cockroach spends most of its time underground and is often referred to as the giant burrowing rhinoceros cockroach for its ability to dig deep burrows. At night, the cockroach crawls to the surface in search of food, they feed on fruits, leaves and do not disdain carrion.

An adult grows up to 9 cm in length and weighs up to 40 grams, in the photo is a female and male rhinoceros cockroach. The Australian cockroach is often found in lovers of exotic cockroach species.

Chess cockroach (Therea bernhardti)

This species lives in India, during the day insects hide in fallen leaves, and at night they come out in search of food, like most representatives of the species. Cockroaches are black in color but have staggered white spots on their backs. Chess cockroaches are long-lived and able to live in good conditions for up to 5 years.

These cockroaches love high humidity in the region of 70-80% and warm air of 25-30°c.

Madagascar hissing cockroach

The most common representative of cockroaches found in insectariums. It is this species that came to the liking of lovers of exotic animals. Unpretentious, quiet and does not require skills for maintenance. The dimensions of this giant reach 10 cm, and their main trump card is hissing in case of danger, which is created when the insect abruptly releases air from special spiracles.

Optimal conditions for keeping 23-30 ° degrees, and humidity should be around 60%.

Egyptian turtle cockroach (Polyphaga aegyptiaca)

The cockroach has a rounded body shape, resembling a turtle shell, the maximum size is 4.5 cm. The shell is shiny black, covered with transverse plates.

Habitat Central Asia, the Caucasus, feeds on leaves, animal remains, feces. The lifespan of an Egyptian cockroach is 4 years.

Green banana cockroach (Panchlora nivea)

Bright species of cockroaches that fly well. They have taken root in banana plantations and feed on leaves. This species was discovered quite recently and did not have time to gain popularity among cockroach lovers.

The homeland of the cockroach is the Florida forests and Cuba. The optimum temperature for this species is 27 degrees Celsius. The size of the cockroach is small and reaches 2.5 cm.

Forest cockroach (Ectobius lapponicus)

It lives in wooded areas, feeds on tree leaves, carrion, and plants. Hiding in tree roots and under leaves.

There are a huge number of species of cockroaches, there is even a Japanese pest. Almost all types of cockroaches are harmless to humans and cannot bite through the skin.

These insects together form a whole Detachment Tarakanovs. A common feature of all representatives is an oval body crowned with a triangular head with long antennae. So what are cockroaches?

tropical

Green cockroach (banana).

A resident of the rainforests of Florida, Ecuador and Cuba. It differs from domestic cockroaches by its bright light green color of the covers and large size. Many breed them in a terrarium as pets.

Banana varieties of cockroaches, the photo of which is just below, fly perfectly with the help of transparent wings and can dig minks in the ground.

Brown cockroach or turtle.

Ground insects living secretly. In nature, they live in the warm forests of Burma, India and Thailand.

Pretty big creatures reaching 2 cm in length. All integuments of the body are painted in a rich chestnut color. All individuals have transparent wings. In males, they are long, capable of briefly lifting the owner into the air. In addition, the wings are decorated with a transverse border of a pale yellow hue.

Females are not so elegant, their small wings are devoid of patterns and do not even allow them to rise above the ground.

marzipan cockroach.

Exotic from North America. Frequent inhabitant of terrariums. It differs in not very large sizes, reaching a length of no more than 4 cm. The covers have a noble cherry color. The wings are very weakly developed, the elytra are short and square.

Females have a wider body. They carry the ootheca for a day, then hide it in the bedding or attach it to the bark. From above it is cemented with chewed pieces of soil and bark.

marble cockroach.

Bred in terrariums as decoration or food for hedgehogs, lizards and spiders. Lives naturally in South America. The male can grow 3 cm in length, the female - 2.5 cm. The body is painted chestnut. On the integumentary wings there are lighter specks that form marble patterns over the entire surface. There are dark brown dashes on the neck shield.

The marble cockroach has no other differences from relatives. Like the rest, this species, lives in the upper layer of the earth, is omnivorous.

Madagascar cockroach.

A popular ornamental species found in many terrariums. It has a huge, in comparison with other species, dimensions. Body length of an adult male reaches 5–8 cm, females - 6–9 cm.

no wings even in mature individuals. Covers can be painted in red or chestnut color.

Despite their huge size, these giants are distinguished by their peaceful nature and increased fearfulness. During the day, they hide in a bed of leaves and grass, and at night they get out. At the slightest suspicion of danger, they begin to strongly hiss. The sound is produced by spiracles located throughout the body.

Forest

This is a large genus of insects living in forest areas around the world.

Lapland cockroach.

It lives in forests and steppes throughout Europe. He has dimensions not very big, the length of the body is about 1 cm. It is painted gray or brown with a yellowish tint. Blurred black spots are located on the pronotum. Adult females have long wings protected by large elytra.

ATTENTION! This species has an interesting feature. Males are active during the day, they live on plants. Females wake up at night, prefer to stay on the ground, hiding in the leafy litter.

steppe cockroach.

Lives in the forest-steppes and steppes of Eurasia. Differs in small size and inconspicuous inconspicuous coloring. The length of its body does not exceed 8 mm, the integument has a beige color with a gray tint. A clearly defined black arc runs along the pronotum.

This species has pronounced sexual dimorphism. In females, the elytra are short, covering only half of the body. Longitudinal dark lines run along the back. In males, the elytra are long, ending outside the body. There are no black stripes.

steppe people live only one warm season. In winter, they lay ootheca, and they themselves die. By the summer, larvae appear from the clutches, which become adults by June.

Common forest cockroach.

Large individuals from Central America. In length can grow 6-8 cm. The body and elytra are pale brown with darker patches and a black spot on the pronotum.

An omnivorous species that lives inside leaf litter. When attacked by enemies, it releases a strong-smelling secret designed to scare away.

And again about the mustachioed

These insects are surrounded by a huge number of myths. For example, the tale of the notorious. It's not a monster! In fact, light covers may appear in young nymphs that have just passed the molt.

Another popular misconception is poisonous cockroaches. These simply do not exist in nature! But many varieties emit an unpleasantly smelling secret that scares off enemies.

Therefore, when uninvited guests are found at home, one should either, or.

Below are high-quality and reliable remedies for cockroaches:

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Those who have never seen can get acquainted with domestic cockroaches - photo below:

It turns out that cockroaches can not only harm a person! There are types of cockroaches that are used as pet food, and decorative varieties that serve as a decoration for the terrarium. We examined both huge representatives and small cockroaches, there are photos of all types above in the article.

Watch a short video of how the Madagascar cockroach hisses:

If you find an error, please highlight a piece of text and click Ctrl+Enter.

A cockroach is an arthropod insect from the cockroach superorder, cockroach orders (Blattoptera, Blattodea).

None of the versions of the origin of the Russian word "cockroach" has found an exact confirmation. According to some etymologists, cockroaches got their name from the Chuvash word "tar-aqan", which means "running away", or the Turkic "taz" ("to run away").

Cockroach: description, characteristics, structure

Cockroaches are distinguished by a flattened oval-shaped body, from 1 to 10 cm or more in length. The elongated abdomen of a cockroach consists of 8-10 tergites (dorsal sclerotized segments) and 7-9 sternites (abdominal sclerotized segments), 7 in females, 8-9 in males. At the end of the abdomen are long, usually segmented cerci. Males have 1-2 styli on the last sternite. Usually cockroaches have a light body color with elytra of yellowish-brown shades, dark or black color is less common.

The elytra of the cockroach is dense, horny or leathery, with pronounced venation. The hind wings are equipped with membranes and, when folded, hide under the elytra.

In some species, the fore and hind wings are shortened, and wingless species of cockroaches also exist. Some varieties of cockroaches can fly, although their flight does not last long.

A cockroach has 6 legs in total. The thighs and lower legs are endowed with spikes. The legs of these insects with five-segmented tarsi are well developed and adapted for running.

The speed of a cockroach is quite high: for example, an American cockroach covers a distance of 75 cm in a second. In addition, it is almost impossible to catch a cockroach with bare hands, because a nimble insect changes direction about 25 times per second.

The flat head of a cockroach can be triangular or heart-shaped.

The pronotum is almost flat, shield-shaped, rather large, with transparent margins in many species.

The jaws of insects are very strong, of a gnawing type, with many chitinous teeth.

The mouth is turned downward.

The eyes of a cockroach are large, there are 2 simple eyes, in wingless cockroaches they are often atrophied, in cave species they are completely absent.

The sensitive whiskers of insects are quite long, sometimes exceeding the length of the body, bristle-shaped, multisegmented, covered with many microscopic setae.

The external reproductive organs of the male cockroach are represented by the genital plate formed by the ninth sternite.

Females are endowed with a hidden ovipositor and ootheca - a special protein capsule designed for bearing offspring.

A cockroach lives from 4 months to 4 years, the life expectancy of a cockroach depends on the species.

The cockroach is one of the most enduring insects, able to starve for a whole month without compromising health. But under favorable conditions and due to the peculiarities of the oral apparatus, cockroaches feed on everything that is poorly hidden. A female cockroach eats from 30 to 50 g of various foods per day, males are not so voracious and eat 2 times less.

The cockroach is a nocturnal insect, and it goes out in search of food after dark, and the “feast” continues until dawn, to a greater extent because cockroaches do not eat as much as bite various foods, finding the most delicious for themselves by sampling.

The favorite food of cockroaches is any bakery products, sugar and all kinds of sweets, meat products and cereals are in third place, and various vegetables and fruits, of any freshness, complete the list of preferences. In the absence of food, cockroaches are content with paper, carpentry and shoe glue, book bindings, fabrics, various garbage and any organic matter.

Where do cockroaches live?

Cockroaches are distributed almost everywhere and inhabit almost all parts of the world, with the exception of icy Antarctica and other polar regions. The most numerous populations live in the tropics and subtropical latitudes, although these insects feel no less comfortable in the temperate zone. Cockroaches live in North and South America, in Europe, in Russia, in Africa and Asia, in Australia. In countries with a rather cool climate and frosty winters, synanthropic species mainly live in heated human dwellings.

In nature, cockroaches prefer to settle in shady places with constantly high humidity: they hide in the thickness of fallen leaves, under half-decomposed wood, “feast” where there is a cluster of rotting fruits or vegetables, often live in rotten vegetation along shallow water bodies. Synanthropic cockroaches often equip their nests in ventilation shafts and sewer lines of multi-storey buildings, in basements, in wall cracks and behind baseboards, they take a fancy to city dumps and garbage chutes.

How to distinguish a female cockroach from a male?

Below are photos that will help determine the sex of the cockroach.

Argentine cockroach (Blaptika dubia) - male on the left and female on the right

Marble cockroach Nauphoeta cinerea - male from below, female from above

Is there a white cockroach?

Sometimes in an ordinary apartment among typical cockroaches you can see rather non-standard albino cockroaches. Many people ask: is the white cockroach a separate species? Not at all. An insect can have such a color during the molting period, when the old shell has already been shed, and the new chitinous shell has not yet acquired pigmentation. Another reason for the "whitening" of a cockroach may be pest control using toxic chlorine, which destroys the coloring pigment.

What animals eat cockroaches?

Although the cockroach is an insect almost indestructible due to its amazing fertility and adaptability to the most uncomfortable living conditions, they also have enemies. Some types of scorpions are happy to feast on cockroaches (for example, Centruroides gracilis, Euscorpius germanus and Hadrurus arizonensis), cats, hedgehogs, will not refuse to taste the centipede cockroach Scutigera coleoptrata, house spiders and tarantulas. Cockroaches are hunted by the lizard comb anole, shepherd tree frog, northern leopard frog, coastal toad. The cockroach is a favorite treat for domestic chickens, and dead cockroaches are eaten by ants. Eulophid insects lay their eggs in cockroach ootheca, and the hatched eulophid larvae eat everything inside the cockroach capsule.

Types of cockroaches, names and photos

The modern classification includes 500 genera, including more than 4640 species of cockroaches. Below is a description of some varieties:

• (Prussian) ( Blattella germanica)

It got its name due to the erroneous assumption that the insect was brought to Russia from Prussia. The Prussian cockroach is one of the most common synanthropic species, whose life takes place in close interaction with humans. The body length of an adult cockroach is from 1 to 1.6 cm. Individuals of both sexes have developed wings, thanks to which they can plan, but cockroaches cannot fly for a long time. Males are distinguished by a narrower body, females have a fairly wide body with a rounded abdomen, covered with wings. The color of the red cockroach suggests different shades of brown. There are 2 characteristic dark stripes on the dorsal part of the prothorax.

The red cockroach is omnivorous, and in addition to its traditional food - the remains of human food, the cockroach can eat paper, shoe leather, textiles, and in extreme cases even eats ordinary soap.

In fact, the Prussian came to Europe and North America from southern Asia, so the heat-loving insect in a harsh climate survives only in rooms heated all year round.

• (Blatta orientalis)

In the past, a fairly common species, significantly displaced from its usual biotopes by the red cockroach. The length of an adult is from 2 to 8 cm. The color of the cockroach is black-brown or tar-brown with a metallic sheen. Males are distinguished by longer elytra than females, but neither of them can fly, but they run very fast.

Black cockroaches live throughout Europe, Asia and Africa. They prefer to settle in heated rooms, sewers, adits, greenhouses, as well as in the wild, not far from the main source of food - food waste.

• (Periplaneta americana)

It looks like a red cockroach, but has a large body size: from 3.5 to 5 cm. Like the Prussians, American cockroaches can fly. The wings of males extend beyond the abdomen by 4-8 mm, due to which males appear longer than females. The shiny body of the American cockroach can be red or chocolate brown. A light brown or yellow stripe runs along the edge of the pronotum. In the wild, American cockroaches live in wooden piles, rotten wood, in the bark of palm trees, in sewers and ventilation tunnels. Due to the flattened shape of the body, they easily penetrate into people's homes through the smallest cracks and gaps, where they hide in attics and basements during daylight hours.

Cockroaches eat absolutely everything: any organic matter, garbage, hair and dead insects, fruits and vegetables, meat, fish, nuts, sweets, cereals, paper, pieces of shoes and clothes. In the 17th century, they were brought from Africa to North America, and later to Europe, where they successfully took root and spread everywhere.

• Madagascar hissing cockroach(Gromphadorrina portentosa)

A very large tropical cockroach, growing in length up to 55 mm (males) - 60 mm (females). Some individuals can reach a length of 10 cm. The weight of a cockroach is about 60 g. The back of the body is colored brown, the pronotum is brown-black. Madagascar cockroaches do not have wings. At the moment of danger and during mating games, they are able to make loud sounds, reminiscent of the hissing of a snake. What is interesting: the female cockroach hisses only to scare off enemies, and the louder the male cockroach hisses, the more chances he has for the favor of the female. Some individuals, in addition to hissing, can whistle.

The Madagascar cockroach is an endemic species whose range is limited to the island of Madagascar. Hissing cockroaches live in the branches of trees and shrubs, feeding on fruits and other vegetation. They are actively used for breeding at home, as live food and in cockroach races.

• Marble cockroach (ash cockroach, naufet, neofeta)(Nauphoeta cinerea)

It is of African origin, but due to its unpretentiousness and fertility, it is widely distributed throughout the globe. The insect also has the name naufet. Females are larger than males and grow up to 3 cm in length, males - up to 2.5 cm.

Marble cockroaches eat raw vegetables and fruits, oatmeal and sprouted cereals, bread, protein feed, grass, paper, and can easily gnaw through thin plastic. In the absence of protein feed, cases of cannibalism are observed. The ashen cockroach is a versatile and most popular food insect for house hedgehogs, lizards, amphibians (toads and frogs), and tarantulas.

• Turtle cockroaches(Corydiidae)

This is a family of cockroaches with pronounced sexual dimorphism: females are wingless, large, massive, grow up to 3-4 cm in length. Males have wings and grow up to 2.5-3 cm in length. Due to the structural features, they are somewhat reminiscent of wood lice.

Cockroaches live in arid regions of North America, Central Asia and Africa.

Chess cockroach (lat. Therea petiveriana). Photo credit: noexcuse4you

• Sarawak cockroach ( Rhicnoda natatrix)

It lives on the island of Kalimantan.

An amazing feature of this species is the ability of cockroach larvae to swim well. Under normal conditions, the larvae prefer to hide in leaf litter near small streams, puddles, or shallow tropical forest lakes. However, at the first hint of danger, the larvae bravely rush into the reservoir, rushing to the bottom and waiting for a calm situation on land there.

The heaviest cockroach in the world is the Australian rhinoceros cockroach or giant burrowing cockroach Macropanesthia rhinoceros) , whose length is about 9 cm, and the weight reaches more than 30 g.

The same size reaches cockroach Blaberus giganteus . These 2 species are very popular among lovers of domestic cockroaches.

The longest cockroach in the world is found in Latin America cockroach Megaloblatta longipennis , whose length reaches 9.7 cm with a width of 4.5 cm.

And the cockroach has the largest wingspan of 18.5 cm Megaloblattablaberoides .

Flying cockroaches, names and photos

Despite having wings, not all cockroaches can fly. And even representatives of flying species do not know how to plan in the air, but only make small and short-term flights. Flying cockroaches:

• (Prussian) ( Blattella germanica)

It has a brown-red color and a body length of 1-1.6 cm.

• Lapland cockroach ( Ectobius lapponicus)

A species that lives in Europe and the United States. Males are 1.3-1.4 cm long, females - 9-10 mm. Individuals are painted in gray-yellow and brown-yellow colors.

• Asian cockroach ( Blattella asahinai)

It lives in the tropics and subtropics of hot Asia, as well as in the southern states of the United States.

• (Periplaneta americana)

It looks like a Prusak, but it is longer - from 35 to 50 mm.

• Megaloblatta longipennis and Megaloblattablaberoides

They live in Central and South America. The length of the insects reaches 9 cm, the width is 4.5 cm. The wingspan is 18-20 cm.

• Blaberus giganteus

A species native to South and Central America. Males grow up to 6.5-7 cm, females - up to 7-8.5 cm.

How do cockroaches breed?

Cockroaches are characterized by an incomplete development cycle, consisting of 3 periods:

• egg;
• larva (nymph);
• imago (adult).

Cockroaches are distinguished by sexual and parthenogenetic reproduction, but, in any case, for the reproduction of offspring, the female still needs to mate at least once. The male gametes are able to remain in the body of the female for a long time, and subsequent clutches occur without prior copulation.

There is no specific breeding period for cockroaches, but mating games for individual species are somewhat different. Female cockroaches invite males to mate by slightly flapping their wings and emit an odorous substance - a special secret produced by glands located in the back of the body. In some species, mating is preceded by a lengthy courtship process.

The male cockroach impregnates the female with the genital plate, and then the partners separate. After some time, the female lays 30-40 eggs and carries them in the ootheca, which is located at the end of the abdomen.

Female and cubs

Most species of cockroaches are ovoviviparous, some are distinguished by live birth.

The incubation period lasts from 2 to 5 weeks, at the end of which the female sheds the ootheca in a secluded corner, after which fully developed nymphs hatch from the eggs, which differ from mature individuals in their smaller size, lack of wings and darker color.

Nymph (larva) of the Australian cockroach

The development of nymphs can last from several months, like a Prusak, up to 4 years, like a black cockroach.

Cockroach larvae molt 5-9 times during growth, increasing in size after each molt.

After the last molt, the cockroach acquires a hard shell. Depending on the species, a female cockroach can produce from 20 to 90 ootheca during her life.

Keeping cockroaches at home

insectarium

In the dwelling of cockroaches, it is necessary to maintain a temperature of at least +25 degrees, and humidity is provided by regular spraying. The bottom should be covered with a layer of substrate: sawdust, peat or special filler. As a shelter, which cockroaches love so much, they use snags or shards of clay pots. The upper edges of the aquarium must be lubricated from the inside with petroleum jelly, this will protect pets from a rash escape.

What to feed cockroaches?

There should always be fresh food in the cockroach access zone, and you can make up your own diet or buy ready-made food, dried daphnia and gammarus. The basis of the diet should be fruits, vegetables and cereals, as additional components give the young foliage of trees, nuts, seeds, eggs, dairy products.

The cockroach dwelling is cleaned every 2 months. Conditions as close as possible to the microclimate of the rainforest will provide pets with a long and happy life.

Prevention

Despite the increased popularity of some exotic species of cockroaches, these animals are among the most dangerous pests, which have been unsuccessfully fought throughout the history of mankind. Many people are wondering how to poison cockroaches, as well as how to permanently and quickly get rid of cockroaches in an apartment or house by folk or professional means. To date, more than one effective remedy for cockroaches and methods of struggle have been invented that allow you to bring out cockroaches.

Keep your house clean!

Cockroaches are one of the symbols of unsanitary conditions and primarily inhabit cluttered houses and apartments, where general cleaning is rarely carried out, and accumulations of dirt and debris create the most favorable conditions for the happy life of mustachioed pests. In such premises, even the regular use of insecticides will have a short-term effect, so the main means of combating cockroaches is still creating the most unbearable conditions for their life - maintaining cleanliness. Minor cosmetic repairs will not hurt, during which you can get rid of possible cockroach shelters: voids under peeled wallpaper, loose baseboards, cracked wooden floors.

Don't feed your cockroaches!

To get rid of cockroaches in an apartment, it does not hurt to look into all bedside tables and rarely visited mezzanines for garbage left in them or expired products. There is no need to leave open food indoors: seeds, packages of chips, even a sugar bowl on the table are enough for cockroaches to return. It is very important to dry the tables thoroughly at night, removing crumbs and any leftover food.

Wipe water off the table and floor!

Leaving cockroaches on a starvation diet is half the battle, the main thing is to deprive them of a source of water. Any drops on the surfaces of tables, floors, sinks and baths should be wiped dry: cockroaches can starve for a long time, but they won’t last long without water.

Folk remedies

The so-called "freezing out" - airing the premises at a significant sub-zero temperature - belongs to the folk methods of dealing with domestic cockroaches. At -5 degrees cockroaches die. The disadvantage of this method is that central heating pipes can freeze, besides, the method can only be applied in winter, and it does not work in regions with a mild climate.

Traps for cockroaches

If cockroaches continue to climb into a clean, renovated apartment with maniacal persistence, more serious means will have to be used. Traps and Velcro are a simple and safe way to get cockroaches out of an apartment, but, unfortunately, it only works with a small number of mustachioed residents. Traps for cockroaches are very different:

• Glue trap for cockroaches (or house trap)

It looks like a small cardboard house with slits on the sides, it attracts insects with a special smell. The bottom of the trap is covered with a sticky compound that does not dry out for a long time. Once in it, the cockroach will not be able to get out. When the trap begins to look ugly from an aesthetic point of view, it is thrown away. You can buy this remedy for cockroaches in a special store, in addition, you can make a glue trap with your own hands. The sticky trap is absolutely non-toxic and safe for humans, but, unfortunately, it will not be able to rid you of pest eggs laid in secluded places in your apartment.

It kills pests with an electric current that have come running to the bait, which will need to be changed periodically. The device is environmentally friendly, practically safe and very durable. From time to time, cockroach remains will have to be swept out of the trap with a special brush. The device should be placed in a dry place out of the reach of children. The disadvantage of the device, again, is that it will not save you from cockroach eggs.

The good news is that you can kill cockroaches in any room, and even in places of high humidity. There is no sticky substrate in these traps, cockroaches easily penetrate inside the box, attracted by the smell, and carry away a lethal dose of poison on their feet for themselves, their relatives and eggs. Such traps can also be fixed on vertical surfaces due to the sticky layer on the back of the device. Popular traps for cockroaches: Raid, Combat, Raptor, Taiga, Clean House, Dohlox, Brownie.

This is a fairly popular and effective means of dealing with cockroaches. In addition to high-frequency waves, the devices emit special light signals that destroy the nervous system of insects. All pet owners need to be aware that such devices can have a negative effect on any animal.

If traps and baits from industrial cockroaches for some reason do not fit or do not work, there is an old, reliable, proven method - boric acid poison for cockroaches. Contact with this substance is deadly for pests, but it is completely safe for animals and humans.

The recipe for making boric acid balls is very simple. To make cockroach bait yourself, you will need boric acid, a small amount of flour and sunflower oil, you can also take a boiled egg and a potato. All the ingredients are mixed and molded into balls, which are then dried in the sun or a battery.

To poison cockroaches, at night the balls are laid out in places of ordinary cockroach trails, during the day they can be removed so as not to interfere. What is the meaning of this method of dealing with cockroaches? The cockroach will not smell the smell of boric acid, it will be interrupted by the smell of food. Barely touching the antennae to the bait, the cockroach is doomed, and in the morning you can collect the fallen insects in a scoop.

Spray from cockroaches

It is important to understand that some of the above methods of dealing with cockroaches can have an effective, but temporary effect, since they do not destroy cockroach eggs. Therefore, if it is not possible to get rid of cockroaches on your own, then insecticide sprays should be used: with air, poison penetrates into the most hidden cockroach shelters and destroys insects and their eggs. The treatment of an apartment or house with an insecticidal spray is carried out in the absence of people and animals in the room, in special protective clothing, with windows and doors closed. The most popular means are Kombat, Global, Raptor, Get, Raid. After several hours, dead insects are collected, the room is ventilated, and wet cleaning is carried out.

Chalk from cockroaches

The best insecticidal crayon was and remains the well-known "Mashenka", with this pencil you can also easily process vertical surfaces. In addition, crayons significantly benefit in terms of safety for people and animals over extremely unpopular powders.

If you can’t get rid of cockroaches at home with all of the above methods, then you should try gels that give excellent results with a particularly overgrown colony. The gel consists of a bait based on sweet flavors and a poison that is tasteless to insects. Gels are applied in single drops or a line in places where pests are most concentrated. An insect that has eaten the bait dies within a day, and relatives gladly eat its chitinous shell, saturated with the smell of the gel, which turns on a kind of chain reaction that eventually destroys the entire colony. The best cockroach gels are Raptor, Global, Absolute, Dohlox, Sturm.

Disinsection

If there is no time and energy to draw with a pencil and lay traps around the apartment, the “heavy artillery” remains - a call to the pest control service, which will definitely ensure the destruction of cockroaches in the apartment. The main advantage of this method is the high efficiency of treatment with drugs that are especially strong compared to those offered on the market and the well-coordinated work of professionals. It is very effective to resort to the help of pest control services in the coordinated fight against cockroaches among residents of an apartment building.

• In ancient times, cockroaches were one of the main ingredients of folk medicine: fried cockroaches with garlic were used for indigestion, and tea from dried cockroaches was given to patients with dropsy.
• In the countries of South America and Southeast Asia (China, Korea, Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia, Madagascar), cockroaches are eaten, and this insect is one of the important components of the national cuisine. For example, Madagascar hissing cockroaches are edible.
• In ancient Russia, it was believed that cockroaches attract wealth to the house, therefore, moving to a new home, they took a couple of cockroaches with them “for good luck”.
• A cockroach with a severed head dies only after a few days and not from loss of a head, but from dehydration.
• Cockroaches and scorpions are the only ones on the planet who are not afraid of nuclear war. Due to the very slow cycle of cell division, these animals have an increased resistance to radiation.

There are a huge number of representatives of arthropods in nature, but the chosen ones live together with humans, able to adapt to life in a confined space and eating not larvae, but food waste. Not everyone knows what types of cockroaches live in residential and warehouse premises, what is the distinguishing feature.

Did you know that the sewer cockroach is similar to a beetle? The dark color and shell practically do not distinguish insects from each other.

Dark brown, light and black cockroaches are just some of the varieties that live in the same territory as humans.

Below is a small overview: what a person should know about insects and distinguish one species from another.

Often, red cockroaches live together with people. The high survival and adaptability of the arthropod allows it to settle next to a person and eat the same food.

Red mustaches live:

• At catering establishments;
• In apartments;
• Private houses;
• In medical institutions.

The Prussian differs from its relatives in its elongated body and peculiar color - from red to brown.

Insects do not disdain food left by a person after eating. They inhabit kitchen cabinets, prefer to live behind radiators, bread containers.

• basement;
• Garbage chute;
• Sewer hatches.

Scientists have not been able to explain the fact that arthropods do not live in apartments located above the 5th floor. Residents below are subjected to mass attack.

Insects, in the summer, move freely along the street, but prefer to spend the winter next to a person.

Pests are not averse to eating human food. They need constant access to water. In the absence of food residues, food waste, crumbs on the floor, the insect will not disdain and fill its belly from the garbage can.

The size of individuals depends on living conditions. If water and food are in excess, the body length of an adult reaches 3 cm.

The color of the barbel is not always black. Creepers are dark red, brown, dark gray.

Sometimes it is impossible to determine the true types of cockroaches in an apartment. but different in size.

Female redheads outnumber female blacks. Redheads breed faster and produce more offspring than dark ones.

A characteristic difference between black crawlers and their relatives is the emitted specific smell, similar to a mold fungus.

The mass settlement and lightning-fast reproduction of black crawlers speaks of unsanitary conditions in the room.

Untimely disposal of garbage, crumbs on the table, unwashed dishes are a favorable environment for the development of pests. Individuals live where there is a lot of food, hence the name - kitchen.

Where to look for pests? When processing, take a look at:

• Bin;
• Kitchen Cabinet;
• oven;
• Fridge;
• Under the table and baseboard in the kitchen.

Domestic black cockroaches are able to infect the inhabitants of the house with dangerous pathologies. Crawling through the bin, moving through the bowls of four-legged pets and tasting food from the table, which later enters the human digestive tract, the sewer reptile provokes the development of dysentery and helminthiasis.

Pathogenic bacteria and eggs are carried by a microorganism on their paws. In the absence of timely measures taken, a person automatically becomes a carrier of E. coli.

In warm regions, the black barbel is not domesticated. Individuals grow and breed in the open air, settling under stones and in wall cracks.

White Prussians

Among domestic cockroaches, there are also those that differ from their relatives in color and the absence of a chitinous cover. These are white cockroaches.

The opinion about a mutation or the appearance of a special type of pest in an apartment is a myth. In fact, this is not a separate species, but ordinary Prussians experiencing a molting period.

The change of chitinous cover in arthropods occurs several times during the life cycle.

A characteristic feature is a transparent body and the absence of a shell.

The molt lasts for several weeks. During this time, the larva will change the status of the larva to a sexually mature individual, ready for fertilization.

The whitish coloration may be the result of exposure to insecticides, which did not destroy the individual, but changed the genetic program. This is the very example of pests getting used to a certain chemical.

Individual with two tails

Large cockroaches with two tails are settlers in private homes. Another name is two-tails. They crawl out of the genital crevices in the spring, at the moment of increasing the level of humidity in the underground.

A distinctive feature is the antennae bent inward and the forked tail. Color - from light to dark brown.

Two-tails bite people, crawl into bed, shoes, clothes. Crazy individuals climb into the ear and nose of the sleeping person.

Having got out of the underground to freedom, the tailed ones settle in floor rags and wet linen. Residents of the private sector often bring tailed animals from the street, with clean clothes taken from the dryer.

They get rid of the double east by sealing the genital cracks and drying the underground. For the summer period, vents are opened in the house.

american arthropod

These are not all types of cockroaches in the apartment. The American pest arrived with food transported by water.

American arthropods are very mobile. At the sight of a sleeping victim, they show aggression and attack.

Low temperatures have a detrimental effect on American arthropods. At 0 C individuals die.

furniture pest

Unlike relatives, the furniture cockroach does not eat food waste and food.

Furniture pests are characterized by:

• Bright red color;
• Transparent wings with brown stripes;
• Sharpened olfactory receptors.

The main diet of individuals is starch contained in wallpaper glue, binding of Soviet books.

Habitual habitat - archives, bedrooms, libraries, filing cabinets.

Central Asian arthropod

There are in Russia Central Asian individuals living together with a person. If white cockroaches have a transparent body, then the Central Asian cockroaches have a dark belly. The head of the Prusak is yellowish.

It lives in regions with a warm climate. Destroy the exotic with the usual insecticides.

It doesn’t matter if sewer cockroaches live in an apartment or kitchen, you need to get rid of pests immediately for a minute.

Stock up on a variety of insecticidal preparations, and repellers,.

The more measures will be taken, the faster the apartment will be freed from unexpected settlers.

Important rule! Before disinfestation, the apartment is cleaned clean, food and household waste is disposed of, and the house is freed from rubbish deposits.

After a large-scale general cleaning, an insecticide is applied. Only with complex measures will bullying be effective.

One moment! ? Block access to your home.

Seal the gaps in the floor, seal the front doors, change the grate on the vent to a fine mesh one.

Proper preparation for pest control is a guarantee of successful bullying without the risk of relapse.

To date, there are 4.5 thousand species of cockroaches. Some of them are the worst enemies of man, and some can be willingly adopted at home as pets.

Types of domestic cockroaches

These types of cockroaches can be called harmful and even dangerous to human life, since many of them are carriers of infectious diseases such as tuberculosis, typhoid fever, dysentery. Their living in residential buildings becomes unbearable, because their numbers sometimes simply go off scale and it is quite difficult to deal with this pest. We will introduce you to the most common species in our homes.

Red cockroach, or Prussian - Blattella germanica.

Cockroach 10-13 mm., Red, on the pronotum 2 dark stripes. Has a flat body. Whiskers reach almost the entire length of the body. Introduced to Europe from South Asia. Thermophilic. Lives in warm rooms heated in winter. Tolerates high temperatures. Almost omnivorous, it feeds on plant foods, household products, skin particles, human waste, pet food, and even their excrement.

Black cockroach - Blatta orientalis.

Sewer cockroaches, they are also called. They often live in sewers. This pest is black, 18-30 mm, with a glossy cover. The male's wings are short, reaching half of the abdomen. In the female, the wings are practically reduced, they look like scaly processes. The black cockroach has a characteristic unpleasant odor. It is constantly secreted from the subcutaneous glands, which are located in the 6th segment of the abdomen. This species is common in Australia and Africa, from where it was introduced. Active at night. Black cockroach larvae develop for a very long time, in some cases up to 4 years. Lives in different buildings, premises, houses, sewers. Its nutrition is varied: both plant foods and human life products.

American cockroach - Periplaneta americana

Outwardly, the American cockroach resembles the Prusak already known to us. Only this view is larger. Its body length is from 35 to 50 mm. In males, the wings are longer than in females, the wings extend beyond the length of the abdomen. Body color from light red to brown-red. In shape, they are elongated and flattened, thanks to which they easily crawl through small cracks. During the daytime, they hide in damp, warm places, and are active at night. The American cockroach is omnivorous.

Furniture (brown-striped) cockroach - Supella longipalpa

Outwardly, it resembles a red cockroach (Prusak), the size is almost the same 8-12 mm. Body color from light yellow to red. The head is black. The whiskers are long, almost equal to the length of the body. They live in books. They feed on paper, book spines, various materials that contain starch. It is very often found in bookcases, libraries, and paper industries.

Vietnamese (Turkestan) cockroach - Sherfordella tartara

The body is reddish in color, the back is darker. Oval in shape, sometimes reaching 2.5 cm. Mustaches are long, equal to the length of the body. Can live both on the street and in the house. It can jump, helping itself with wings.

Exotic species of cockroaches

Here are the most unique and unusual types of cockroaches that do not cause any harm to humans, but on the contrary, even please the eye. Many representatives have such a cute appearance that you involuntarily like this mustachioed one and even think about having such a charm at home.

Madagascar hissing cockroach - Gromphadorhina portentosa

This is the largest cockroach in the world (6-10 cm). Brown in color with a black head. It has a powerful, thickened chitinous (skin) cover. Oval body, with a wide belly. Short mustache. Lives in the jungles of Madagascar. It was brought from there. In the natural environment, it hides under leafy litter during the day, and is active in the evening. They feed on plant and animal remains. A characteristic feature of this species is the ability to hiss (in case of danger). They make this sound with their respiratory organs, take a big breath and bend.

Egyptian cockroach (turtle) - Polyphaga aegiptiaca

Black cockroach with a glossy sheen. It has a round, convex body shape, reminiscent of a turtle shell. Body size 4.5 cm. It feeds on animal remains and their excrement. Lives in Asia and the Caucasus. Live up to 4 years.

Dead head cockroach - Blaberus craniifer

These are large cockroaches (6-7 cm). The wings cover the length of the entire body, leathery, transparent. Overall color is light red to dark brown. On the head is a black pattern in the form of a skull. In nature, it feeds on plant and animal remains. It lives in the tropical forests of South America. This species does not fly, but jumps from a sufficiently high height.

Chess cockroach – Therea bernhardti

The cockroach is black in color, with 7 white dots. Round, flat body, 2-3 cm. Short antennae. In nature, they feed on plant remains. Brought to us from southern India. They are active in the evening, and during the day they hide sweat with leafy litter or stones. A characteristic feature of this species (in case of danger) is the ability to emit an unpleasant odor, reminiscent of the smell of gas.

Rhinoceros cockroach (Australian burrowing cockroach) - Macropanesthia rhinoceros

It has an oval, convex body shape. Brown with a red tint. This giant cockroach reaches a length of 8 cm. It is characterized by its heavy weight (35-37 gr.) And spikes on the front legs. Lives and feeds in leafy litter, where it digs passages. Its longevity reaches 10 years. This giant cockroach lives in the Australian forests.

American flying cockroach - Megaloblatta longipennis

The cockroach is brown in color, has an oval, flat body shape (4-5 cm). Wings cover the entire surface of the body. Its wingspan reaches 20 cm. It lives in Latin America. Lives under leafy litter in forests. They feed on plant debris. Active in the evening. It flies great.

Car cockroach - Lucihormetica verrucosa

They have an oval black body, white stripes on the sides and 2 yellow spots on the pronotum, similar to car headlights. Short wings and whiskers. They live in leafy litter and eat plant foods. They live in the tropical forests of Colombia and Venezuela. Also a characteristic feature of this species is the "butting" of males, so they fight for their primacy.

As you can see, representatives of the same family can be so different. Some cause disgust, others tenderness. Some bring great harm and damage to a person, while others cause a desire to take care of them. But in the case of the first, we advise you not to yawn, but to embark on a merciless struggle.