A cockroach is an arthropod insect from the superorder Cockroach-like, order Cockroaches (Blattoptera, Blattodea).
None of the versions of the origin of the Russian word “cockroach” has been precisely confirmed. According to some etymologists, cockroaches got their name from the Chuvash word “tar-aqan”, which means “runaway”, or the Turkic “taz” (“to run away”).
How do cockroaches increase their population in an apartment?
Prussians are one of the most ancient animals on our planet. Throughout their existence, they have perfectly adapted to all the hardships of life. It is because of this that there are often cases where they cannot be removed from the premises by any means.
The female cockroach is a prime target because she gives birth to new members of the swarm. Therefore, you need to make a lot of effort to get rid of it.
Control measures
Protecting premises from cockroaches is a matter of paramount importance. People try every possible means. During the years of this war, the Prussians acquired good immunity to classical insecticides and many pesticides.
Hydroprene and methoprene are more effective drugs. They delay development and molting.
This species is not in danger of extinction, despite the active fight against it. Moreover, in a certain region at one time you may not find any individuals at all, or vice versa, there are so many of them that they will wander around during the day due to lack of food.
How do barbels reproduce?
Nature took care of these insects and endowed them with good abilities for procreation. To hatch offspring, the female does not need good living conditions. She can lay eggs anywhere and anytime.
Not many people know how many
“babies” a female cockroach with an egg During one period of “pregnancy”, she produces from 20 to 50 individuals. She makes about 10 clutches in her entire life. It follows from this that the minimum number of offspring produced by one female is 150 individuals, in some cases the figure can reach up to 400.
The process of birth
Babies leave the ooteca only after they feel cramped inside. To do this, they use chitinous teeth and paws, with which they break through the leathery pouch. It takes babies 2–5 minutes to leave the ootheca and get out.
Since small cockroaches have a white color and transparent skin, it is difficult to notice them. Such camouflage methods are used until the kids grow up. During the entire period of growing up, they go through several stages of molting, due to which their chitinous cover becomes darker.
The duration of the breeding season varies from 2–3 months to 3–4 years. It all depends on how favorable the conditions are for development. For example, domestic cockroaches reproduce quickly if food and water are freely available.
Transformation of egg into adult
Prussians have several stages of development:
The duration of the development period varies and depends on several environmental factors - food availability, habitat humidity and air temperature.
The red cockroach reaches adulthood in 3-6 months, while the black cockroaches develop from 6 months to 2 years.
If a red cockroach is raised in a warm environment, it can reach puberty faster (in 3 months). In the opposite case, under unfavorable conditions, development is significantly delayed - 3-4 years.
The larva molts 6 times and becomes more and more similar to an adult barbel (imago). Most insects that live near humans are not able to reproduce.
To reach maturity, an adult cockroach must live for approximately 30 weeks. During such a period, one female cockroach with an egg produces at least a hundred babies.
Description of red cockroaches
Red cockroaches, or Prussians, have a yellowish-brown color, a flattened oval body 11-13 millimeters long. Females are larger than males. The mouthparts of cockroaches are of the gnawing type. Red cockroaches also have wings. But they use them not for flying, but for jumping from heights. The legs of cockroaches are well developed and have claws with suction cups at the tips, which insects actively use when moving along vertical surfaces.
At the end of the abdomen, cockroaches have special claws - cerci, which serve as an organ of touch. There are also special glands located on the abdomen. They secrete a secretion with an unpleasant odor. Its presence is a characteristic sign of the presence of insects in the room. In addition, cockroaches mark their shelters with special odorous substances - pheromones, which attract other individuals of this species. By the way, some cockroach killers use pheromones. We talk about one of these methods here: KNOW-HOW - a modern method of exterminating cockroaches!
Thanks to their flattened body, cockroaches are able to penetrate narrow crevices . This feature, together with the high speed of movement, contributes to the rapid dispersal of insects throughout buildings and structures (often the spread of cockroaches occurs through pipeline networks and electrical networks).
Sexual differences in cockroaches
Cockroaches are dioecious insects. The reproductive system of males and females has a rather complex structure. You can distinguish a female cockroach from a male either by dissecting the insect under a microscope and studying its internal structure, or by visual inspection.
How to determine gender?
There are three main external differences between female and male cockroaches:
Outwardly, it is easiest to distinguish a female from a male by the first two characteristics. The male is more slender and his wings are visible to the naked eye.
The intimate life of parasites
If food, water and comfortable temperature conditions are available, the breeding season of cockroaches is not limited to a certain season; insects breed all year round. When a female reaches puberty, her genitals begin to secrete a special odorous substance that attracts males, signaling their readiness to mate. For the same purpose, the female flaps her wings.
The larger wings of the male also play an important role in the process. They serve as a supporting platform on which the partner can comfortably sit. Cockroaches mate for only a couple of minutes, after which the male goes to look for a new partner.
How to distinguish a female cockroach from a male?
Below are photos that will help you determine the sex of a cockroach.
Archimandrite cockroach (Archimandrita tessellata) – male on the left, female on the right
Argentine cockroach (Blaptika dubia) - male on the left and female on the right
Madagascar hissing cockroach (Gromphadorhina portentosa) – male on the left, female on the right
Marbled cockroach Nauphoeta cinerea - male below, female above
How do cockroaches reproduce?
Since cockroaches reproduce year-round, the colony grows very quickly at home. The attitude towards the offspring is also very important. For example, red cockroaches (Prussians) have become the most common type of domestic cockroaches, not only because they reproduce quickly, but also because of how carefully they care for their offspring. The female carries the eggs with her until the larvae are ready to emerge. And for the first time, several females take care of the hatched small cockroaches at once.
Full life cycle and developmental features
Cockroaches go through an incomplete transformation cycle, bypassing the pupal stage. Their life cycle includes the following stages:
Since cockroaches breed constantly, there are always pregnant females and larvae at different stages of development in the colony. This is another reason why it won't be easy to deal with the mustachioed invaders of your kitchen. Even if you destroy the adults, eggs will remain, from which a new generation of insects will soon emerge.
What is ootheca?
A pregnant cockroach is a female with a kind of “tail” visible at the back of her body. This is an ootheca - an elongated leathery sac into which the female lays eggs after fertilization. The eggs are perfectly packed, thanks to the foamy protein material that fills the entire free space of the capsule.
The ootheca performs several functions at once:
Representatives of some species protect the ootheca and carry it until the larvae appear, at the last moment placing the capsule in a secluded place. Other species do not value their offspring so much, and the female gets rid of the ooteca almost immediately, which significantly reduces the survival rate.
Growth and development of cockroaches
So, after the cockroach gives birth, that is, gets rid of the ootheca, larvae are born. At first, the nymphs do not run far from the place where they hatched, feeding mainly on the remains of the ootheca (if there is no other food nearby). The larvae are born very small (their size rarely exceeds 2 mm) and white. The chitinous cover becomes more durable and darkens over time.
After the first molt, they become more active, begin to explore the room, and look for food. In total, cockroach larvae molt from 6 to 8 times, with each molt increasing in size and becoming more and more similar to an adult insect.
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, Europe, Russia, Africa and Asia, and Australia. Countries with a fairly cool climate and frosty winters are mainly inhabited by synanthropic species that 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, and often live in rotting vegetation along shallow water bodies. Sinanthropus cockroaches often make their nests in ventilation shafts and sewer lines of multi-story buildings, in basements, in wall cracks and behind baseboards, and they frequent city landfills and garbage chutes.
Can 1 cockroach reproduce?
Answering the question whether cockroaches are hermaphrodites, or in other words, whether they have both male and female sexual characteristics in their bodies, we can say a definite no. Among cockroaches there are males and there are females. In order to bear offspring, a female needs at least one sexual contact with a male.
True, some species can reproduce parthenogenetically. That is, in the female body, eggs develop without fertilization. The possibility of this form of sexual reproduction appeared in the process of evolution.
Does the white cockroach exist?
Sometimes in an ordinary apartment, among the typical cockroaches, you can see rather unusual albino cockroaches. Many people wonder: is the white cockroach a separate species? Not at all. An insect can have this 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 disinfestation using toxic chlorine, which destroys the coloring pigment.
Photo by: Balaram Mahalder
How do domestic cockroaches reproduce, do they have a brain and wings - everything you wanted to know
What is the secret of such fertility of domestic cockroaches?
What structural feature makes them vulnerable to temperature changes? Is food that is familiar to us humans suitable for cockroaches? Let's consider the main points of the life cycle of these unsightly arthropods in order to choose the most effective methods of dealing with them and getting rid of the unpleasant neighborhood.
Cockroaches are ideal creatures from an evolutionary point of view. These arthropods are capable of surviving in truly extreme conditions.
They can survive without food for about 30 days, and without water for up to 7 days, they are very difficult to catch up with (cockroaches move at a speed of 22 m/s) and almost impossible to drown.
Surprisingly, these insects are able to survive without a head for a week , dying after this period from hunger!
Limiting the breeding of cockroaches
How to make cockroaches breed and reproduce less? Create unfavorable conditions. If they don’t have enough water and food, the females will suffer from swelling for years, and then, lo and behold, they will go in search of a better life.
There is an option to direct all your efforts to destroy pregnant females, but you will simply have to act mechanically and crush them with slippers. But you won’t be able to crush everyone; you will still notice abandoned, no longer needed capsule shells from time to time. They leave them in plain sight. Since baby cockroaches eat the same things as adults, you can fight them using the same usual methods - poisoned baits, gels, powders. This will not stop them from multiplying, but at least a significant part of the colony will die.
Secrets of Cockroach Fertility
Having met this timid and nimble arthropod in your own kitchen, you are unlikely to be interested in its gender.
How do cockroaches reproduce?
Reproduction occurs sexually, with the participation of both females and males. The process is preceded by mating games, when a female individual “attracts” a mustachioed partner by emitting an odorous secretion produced by the glands.
At the same time, the male, in an attempt to please, spreads his wings, trying to demonstrate exclusive flight skills.
If a couple has formed, then mating occurs and the male individual, using the genital plate, fertilizes the female, and then disappears back home.
In the female, a special membrane sac is formed in the back of the body - an ootheca, in which she forms a clutch.
The clutch in a leathery capsule can consist of 20-50 individuals for Prussians and 10-20 for black cockroaches. At the same time, the red female is more fertile (more than 12 clutches), in contrast to her black friend (up to 20-22 clutches over the entire life cycle).
The lifespan of these arthropods ranges from 4 months to 4 years.
The development of small cockroaches occurs in accordance with this scheme:
Flying cockroaches, names and photos
Despite having wings, not all cockroaches can fly. And even representatives of flying species do not know how to glide in the air, but only make small and short flights. Flying cockroaches:
- Red cockroach (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 USA. Males are 1.3-1.4 cm long, females are 9-10 mm long. Individuals are colored gray-yellow and brown-yellow.
- Asian cockroach (Blattella asahinai)
It lives in the tropics and subtropics of hot Asia, as well as in the southern states of the USA.
- American cockroach (Periplaneta americana)
It is similar to the Prussian, but differs in longer length - from 35 to 50 mm.
- Cockroaches Megaloblatta longipennis and Megaloblatta blaberoides
They live in the countries of Central and South America. The length of the insects reaches 9 cm, width - 4.5 cm. The wingspan is 18-20 cm.
- Cockroach 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.
Delicacies for uninvited guests: what cockroaches like to eat
Any organic food is a treat for a hungry insect.
However, these arthropods prefer high-calorie foods: They do not disdain organic remains from yesterday’s dinner decomposing in the trash can.
In case of total hunger, insects can even be content with:
Females are more voracious; they require 20-50 mg of food to survive, while males are content with half the volume. At the same time, insects do not spend energy on maintaining body temperature; they require a tiny amount of food to survive.
Reasons for the appearance of Prussians
Red cockroaches are synatropes, their lifestyle is closely related to humans. They live in homes all the time and actively spread with the help of humans. In fact, these animals are domesticated on their own.
Have you encountered cockroaches in your home?
Not really
Among the most common causes of pests in the house, it is worth noting:
- unsanitary conditions - dirty floors, unwashed dishes, scattered food;
- dysfunctional neighbors - pests enter through a ventilation hole or crack;
- faulty water and sewer pipes - a humid environment promotes active reproduction;
- accidental entry with things.
Temperature Armageddon for the domestic cockroach
The most comfortable temperature for a cockroach to exist is in the range from +2 to +28C.
Meanwhile, they belong to cold-blooded insects, their active life activity directly depends on the air temperature. If the thermometer readings tend to the 0 mark, then all physiological processes in the cockroach slow down.
However, high temperature (more than 30C) is also critical for these arthropods, since they cannot regulate their body temperature.
At the same time, the insect loses too much moisture, and eventually dies from dehydration and overheating: 35C is the temperature at which cockroaches die in the summer .
Interesting facts about cockroaches
- In ancient times, cockroaches were one of the main ingredients of folk medicine: fried cockroaches with garlic were used for indigestion, and tea made 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 national cuisine. For example, Madagascar hissing cockroaches are edible.
- In ancient Rus', it was believed that cockroaches attracted wealth into the house, therefore, when moving to a new home, they took a couple of cockroaches with them “for good luck.”
- A cockroach with a severed head dies only a few days later, and not from loss of head, but from dehydration.
- Cockroaches and scorpions are the only ones on the planet who are not afraid of nuclear war. Due to a very slow cell division cycle, these animals have increased resistance to radiation.
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What you didn't know but would like to know about the life of cockroaches
Do cockroaches eat bedbugs ? No, unfortunately, cockroaches ignore these pests. However, if there is insufficient food (if the population has grown too large), they can include bug eggs in their diet.
Do cockroaches have wings ? Yes, these arthropods have a couple of well-developed wings. Of course, they won’t fly, and they won’t be able to, but they will be able to plan effectively in case of danger.
Do mice eat cockroaches ? Yes, they do; these rodents are omnivores and have an excellent appetite.
Do battering rams have a brain Yes, even they have a brain located in their head. But these insects also have a group of nerve cells (ganglia) scattered throughout the body that control motor and signaling functions - which is why a headless cockroach can survive for some time.
Do spiders eat cockroaches Of course, the whiskered insect can be an excellent source of building protein.
Do cats eat cockroaches?
Most often, domestic furries are disdainful of dining on these arthropods, but if they wish, they can also profit from them. This situation is complicated by the fact that cockroaches are carriers of many dangerous diseases, and a cat that eats an infected insect runs the risk of getting sick.
Can cockroaches live in a refrigerator?
The conditions in the freezer are simply unbearable for them, but in the refrigerator compartment, where +5C is maintained, insects can feel quite comfortable.
Do cockroaches have blood?
Yes, these insects have blood, but it is white. Cockroaches have an open circulatory system, with organs washed by blood and no small blood vessels.
What animal eats cockroaches ? The hedgehog is a fan of cockroaches; he feasts on them, supplying his body with protein.
Source
What animals eat cockroaches?
Although the cockroach is an almost indestructible insect due to its amazing fertility and adaptability to the most uncomfortable living conditions, they also have enemies. Some species of scorpions (for example, Centruroides gracilis, Euscorpius germanus and Hadrurus arizonensis) enjoy cockroaches; cats, hedgehogs, the centipede Scutigera coleoptrata, house spiders and tarantulas will not refuse to eat the cockroach. Cockroaches are hunted by the crested anole lizard, tree frog, northern leopard frog, and coastal toad. Cockroaches are a favorite treat for domestic chickens, and dead cockroaches are eaten by ants. Eulophid insects lay eggs in the ootecae of cockroaches, and the hatched eulophid larvae eat everything inside the cockroach capsule.
Peculiarities of reproduction and life cycle of cockroaches
If there is an uninvited guest in your house, in the form of an insect, then most likely it is a cockroach, since it loves to be in the neighborhood with a person. This insect looks like this: an elongated body, long mustache, two bulging eyes, and wings folded on the back. Domestic cockroaches are reddish to dark brown in color.
Cockroaches cause a lot of disgust for many people, but in order to fight them, it is important to know how they reproduce, what kind of offspring can be expected from them, as well as their life cycle. This will help you choose the most effective way to deal with them.
There are two types of parasites you can find in your home. These are red ones (Prussians) and large black ones. Most often, Prussians are closer to humans. If at least one female gets into your home, the population will increase at lightning speed.
But cockroaches have a peculiarity: their development can stop at the larval or nymph stage, which can live for 1.5 months and turn into an adult, and even several years, simply increasing in size.
It all depends on the environment. If it turns out to be good, then there will be several times more cockroaches in your house. Let's take a closer look at how cockroaches reproduce and what their life cycle is.
Keeping cockroaches at home
Keeping cockroaches as pets is a rather exotic hobby, adopted from Asian countries. The most popular are Madagascar hissing cockroaches, which are kept not only as reptile food, but also as low-maintenance pets.
Insectarium
To keep cockroaches at home, you will need a small plastic insectarium or a simple aquarium with 1 liter of free space for one individual. As entertainment, they get 2 individuals, and for breeding - a colony.
In the home of cockroaches, it is necessary to maintain a temperature of at least +25 degrees, and humidity is ensured 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 driftwood or shards of clay pots. The upper edges of the aquarium must be lubricated from the inside with Vaseline, this will protect the pets from rash escape.
What to feed cockroaches?
There should always be fresh food in the access area of cockroaches, and you can create a diet yourself or buy ready-made food, dried daphnia and gammarus. The basis of the diet should be fruits, vegetables and cereals; young leaves of trees, nuts, seeds, eggs, and fermented milk products are given as additional components.
The cockroach home is cleaned once every 2 months. Conditions as close as possible to the microclimate of a tropical forest will ensure your pets have a long and happy life.
Features of development
Cockroaches are insects that have an incomplete development cycle.
Therefore, the stages of emergence and further development can be divided into several stages:
Ootheca is a unique way of developing oviposition. It varies in size, depending on the number of eggs it contains, and in color. The walls of the capsule are very dense, they can even resemble an eggshell. The future larvae located in it are arranged in even rows. The length of one larva is about 1 mm. The walls of the capsule provide reliable protection and guarantee that the survival rate of all larvae will be high.
After the larvae have fully matured, the ootheca bursts and small cockroaches emerge from it. Which go through the next stage. The young remain and live on the mother’s belly for some time, and then, after they begin to feed on their own, they scatter.
Life cycle of a domestic cockroach
Before you start fighting, it is important to know how long insects live, and whether they can go without food for a long time. If a cockroach lives in an apartment, then its lifespan depends on access to water and food. In order to survive in extreme conditions, and these are birds and snakes, they settle in human dwellings. Each cockroach can live from 4 months to 4 years.
The entire life cycle can be represented in three main stages:
After the larva appears, it begins rapid development until the adult insect appears, which is ready for mating. Only development in the womb or ootheca can be slow if the conditions are unfavorable. Sometimes the female may shed the capsule, but this occurs before the larvae are able to hatch.
After the larva has left the walls of the ootheca, it begins to grow. Increasing in size, it changes its upper chitin. Moreover, this happens several times, usually 6 times, until it develops wings and becomes a large adult.
Important! A red cockroach can live without food and liquid for 1 month, and a black cockroach can live for 2 months.
If a cockroach has nothing to eat, then it can devour its own kind, but those that are smaller. There are cases when cockroaches bite off the heads of their relatives. They can remain in this state for some time, since their vitality is very high. They continue to move and breathe through the holes that are located on the sides of the body.
All these features make populations of baleen insects rapidly growing and surviving. If you find one Prussian in you, then there will be others.
You need to find out in which apartment the breeding ground is located and contact special sanitary services for etching. Moreover, insects need to be poisoned on the entire floor. As a rule, multi-storey and apartment buildings are prone to cockroach infestations.
How do cockroaches reproduce?
Before mating, the female begins her dance first. She spreads her wings and shakes them, after which the males fly low and also begin to shake their wings. Their flight suggests that each of the males offers to choose himself.
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:
- Red cockroach (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 is spent 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 ordinary soap.
In fact, the Prussian came to Europe and North America from southern Asia, so the heat-loving insect in harsh climates survives only in rooms heated all year round.
Photo by: Lmbuga
- Black cockroach (Blatta orientalis)
In the past, it was a fairly common species, significantly displaced from its usual habitats 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 tint. Males are distinguished by longer elytra than females, but neither one nor the other can fly, but they run very quickly.
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.
Photo by: Alvesgaspar
- American cockroach (Periplaneta americana)
In appearance 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, the bark of palm trees, sewers and ventilation tunnels. Thanks to their flattened body shape, they easily penetrate 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 clothing. 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 (Gromphadorrhina 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 the cockroach is about 60 g. The back of the body is brown, the pronotum is brown-black. Madagascar cockroaches do not have wings. In times of danger and during mating games, they are capable of making loud sounds reminiscent of the hissing of a snake. What’s interesting: the female cockroach hisses only to scare away enemies, and the louder the male cockroach hisses, the more chances he has for the female’s favor. 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.
- Marbled cockroach (ash cockroach, naufete, neopheta) (Nauphoeta cinerea)
It is of African origin, but due to its unpretentiousness and fertility, it is widespread throughout the globe. The insect is also called naufet. Females are larger than males and grow up to 3 cm in length, males - up to 2.5 cm.
Marbled cockroaches eat raw vegetables and fruits, oatmeal and sprouted grains, bread, protein foods, grass, paper, and can easily chew through thin plastic. In the absence of protein feed, cases of cannibalism are observed. The ash cockroach is a universal and most popular food insect for domestic 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 their structural features, they are somewhat reminiscent of woodlice.
Cockroaches live in arid regions of North America, Central Asia and Africa.
Chess cockroach (lat. Therea petiveriana). Photo by: noexcuse4you
Cockroach Arenivaga floridensis
- Sarawak cockroach (Rhicnoda natatrix)
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 litter of fallen leaves located 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 there for a calm situation on land.
Photo credit: Zongqing Wang, Copyright NHM, London
The heaviest cockroach in the world is the Australian rhinoceros cockroach or giant burrowing cockroach (Macropanesthia rhinoceros) , which is about 9 cm long and weighs more than 30 g.
The cockroach Blaberus giganteus reaches the same size . These 2 species are very popular among lovers of pet cockroaches.
Rhinoceros cockroach (giant burrowing cockroach) (lat. Macropanesthia rhinoceros)
Cockroach Blaberus giganteus
The longest cockroach in the world is the cockroach Megaloblatta longipennis , which lives in Latin America, reaching a length of 9.7 cm and a width of 4.5 cm.
Megaloblatta blaberoides has the largest wingspan of 18.5 cm .
Cockroach Megaloblatta blaberoides
How does mating happen?
Mating cockroaches.
Cockroaches, like other insects, reproduce sexually. The first mating occurs immediately after the female reaches sexual maturity. Feeling ready, she begins to produce special pheromones that attract males, and then instincts come into play.
Males of some species of cockroaches approach the issue of mating games very responsibly. They can court the female they like for some time before mating, and the “gentlemen” vying for the same “lady” sometimes even fight among themselves.
What happens after mating
Cockroach clutch.
After the mating process of the cockroach pair is completed, each of them goes about their business. Males go in search of a new “lady” and food, and fertilized females lay eggs and take care of future offspring. One mating is usually enough for the female to produce several fertilized eggs, without further participation of males.
Throughout her life, one female cockroach can lay from 4 to 10 eggs. In different species, the number of eggs in one oviposition can vary from 10 to 60 pieces. Ultimately, over the course of her entire life, a “cockroach mother” can give the world up to 600 new pests.
Females of some species have even managed to adapt to the complete absence of males and have learned to fertilize eggs without mating.
What do cockroach larvae look like?
The photo below shows the larvae of the most common red cockroaches, colloquially Prussians, or Stasiks:
The red longitudinal stripe on the pronotum of the insect is clearly visible
Depending on age, their length ranges from 1 to 9 mm. When you walk into the kitchen at night, turn on the light and see cockroaches of different sizes scattering across the table and walls, know that all small cockroaches are larvae.
Cockroach larva on a cutting board
The larvae are very similar in body shape and color to adult cockroaches. Here nearby are an adult Prussian and several nymphs of different ages. Surely you see that these nymphs are smaller copies of an adult insect, and also without wings. They even have red and black stripes on the pronotum that form the same pattern, except that they are slightly wider.
How to get rid of small cockroaches
If small cockroaches appear in the apartment, measures should be taken immediately to destroy them. It is best to choose insecticidal products intended for treating the premises. The toxic substances they contain quickly destroy parasites, their larvae, and eggs.
When carrying out processing, it is important to take precautions, as there is a possibility of poisoning with toxic products.
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How to get rid of cockroaches?
Chemicals
To get rid of small cockroaches in an apartment, it is recommended to use any insecticide that contains toxic substances that have a detrimental effect on the parasites. There are a lot of similar products on the modern market.
The following are the most popular:
- Traps. The simplest, safest way to remove parasites. There are several types of traps, for example, glue, electric, toxic. Their essence, regardless of type, is simple. There is a bait inside the device. Penetrating into the trap, the pest sticks to its walls or is destroyed by a small discharge of electric current. The method is safe for people and pets.
- Powders, dusts, crayons. These products are effective in killing a small number of insects. They can be used to prevent infection of the apartment. The selected substance should be applied to the areas where the parasites are located. You can, for example, treat the ventilation grille and the space behind the furniture. A significant disadvantage is the lack of negative effects on the larvae and eggs of parasites.
- Gels. One of the most effective means designed to combat cockroaches. Gels are applied in small portions to places where parasites accumulate, quickly destroying even a large population.
- Aerosols. Aerosols can quickly kill adult parasites, but they do not have a negative effect on the eggs. To remove pests, it is important to re-treat the premises two weeks after completing the first one.
- Ultrasonic repellers. This is the most effective, completely safe device that will help remove parasites and prevent their reappearance. The repeller produces a sound that is extremely unpleasant for pests, which forces them to move far around the room. The range of most devices of this type is at least two hundred meters, respectively, with their help you can protect several apartments in one house.
To prevent the reappearance of parasites, it is recommended to leave traps in the public domain.
Folk remedies
If a small number of parasites appear, you can use safe folk remedies, for example:
- Alabaster. To prepare a mixture that is destructive for small cockroaches, carefully mix alabaster and any flour in similar proportions. Place the resulting powder in secluded corners of the apartment. After this mixture enters the insect’s body, the parasite’s insides literally stick together, resulting in its death.
- Boric acid. It is recommended to mix the powder of this substance with pre-boiled, crushed chicken egg yolk. If the mass is not flexible enough, you can add a little water. When the mixture acquires the consistency of dough, you should make small balls out of it, which are placed in secluded places. This method will allow you to quickly get rid of even a large number of parasites.
- A method of cooling or cooling a room. Cockroaches cannot tolerate low temperatures. You can get rid of them if you open the windows, turn off the heating, and then leave the room for a couple of days. It is recommended to use this method with caution, as there is a possibility of damage to the radiators.
It is important to know that using the above methods will not get rid of a large number of mustachioed pests.
What affects the rate of reproduction
Undoubtedly, information about how quickly domestic cockroaches reproduce is significant for people who are faced with a similar problem.
The reproduction rate of domestic cockroaches is affected by their species. Red insects spread faster.
The rate at which a domestic cockroach reproduces is influenced by external factors. The embryo development process stops if the room temperature decreases. Their development resumes as soon as heat begins to flow to the ooteca.
Therefore, freezing is considered a popular way to get rid of breeding insects. To implement it, you need to open all windows for a while. But this method is available only to owners of country houses and people who can temporarily move to another premises.
Chemicals affect the speed at which the mustachioed pest reproduces. The larvae are located in a leathery sac, which protects them from toxic fumes and harmful components. But the ootheca can withstand 1-2 attacks. If the procedure is repeated 2-3 times within a month, then development will stop completely.
Some chemicals contain special regulator components. The cockroach breeding regulator works very simply. It affects the ability of insects to subsequently reproduce.
Sanitary and hygienic standards also influence the rate of reproduction. If the insects do not find food or water, they will leave the residential building.
Destruction at the embryonic development stage
The larvae of domestic cockroaches are under reliable protection, staying in the ooteca. Not a single toxic substance penetrates through the durable shell. You can only get rid of a clutch of eggs manually if you manage to find the hidden places of the cockroaches. But you cannot be sure of the complete destruction of pests. Females hide clutches with larvae in the most unpredictable places. It is possible to get rid of nymphs only after they are born. Aerosol, spray, dust, traps, solution, poisonous boric acid bait will be effective.
