Some people believe that cockroaches are flying insects, others are sure that they are crawling pests. Each statement is true in its own way. Let's find out, do cockroaches fly? Find out more about these insects.
Let's start with the fact that the cockroach order has over four and a half thousand species, among which there are both flying and flightless cockroaches. In some species, the presence of wings and the ability to fly also depend on gender. So the answer to this question will vary depending on what specific type of cockroach we are talking about.
Can cockroaches fly?
The ability to fly in cockroaches is determined by the presence of wings.
The body of such insects consists of the following elements:
- triangular head, covered on top by a shield-shaped anterior segment of the chest;
- chest with elytra and wings, as well as 3 pairs of legs;
- the abdomen of an insect, consisting of 11 segments.
When you spot a Prussian, it is easy to notice that it has long, translucent wings. The upper 2 wings are rigid, while the lower ones are fragile. With this in mind, a flying cockroach is not nonsense. There are such species of this order of insects, but the ability to fly is not found in all members of the family.
The main tool for movement of parasites is their paws. A running insect reaches speeds of up to 3-4 km/hour. Given the same size, they could compete with a cheetah.
The pest's paws are endowed with sensitive hairs that easily detect any air movement, which provides them with a quick response to a moving object. In 60 seconds, the domestic parasite changes its trajectory more than 27 times.
Cockroaches are insects characterized by increased vitality. Without food, parasites survive up to 4 weeks, and without water - 7 days. Under extreme conditions, when an insect from the cockroach order loses its head, its viability remains for 9 days. The pest dies over time from hunger.
Video
Cockroaches fly!
How to get rid of winged pests
To destroy the entire population that has started indoors, there is one way - to use special chemicals and traps.
Traps will help deal with a small number of parasites and are not intended for large volumes.
There are several types of chemicals:
- sprays, aerosols;
- gels;
- crayons.
The most effective means that can destroy all longhorned beetles in a few hours are aerosol poisons. They are sprayed throughout the apartment, penetrating into all cracks and hard-to-reach places, thereby ensuring maximum effect.
The insecticidal drug enters the Prussian's body through the respiratory system or oral cavity, producing a nerve-paralytic effect.
When using such poisons, you should follow safety precautions and carefully read the instructions for use.
What types of cockroaches can fly?
Whether a cockroach has wings is clear. Whether domestic cockroaches or other members of the family fly remains to be seen. Species that have mastered the art of flight are listed below.
Asiatic
A relative and twin species of the Red Prussian. It flies well, but is not a synanthropic species (lifestyle associated with humans). Such insects often fly into windows and can establish colonies in human homes.
Australian
This is an insect (body length - 3-4 cm) with a reddish-brown or red-brown color. It causes particular harm when it fills greenhouses or greenhouses.
Banana
The parasites come from Cuba. These are small cockroaches, the length of adults varies from 1.5 to 2.5 cm. Their color is soft green, but there is a yellow border along the edges of the pronotum and wings. Banana parasites fly like butterflies.
Woody
This type of insect reaches a length of 3 cm and has a dark brown or reddish color. Females fly poorly. The reason for this is that the wings are not fully formed. And males fly successfully, like most insects.
Smoky
This species has a dark brown color, the length of the body reaches 2-3 cm. Trying to get food, they often fly into an open window of an apartment and can settle there in whole colonies, but more often they populate forest trees.
Laplandian
Outwardly, it resembles an overgrown Prussian (its size is 3 times larger than that of red Prussians). They are record holders among their peers in terms of flying distances and ability to glide in the air. The insect feeds on plant foods - lichens growing on trees, dry leaves.
Madagascar
This is a well-known representative of flying parasites. Its body length can reach 8-9 cm, and its wingspan is up to 20 cm - this is a large size. The homeland of this insect is the island of Madagascar. But the parasite can be found in some families (domestic insects) or in zoos around the world.
Homemade
Domestic individuals (red or black) do not have special flying abilities. And insects, whose habitat does not depend on human activity, purposefully use their wings for their intended purpose. In wild conditions, the ability to fly is more justified.
How to fight
How can you effectively deal with a cockroach problem?
Your best bet is a comprehensive approach:
- Improve sanitation to reduce the amount of food available to parasites.
- Reduce clutter so redheads have fewer places to hide and breed.
- Create barriers to limit the Prussians' access to your home. For example, use caulk to seal cracks around electrical outlets and eliminate water leaks that give cockroaches access to the moisture they need.
- Use pesticide powders (such as boric acid or diatomaceous earth). Apply it generously but selectively in hard-to-reach places, such as behind cabinets or under the sink.
- Place insecticidal baits in areas where you see cockroaches but where children and pets cannot reach them. For example, behind the refrigerator.
Chemicals
Insecticides are most effective in controlling cockroaches when combined with sanitation and exclusion methods that limit the cockroaches' ability to reproduce or re-enter. But chemical control alone will not solve the problem. If insecticides are used, they should always be used with extreme caution.
Traditional methods
A cheap natural bait for red cockroaches is boric acid mixed with flour and sugar in equal parts. The pests carry the bait back to the colony, poisoning the lair. Dissolve the mixture in water and spray along the floorboards in the rooms.
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons solid vegetable oil or lard
- 1/2 finely chopped onion
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 2 tablespoons boric acid powder
Finely chop 1/2 of the onion (about 3 tablespoons) and place in a small bowl. Add lard, sugar and boric acid to the bowl with the onions. Using a metal fork, mix the ingredients very well. Place half a teaspoon of this mixture on an old jar lid or small dish. You need to “set the banquet” on five saucers, minimum.
Replenish your dishes with bait at least monthly.
Sprinkle this mixture around your door, behind the stove and refrigerator, behind the sofa, etc. As long as it is dry, it continues to work. This is the best remedy for getting rid of cockroaches.
Of course, the cockroach does not make anyone happy in the apartment, and thoughts about how to get rid of the parasite are inevitable. There are several methods of struggle: from folk to specific, aimed at the complete destruction of “stasiks”.
Why do cockroaches need wings?
Parasites rarely fly, but when falling from a height they often perform gliding maneuvers. If danger arises, the red Prussians help themselves to get away faster with the help of their wings.
Sometimes they push off the ground with their paws and make small jumps with the help of thin wings. And the upper elytra simply protect the body. But it happens that red domestic cockroaches fly.
Why are cockroach wings used?
- If the habitat is too crowded with insects, then they can fly to find a new home. This can be observed in those apartments where the cockroach population has grown significantly. Then some of the Prussians begin to leave this home, making short flights. Over time, other individuals may follow their example.
- Females use their wings to attract sexual partners. Having copulated once, females store male reproductive cells for a long time and gradually lay new eggs, and they rarely use their wings. Males are constantly looking for new females. If the proportion of sexes is violated, then the males fly to another place. And also, when entering into a fight for a female, males can scare off competitors with the help of wings and certain sounds.
- Cockroaches are omnivores, but it happens that the food supplies of some home do not suit them and they have to look for new nourishing places. Typically, cockroaches begin to migrate after the owners put the house in order. Previously, they could live from a trash can, a mountain of unwashed dishes, or crumbs left on the table. When the unsanitary conditions are removed, they are forced to find a new home. The easiest way to leave the old one is by short flights.
Sometimes domestic insects from the cockroach family begin to fly when weather conditions change.
If the apartment is cold and dry, and it rained a little outside and it became parky, then they will rush to leave the living space.
Representatives of both sexes use their wings during foreplay during mating games. They create vibration with their wings by straightening and shaking them. Occasionally, males glide in the air above the female at a low altitude.
Fighting methods
“The cockroaches have moved in, but they don’t want to move out,” an apt phrase from the legendary blockbuster “Men in Black” very accurately reflects the essence of these insects. Prussians are able to survive a nuclear explosion, so it is not surprising that they adapt to any conditions and new insecticides.
When there are few cockroaches, baits, traps, crayons and aerosols work effectively. It is better to give preference to proven brands: “Raid”, “Raptor”, “Kombat”.
I don’t want to wonder if cockroaches can fly while scooping up another scoop of dead insects. But if the colony has grown catastrophically, you will have to call exterminators. Responsible companies provide quality services that guarantee complete removal of dangerous pests.
Why cockroaches rarely fly
Red flying cockroaches are more common. They sometimes perform short-term gliding with the help of their wings, but black parasites do not know how to do this. Prussians fly up to one meter. The priority for them is to use wings to soften the landing when falling from a height (refrigerator, cabinet).
Domestic Prussians rarely fly. They live next to people in comfortable conditions. They don’t have to fly to find a new place. They do not go overboard with food, but are calmly content with food supplies in one place.
They rarely use their wings for their intended purpose. This anatomical element simply serves as evidence that they belong to insects.
Active, flying cockroaches are a sign of a proliferating colony. Owners of living space must treat the premises themselves or with the assistance of insecticidal services. Developed wings and the ability to fly help cockroaches escape during treatments.
It is difficult to destroy flying insects, as well as nimble runners - Prussians.
Photo
We bring to your attention photos of flying cockroaches:
In fact, despite the fact that most species of these insects are perceived by people as pests and are destroyed when they appear in residential premises by all available methods and chemical means (powders, crayons, traps, gels, aerosols, repellers), they remain very interesting creatures nature and deservedly attract the attention of naturalists around the world.
After all, the question arose: can cockroaches fly? And yet some individuals can, which is confirmed by the cockroaches with wings in the photo above. Moreover, there is a popular belief that their appearance in a house promises wealth and prosperity to its owners. Who knows, maybe this is true.
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The Cossack boy sent into the house is a red-haired, mischievous little Russian
The red cockroach knows how to adapt to any conditions, always finds new shelters and adapts to changing circumstances.
Infestations of red cockroaches often occur in restaurants, canteens, hotels, hospitals and apartments with central heating. Laundries, pet stores, and shopping centers may also be affected, since all of the above places have sufficient humidity and a constant temperature above 20 degrees. Therefore, the financial damage caused by a cockroach infestation should not be underestimated.
In addition, cockroaches, as carriers of diseases, cause enormous harm to human health. Their feces and secretions from the salivary glands can provoke epidemics, serious illnesses, and even deaths. The insects transmit anthrax, salmonella and tuberculosis and can cause asthma symptoms.
General value
Our ancestors believed that cockroaches appearing in an apartment or house meant prosperity and prosperity.
These insects live on this planet much longer than humans and therefore have existed hand in hand with us for more than one millennium. They always come to where it is warm, dark and satisfying.
Despite this, they were never loved and tried to spank them. Black cockroaches have always been considered the best omens: they promise not only an increase in income, but also receiving leniency from a patron.
Interpretation for a woman
If cockroaches appear in a woman’s apartment, many accuse her of neglect and uncleanliness. However, this is not always true. On an esoteric level, mustachioed uninvited guests in a woman’s house promise prosperity, increased income and the appearance of an energetically strong man who can become her support and support. Moreover, this is not necessarily a spouse - it is quite possible that it will be a close friend, brother or father of the girl.
Also, the presence of cockroaches may indicate the fussiness and inconsistency of the fair sex in whose house cockroaches appeared. However, all the classical methods of getting rid of them will not give any result. To get uninvited roommates out, you will have to solve the problem at the energetic level: talk it out, consciously slow down your own rhythm of life, analyze situations in which nervousness and vanity played against you and try to avoid such mistakes in the future.
Interpretation for a man
Men who notice the presence of cockroaches in their apartment should pay attention to their behavior with loved ones. Very often this happens in the house of a powerful and uncompromising person who does not want to listen to the opinions of his family and imposes his will on everyone
Very often this happens in the house of a powerful and uncompromising person who does not want to listen to the opinions of his family and imposes his will on everyone.
They can also mark the appearance in the immediate circle of a person who, disguised as a friend, will try to destroy the man’s well-being, financial condition and reputation.
The structure of insects
All representatives of the cockroach order have a similar structure. They consist of three main parts: head, chest and abdomen. The body is flattened, oval. Length ranges from 9-95 mm. The head is triangular, covered from above by the pronotum. The mouthparts are of a gnawing type, directed downwards. The antennae are long and bristly. Elytra with wings and 3 pairs of limbs are attached to the chest segments. The abdomen is elongated, flat, with clearly visible segments.
The larvae are a smaller copy of the imago. Their distinctive feature is the absence of wings. The offspring acquires an organ after changing several ages and moults, upon reaching puberty.
Insects have two pairs of wings located on the chest segments. As a result of evolution, the first one turned into leathery elytra. They do not take part in the flight. When at rest, they fold compactly on their backs, in some cases partially overlapping each other. The organ performs an integumentary function. The hind wings of cockroaches are a thin chitinous plate with veins and trachea. They are webbed and fold like a fan.
Information. Sexual dimorphism in insects is often manifested in the presence and structure of wings. In females, the organ is usually less developed or completely reduced.
