Over the long period of their existence, cockroaches have perfectly adapted to life in a confined space with humans. There are species that live in the external, natural environment. There is a large army of cockroaches, representatives of which can be found everywhere. To distinguish one species from another, you need to “know them by sight.”
Story
In the third century AD, there lived a young man named Tryphon in Asia Minor. More precisely, most likely, his name was pronounced somehow differently in his native language, but he was included in the Russian calendar under this “nickname.” Saint Tryphon, during his lifetime, successfully cast out demons, material and not so material. Once he healed the daughter of the Roman Emperor Gordian from the attacks of the devil, and another time he saved his village from hunger by driving out insects that were devastating the fields. For some time now, Orthodox Christians have been praying to the holy martyr Tryphon of Apamea for the destruction of cockroaches, mice and other pests.
Those who are not churchgoers or simply do not see the sin in witchcraft can use the following ritual against cockroaches:
“First of all, you will need to turn off all water taps and wipe dry all surfaces that come into contact with liquid (bathtubs, sinks, tables, etc.), and also remove from the room all liquid that insects can reach, exactly for a day. After sunset, open all the windows in the house or apartment and read the words of the conspiracy:
“I drive small creatures and all kinds of scum from my threshold to my window, from the window onto the dusty road that leads away from the house of my servant of God (name). The parasites will perish in the sand, they will perish in the taiga, they will die from the cold sea, from the dry wind. There is dryness on my table, there is dryness on my floor, there is no water for them, there is no life for them in my house. As it is said, so it will come true. Amen. Amen. Amen"."
All means of fighting cockroaches, including prayer and conspiracy, are psychologically better than nothing. However, if cockroaches moved into the houses of Europeans and their neighbors during the time of the martyr Tryphon, then they were definitely different from the current “cucaraches”. The fact is that initially black cockroaches, Blatta orientalis, lived in Asia and Europe. This is a fairly harmless animal, although it mainly lives in human homes and feeds on scraps. Our childhood friend, the red cockroach Blattella germanica, was brought to Europe from South Asia by Marco Polo himself.
Of course, it will not be possible to accurately establish the identity of the “cockroach importer”. But in any case, by the 18th century, this cockroach had spread throughout Europe so much that it was described by the great Swedish naturalist Carl Linnaeus. It is interesting that in Russia the red cockroach has long been called the Prusak, and in Prussia the same species was called the Russian cockroach. Residents of both countries apparently believed that the annoying cockroaches were given to them by an enemy state during the Seven Years' War.
By the beginning of the 20th century, red cockroaches multiplied so much that they noticeably replaced the black ones. It is impossible to say exactly what this is connected with. We can only state that the Prussians turned out to be better adapted to life in Russian and many European homes. Maybe a number of genes allow them to better tolerate the relative dryness of human dwellings (remember the recommendations for the plot about removing the water!) or to feed more efficiently on the waste from the table of Homo sapiens.
Professional products
Highly effective products include concentrated liquids, such as “Tsifoks” and “Xulat-25”. They are considered professional products and therefore must be used strictly according to the instructions. They are designed for use over large areas.
It is beneficial to contact specialists, since they can always qualitatively assess the situation and select a drug that is suitable specifically for your case.
There are situations when, for various reasons, it is impossible to call disinfectants. In this case, you need to at least consult with them about the required drug and subsequent actions, and treat the apartment yourself.
In very difficult cases, when insects literally fall from the ceiling, you need advice from knowledgeable specialists. Professional workers know how to act correctly in such situations. After all, sometimes it may turn out that not just one family needs treatment of an apartment, but all the neighbors on the floor or in the entrance.
Was there a boy?
In the last 10-15 years, the scientific expression “depopulation of cockroaches” has often appeared on the Internet and in print. It means a decrease in the number of Blattella germanica and the almost complete disappearance of Blatta orientalis. The phrase is mainly used by periodicals in Russia and the CIS. The paradox is that there is no scientific literature on the depopulation of cockroaches. Neither the world-famous Google Scholar, which collects articles by scientists from all over the world, nor the Russian server of scientific publications eLibrary finds anything on this matter.
This is very strange, considering that the problem is very acute and pressing. It would seem that after the total dominance of red cockroaches in apartments throughout Russia and their supposedly sudden disappearance, someone should have taken care of the issue and checked everything “like an adult.” Most likely, scientific foundations would allocate money to count cockroaches in homes. Moreover, it does not require expensive instruments and the cleanest laboratories, and the results of the study are obviously useful for the entire population of the country.
Ethologist Andrei Neuronov told RIA Novosti in 2007: “Recently, by the way, man’s constant companions, cockroaches, have been disappearing. Studies have shown that the number of young individuals decreases from generation to generation. According to one version, this is due to changes in the quality of products. This is alarming." However, he did not provide a single reference to demonstrative studies. But over the past 20 years, scientific publications have been published about where cockroaches poop more often when they find themselves in a new environment, how often a person carries them from house to house (spoiler: rarely), to which poisonous baits are red cockroaches from Moscow canteens most resistant, and so on .
Either the information from disinfection stations and institutes is too secret and inaccessible to the average mortal, or no one in Russia and the CIS really followed the fate of red cockroaches, but the fact remains: not only the reasons for the decline in the number of Blattella germanica, but also their very phenomenon are shrouded in darkness depopulation has not been confirmed by scientific data. Meanwhile, activities to collect such data seem to be much less labor-intensive than the vast majority of modern biological and environmental research.
Supella longipalpa
Furniture cockroach
The color resembles a red one, but, as a rule, it is slightly darker: it has a red-brown body and an almost black head. The wings are better developed than those of other species, but they still cannot fly fully. Only for short distances, just like chickens. They do not live in the wild; they prefer close proximity to humans, although they are capable of living for a long time in an abandoned house. They eat everything - even wood in moderate quantities, so they like to live not only in the kitchen, but also in hallways, dressing rooms, bedrooms, where there are wooden cabinets. Most often found in the central part of Russia.
Deadly European renovation, cockroach wars and GMOs
Residents of the CIS - and more specifically, journalists from non-core publications - put forward their own versions of the disappearance of red cockroaches. True, it is speculative, even without journalistic research, let alone scientific research. Let's assume that the media is right and there really are fewer cockroaches. How realistic are the supposed causes of what happened?
According to one version, red cockroaches were destroyed by European-quality renovation, and specifically by the “chemistry” contained in eurolining, finishing panels, bathroom tiles, suspended ceilings, and so on. Residents believe that the insects left the apartments, unable to withstand the presence of terrible chemicals. But where is the logic here? Insects, much more resistant to poisons and radiation than people, fled, but people stayed and feel very good in houses with an updated design. Most likely, in reality, the fact is that during the repair the plumbing is also repaired, the taps stop leaking, the humidity in the room drops, and the cockroaches become less comfortable.
Another, no less fantastic version is a decrease in the quality of food, genetic modification of vegetables and farm animals, and the like. The same question arises here: why do people eat supposedly bad food and not die, but cockroaches, who are born to eat garbage, turn out to be so sensitive? In addition, it would not be amiss to at least remember that products with genetically modified components are not sold on the territory of the Russian Federation, not to mention the fact that GMOs do not pose any health hazard to anyone. So, it seems that a number of Homo sapiens exaggerate the danger of their own food and, rather, want the unhealthy popularity of their articles, based on intimidation of insufficiently educated segments of the population.
Finally, there is a version that some populations of red cockroaches fight with others and due to these wars, all insects of this species suffer great losses. This doesn't seem true. In a real competition between cockroach populations, one “tribe” would win, whose members could be distinguished from others by the composition of their DNA. However, analyzes show that, at least in France, representatives of the species Blattella germanica, living in cities 900 kilometers apart, are genetically very close. This means that fierce competition and rapid evolution of red cockroaches are not observed now. The lack of genetic diversity suggests that cockroaches are now experiencing a period of stability and there are no unfavorable factors that would actively adjust their adaptation to new environmental conditions.
There are also very strange assumptions - for example, that the destruction of the Earth's ozone layer kills Blattella germanica. Adherents of this theory are not embarrassed by the fact that cockroaches, over hundreds of millions of years of evolution, when the composition of the atmosphere fluctuated very, very strongly, have practically not changed and have always felt normal, and also by the fact that the largest ozone holes are now not growing, but decreasing.
The most likely scenario is this. Since the 1990s, the quality of life in Russia and the CIS countries has nevertheless increased. People renovated their premises and moved to new houses. There were fewer places with unfavorable sanitary conditions. As a result, the number of red cockroaches has actually decreased. But it is impossible to say that cockroaches have completely disappeared: it is enough to go to the dormitory of a university (it does not necessarily have to be a low-rated regional academy!) or to its cafeteria to see old acquaintances.
Distinctive features
Today, many varieties of cockroaches are known, but scientists have not yet established their exact number, so this article discusses the most common species.
Each individual during its life goes through 3 stages of development:
- egg;
- larva;
- imago.
Cockroach eggs are a capsule containing an “embryo” inside. It is packaged in an ootheca, which is a durable protective shell that protects the immature individual from mechanical damage and damage from chemicals.
Insect larvae look the same as adult parasites. Their distinguishing feature is their small body size. In the example photo you can see cockroach larvae of different ages. It is the larvae that make up the bulk of domestic insects. As they grow, they shed their upper chitinous layer and with each molt they resemble their parents more and more.
The structure of cockroaches
Any variety of domestic cockroaches has antennae. Their task is to provide the insect with orientation in space. Thanks to them, the parasite easily moves to water and food.
The oral cavity is equipped with a gnawing apparatus. Insects can easily chew through hard food and consume delicacies like wallpaper paste.
The insect has several qualities, thanks to which it can prevent apartment owners from knowing about its existence for a long time.
- Thanks to the flat-bodied shape of the body, the insect can quickly penetrate narrow crevices and cracks, remaining unnoticed.
- The parasite has 3 pairs of legs that move quickly. Additionally, the limbs are equipped with suction cups, which allows insects to crawl along walls and ceilings at incredible speed.
- The parasite is awake at night and usually moves around when the lights are off. At this moment, a person cannot see an insect looking for food.
A feature of cockroaches is the presence of 2 pairs of wings or their rudiments. However, most cockroaches cannot fly, because there is no need for this.
For more information about the body structure of cockroaches, see the table:
Cockroach with jetpack
Even though people for the most part do not like cockroaches, we must admit: these are extremely important animals and they have always been so. Yes, they, regardless of their desire, tolerate allergens and pathogens of various diseases. But at the same time, cockroaches serve as an important link in food chains: they eat and decompose things that other insects rarely take on. In addition, cockroaches gave rise to termites, which was discovered relatively recently, in 2007.
Scientists from the UK determined the relationship between cockroaches and termites by analyzing a number of genes. Judging by the results of their research, the ancestors of termites were some cockroaches (not red ones!), capable of feeding on wood due to special bacteria in the intestines. Termites have become more social than their cockroach grandfathers. Actually, this is where the main differences between the two groups of insects end.
Due to their size, cockroaches serve as a convenient object for biomechanical research. Here are a couple of examples. In 2002, a scientific article was published, the authors of which studied stabilization in cockroaches of the species Blaberus discoidalis. They glued miniature guns to the backs of insects and forced them to walk under slow-motion cameras. At some point, the cannon fired a short (10 millisecond) shot to the right or left, powerful for its size, designed to destabilize the cockroach and drop it on its side. However, the insects did not turn over and returned to their previous trajectory of movement at the next step.
Having measured the reaction speed of cockroaches, the researchers came to the conclusion that stabilization of their position in space is provided here not even by the nervous system (it cannot work so quickly), but by the mechanics of the limbs.
In 2016, a new study was released in which the authors describe how the movement of cockroaches in very tight spaces inspired them to create a soft robot to search for earthquake victims.
Russian scientists also did not stand aside. Although, as we found out, they were not interested in the disappearance of red cockroaches from apartments, domestic luminaries of science and technology created a robot based on their knowledge of the Blaberus giganteus insect. According to the designers, employees of the Immanuel Kant Baltic Federal University, they were faced with the task of making the robot as cockroach-morphic as possible. It seems that it worked.
The robotic cockroach will scare those who are afraid of real insects: its length is 10 centimeters. It runs a third of a meter in a second, so it’s difficult for a person to catch it. Like foreign designers, Kaliningrad scientists believe that their development can be used as a means of searching for objects in hard-to-reach places.
Cryptocercus relictus
Relic cockroach
The broad, dark brown, shiny, wingless cockroach is a favorite of scientists. It is interesting in its social behavior: at the head of the clan is a female nanny, looking after the offspring, and adult insects share intestinal microflora with the young so that they can digest wood. This family structure is nonsense for other species of cockroaches and resembles the social organization of termites. The relict cockroach lives exclusively in the wild, in the forests of the Russian Far East.
In defense of cockroaches
It's surprising that the supposed disappearance of cockroaches has caused such tension. It would seem that people should be happy that the witnesses to their nightly trips to the refrigerator have finally been eliminated! But instead, the population began to fear that something was wrong with the environmental situation or that the cockroaches sensed some future disasters and decided to get out quickly. Such touching care of Homo sapiens for the Prussians suggests that we still need cockroaches.
It’s good that they leave home - this is a sign that life has become better, drier and more comfortable. It is bad to try to destroy them all: the food chains and ecological connections between different species will be broken (you can remember how the extermination of sparrows in China ended). Cockroaches are already beneficial to us, providing information about how to move through space and inspiring researchers to create rescue robots. They will bring it even more if you leave them alone and do not try to forcefully influence the course of affairs in nature.
Boric acid against larvae
For several generations now they have been getting rid of larvae and adults using boric acid. This is an effective and cheap way. For an apartment you will need about 100 grams of acid.
The powder can be scattered near the sink and along the perimeter of the baseboard. An infected cockroach will not only die itself, but will also have time to infect several relatives from the colony.
True, insects quickly understand that this powder should be avoided. Therefore, our grandmothers and great-grandmothers came up with a little trick at one time. They took chicken yolks, mixed them with boric acid powder and molded them into small balls. The bright new bait attracted the nymphs and they ran to the “food” and died.
Of course, ideally, you should call specialists to your home; they will be able to completely disinfect the room. Unfortunately, none of these methods guarantee that the cockroaches will not return, but they will get rid of the pests for a while.
Live food
Cockroaches are often raised as food. The owners of terrariums do this, and on an industrial scale, food from cockroaches is consumed by pig and fish farms, mainly in China.
A common food species is marbled cockroaches. This is the favorite food of the inhabitants of terrariums: tarantulas, amphibians, lizards, some turtles and snakes. Such insects reproduce and grow quickly. The adult size is 2–3 cm. Future food should be fed in sufficient quantity and varied. Be sure to give them fruits and some vegetables. Cockroaches cannot become nutritious food if they only ate sawdust.
How to treat the inhabitants of a terrarium to cockroaches? Before serving, it is better to tear off a couple of their legs or hand the food to your favorite snake using tweezers. Otherwise, nimble comrades can escape even along a glass wall.
The Chinese, as always, are at the forefront of science and practice. There are more than 400 cockroach farms in the country. Insects are raised to feed poultry, fish, pigs, and even humans. The object of breeding is most often the American cockroach. It is dried and acquires a pleasant taste, reminiscent of fish. The business is very profitable, because cockroaches are omnivores. They can be kept on a diet of even rotten wood.
Egyptian cockroaches
In one province of this country, cockroaches are used as a waste treatment plant. Imagine: hordes of these insects quickly destroy all the organic waste coming to them through the pipes. Then the fat, well-fed arthropods themselves go to feed pigs and fish. They also serve as raw materials for the production of cosmetic and pharmaceutical products.
Every year, a mass of articles by Chinese scientists in scientific journals confirms the medicinal properties of cockroach products. For example, products prepared on their basis activate the process of regeneration of organs and tissues, provide a rejuvenating effect, and cure stomach ulcers and gastritis.
Chinese cuisine contains many recipes for cockroach dishes. After all, these insects contain three times more protein than poultry meat.
Appearance of an insect
Almost everyone probably knows what a cockroach looks like. Regardless of the variety, insects have a number of similar characteristics.
Body length can vary from one to ten centimeters; as a rule, the largest representatives of the family live mainly in southern countries with a mild and humid climate. The abdomen is divided into several main segments.
Males are distinguished by a longer and narrower body; at the end of the abdomen there are articulated processes called cerci.
Females have a more rounded body; when breeding offspring, they carry an ootheca on their abdomen - a capsule containing several dozen eggs. Most representatives carry edema until the larvae hatch.
