The red cockroach is the most characteristic representative of its family. It can be found everywhere - in an apartment, in an office, in public catering establishments, in shops, in any institutions.
An interesting fact is that the cockroach was brought to Russia during the Patriotic War of 1812. The appearance of this insect is associated with the arrival of troops from Prussia. That's why red cockroaches are called Prussians. But in Germany the cockroach is called “Russian”, since the Germans believe that it appeared at the same time, but only from Russia. Not so long ago, in the 90s, this unpleasant neighbor could be found in almost any kitchen. Currently, the situation has improved, but it is not possible to completely get rid of the harmful insect, and to this day they coexist next to people.
What does a red cockroach look like?
Compared to other members of the family, red cockroaches are a small species.
Its size is about one and a half centimeters. The Prusak has reddish-yellow coats, an elongated head, fairly long legs and a powerful chewing apparatus. The legs are equipped with special suction cups, thanks to which it is able to move freely along vertical surfaces and the ceiling. The body of a cockroach consists of a cephalothorax, abdomen and head. On the side of the head there are faceted eyes and one of the most important organs of the cockroach - a pair of long antennae. They are very susceptible to environmental odors; with their help, insects communicate with their relatives and navigate in space. If an injury or loss of at least one antennae occurs, this becomes a real tragedy for the insect, since it immediately loses some of its contacts with the outside world.
The insect cannot fly, although it has well-developed wings covered with hard wing covers. All a cockroach can do is glide smoothly while falling from a height.
Sex differences in cockroaches are weakly expressed in appearance. Males have a narrow body and a wedge-shaped abdomen, which is not completely covered by wings. In females, the body is wider, the abdomen is rounded and completely covered by wings.
Cockroaches move fantastically fast. Their speed can reach 5 km/hour and therefore it is extremely difficult to catch them. In a second, the Prussian can change the direction of movement up to 25 times.
Fun fact:
A red cockroach can live for more than a week without a head. And it is true! In the absence of a brain, the Prussian's body is controlled by nodular ganglia, which are located throughout its body. But gradually the individual dies of thirst.
"Bearded" joke
The popular version of why cockroaches are called stasiks takes its roots from oral tradition. The following joke was once popular.
The wolf sits on a stump in a state of deep hangover. The head is buzzing, the thirst is tormenting. Looks like a cockroach is crawling. In a barely audible, hoarse voice, the wolf asks:
“What’s your name, red-haired creature?”
The insect answers in a squeaky voice:
- Stasik.
“You can’t even imagine, Stasik, how bad I feel now, how sick I am.” And he steps on the cockroach, crushing it with a characteristic crunch.
The meaning and humor of this opus is not entirely clear and understandable, so it is unlikely that this particular anecdote became the reason for the appearance of the euphemism.
Another version is a children's joke:
Vovochka asked his dad where children come from. To which his father replied: “Your mother and I took a handkerchief and spat on it. The next day we wake up, and there you are.”
Vovochka and her friend repeated all the manipulations. After waking up in the morning, they find a cockroach crawling into a scarf. “Well, let’s call him Stasik,” Vovochka said sadly.
Habitats of the red cockroach
The generally accepted homeland of the Prussians is South Korea.
In the 18th century, the era of round-the-world travel and scientific expeditions began, and it was this time that is considered the beginning of the mass spread of red cockroaches. Prussians love warm and humid climates and freeze at temperatures below 5 degrees. That is why they do not live in the Far North and in the desert zone. But, if we consider that in human habitation, where red cockroaches live, conditions are always comfortable for them, then the fact of their appearance even in the Arctic cannot be ruled out. Red cockroaches are omnivores and therefore they can appear in any heated premises, both in cities and in rural areas. Catering establishments, hospitals, and grocery stores, where there is an abundance of food and moisture, especially suffer from the invasion of the Prussians.
What is incomplete metamorphosis of an insect?
Metamorphosis or partial metamorphosis of an insect is a biological process and type of development of baby insects.
Red cockroaches are insects of incomplete metamorphosis. After the larva of this insect emerges from the ooteca, it looks like a smaller adult. In addition to its size, the larva differs from an adult cockroach in that it does not yet have wings. The larvae develop and grow, molt, and after a certain number of molts they begin to develop wings.
Such development, when an insect does not go through the various stages of development of the baby, is called incomplete metamorphosis of insects. From its very birth, an insect of incomplete transformation is mobile, active and leads a full life. This makes cockroach larvae less vulnerable and promotes their rapid reproduction.
Cockroach feeding
Sometimes it’s hard to even imagine what might be on the menu of red cockroaches. A small piece of wallpaper glue left after a renovation can serve as food for them for several days. Food waste in the trash can is actually royal food. Any crumb under the table or in the cupboard becomes a tasty morsel that they can eat endlessly. Paper, book bindings, fabric, soap - cockroaches enjoy eating all of this. But! What cockroaches need most is moisture. Therefore, if the pipes in the apartment are leaking, the faucet in the kitchen is leaking, water is accumulating in the trays of flower pots - this will definitely attract uninvited guests to the apartment. Cockroaches can go without food for a long time, but drought is detrimental to them. An insect cannot live without water for more than a week, while without food it can survive for almost a month.
Old joke
People often make up ridiculous funny stories, which they then pass on to each other orally. This is how jokes are born. In one of the “bearded” jokes, the cockroach’s name is Stasik. In the story, an insect runs past a wolf suffering from a hangover. The wolf asked what the cockroach's name was. To which he replied that his name is Stasik. The wolf began to complain about his sore head and, out of emotion, crushed the barbel.
The meaning of the joke is not entirely clear, but the absurdity of the situation makes it funny. Among those people who have heard this humorous story, there are no problems with coming up with a name for the cockroaches that have settled in their apartment.
Prussian lifestyle
Cockroaches do not have a strong protective layer on their body that could protect them from external enemies. Running away quickly and hiding in cover is the only way to escape. In these shelters - behind baseboards, in furniture crevices, cabinets - cockroaches prefer to spend the entire daylight hours, and come out mainly at night to search for food. If you suspect that there are cockroaches in the house, just turn on the light in the kitchen at night. And if there really are insects, then you can see how, when the light flashes, the Prussians will run in all directions from the sink, from the dining table.
Mustached version
It can be explained why cockroaches are called stasikas: the nickname was attached to the insects in connection with the most important feature - the mustache.
There are two versions:
- In pre-revolutionary times, the male name Stanislav was popular in noble families. The bearers of this name had a thick, lush mustache, which was carefully maintained. In addition, the people noted the craftiness and mobility of the Stanislavs, and since cockroaches run quickly, a line of correspondence was drawn between the nimble men and the insects.
- The second version is as follows: previously it was believed that the Stanislavs had a thick mustache. And if they had a red color and a characteristic curl, such men looked like insects.
According to the above versions, the diminutive nickname “stasik” was chosen due to their nimbleness, long mustache and small size.
Reproduction and lifespan
The red cockroach is an insect with an incomplete development cycle - egg, larva (nymph), adult (imago).
There is no pupal stage. After the mating process, the female lays eggs in a special leather capsule on her body, where they are stored until the larvae hatch. The capsule is quite noticeable. It can be seen with the naked eye. One such capsule can contain from 30 to 40 larvae. During her life cycle, the female can lay eggs up to 9 times. Nymphs hatch from eggs in about 35 days. The larvae take on the appearance of an adult after passing through several molts. Initially the larvae are white, but gradually darken. After six molts, the nymph takes on the appearance of an adult (imago). One female red cockroach gives birth to about 300 young cockroaches. Given comfortable living conditions and sufficient food and water, cockroaches can live up to 10 months.
Fourth version
Oddly enough, the last version is considered the most plausible. Many years ago, naval sailors were frequent carriers of pubic lice and believed that they owed this problem to men with non-traditional sexual orientation. And in prison circles, homosexuals were called swear words.
Sailors
The sailors borrowed this same word from the prisoners and began to apply it to pubic parasites. After some time, the fashion for swearing passed away and the strong word should have been replaced with something more correct. This is where the name Stas turned out to be useful, consonant with the obscene nickname. And subsequently the nickname migrated to other insects, since cockroaches have external similarities with pubic lice. So to this day, men and women shout out the famous modified abusive name when they see a nasty insect.
Over the years, people have changed the rough name “Stas” to the more gentle “Stasik”. Although a cockroach is an insect and has an unpleasant appearance, it is still harmless, and in some ways even useful. So why not give him an affectionate nickname?
Which version to lean towards is a personal matter for everyone. And what to call uninvited neighbors even more so. Soon all versions will be united into one beautiful legend and will be retold in different ways. Or maybe people will learn to live with cockroaches in peace and harmony and forget all the offensive nicknames.
How do Prussians get into a person’s home?
Cockroaches move from apartment to apartment on their own, moving from neighboring rooms through sewer, water pipes, and ventilation ducts.
Within one apartment building, hundreds of cockroaches can crawl from apartment to apartment every day. They take over apartments much faster than houses. This is explained by the fact that they prefer not to go outside even in the hottest weather in order to save their lives. There are many dangers awaiting them on the street. They find themselves defenseless against all animals that feed on insects. The person himself can bring such a guest into the apartment: in a bag from his workplace, a suitcase from a trip, in his belongings from guests, etc. Therefore, you need to carefully inspect your belongings if you have to return from places where cockroaches live.
Causes of cockroaches
We can name the most likely reasons for the appearance of cockroaches in an apartment:
- unsanitary living conditions, when the apartment is not cleaned, cluttered rooms, scattered things, spoiled food;
- can come to the apartment along with things from trips;
- disadvantaged neighbors from whom cockroaches can easily enter any apartment where there is access through pipes or ventilation ducts;
- faulty water and sewer pipes. Where it is humid and warm is paradise for cockroaches and there they will live forever.
Harm from red cockroaches
Cockroaches are in constant contact with garbage, spoiled food waste, and dirt, so naturally they pose a danger to humans. They carry pathogenic bacteria and worm eggs, causing diseases such as helminthiasis, tuberculosis, and intestinal infections. In addition, they can leave a lot of their chitinous coverings, which contain a large number of allergens, in the apartment. This causes allergic rhinitis in people. Moreover, it can be very difficult to determine the causes of such a runny nose, and often people look for ways to get rid of it, without even knowing what caused it.
Measures to combat cockroaches
The best way to get rid of cockroaches is to use an integrated approach - compliance with sanitary standards, folk remedies and chemicals.
- all food products must be in packages or containers;
- do not leave dirty dishes in the sink overnight;
- remove all leftover food from the table in time;
- make sure that cockroaches do not have access to water;
- taking out the trash;
- block all possible places for cockroaches to enter the apartment;
- lay out bait for cockroaches - balls of mashed potatoes with boric acid;
- place insecticidal baits.
If the problem is not solved but only multiplies and you cannot cope on your own, you need to turn to professionals - call the sanitary and epidemiological service.
