In the central part of Russia, you can find black, red (Prussian) and American cockroaches in human homes. They can cause significant damage, contaminating food and damaging wooden, leather, and textile interior items. Sexually mature individuals carry pathogens of intestinal diseases on their paws, chitinous cover and in the body. To successfully fight insects, you need to know the features of their structure, physiology, and lifestyle. How long do red cockroaches and their black relatives live? How to speed up the death of insects? How to use this knowledge to increase the effectiveness of extermination efforts?
What determines the lifespan of cockroaches?
The lifespan of adult cockroaches depends on external conditions - the availability of food and water, comfortable air temperature, and the absence of aggressive factors.
Insects are characterized by high tolerance. For example, they are able to survive in a wide range of temperatures - from 0°C to 50°C. The high resistance of cockroaches to external aggressive factors, including chemicals, significantly complicates the task of exterminating insects. Gradually, individuals become more adapted, developing protective mechanisms to new insecticides in the process of evolution, and it becomes almost impossible to cope with them. Anyone who has at least once tried to clear an apartment of Prussians on their own has encountered a typical situation: after using store-bought chemicals, the insects disappeared, but reappeared after a few weeks. Many insecticides that were effective in the past no longer have an effect on the lifespan of cockroaches.
In the article we will look at how long Prussians live under favorable conditions, in the absence of food and water, when exposed to critical temperatures and other aggressive factors.
Features of development
Cockroach-like pests differ from other insects in that larvae and small individuals emerge from the ootheca. There is no pupal stage in this chain.
The life cycle includes several stages:
- A dense capsule is formed on the female’s belly, into which she lays eggs. Over time, the size of the leathery sac increases.
- The female sheds the ootheca after 14–28 days. Small white cockroaches are selected from the leathery sac. Their body length is 3–4 mm. Some species of longhorned beetles carry an ootheca throughout their entire life. Such cockroaches live longer without food and water.
- The transformation into an adult cockroach occurs in several stages (from 6 to 10 molts). During this period, the shade of the chitinous cover changes. This period takes 2–3 months in summer, 6–7 months in winter. The lifespan of the domestic barbel is 12 months or more.
- How many years arthropod pests live is influenced by external factors, the availability of food and water, etc. For example, insects live without air for several hours. A cockroach lives without a head for at least 7 days.
conclusions
Let's summarize how long cockroaches live at home:
- natural death of a cockroach occurs after 9-30 months;
- if you deprive a cockroach of food and water, it will die in 3-70 days;
- With the help of cold you can destroy the Prussians in 1 minute.
Many users are concerned about the question: how long will it take to notice the effect of independent extermination measures? If the number of cockroaches is low, it will take about 2 months to completely eradicate them. If insects have massively infested a multi-story building, it is better to immediately prepare for a long and difficult fight. The effect of disinfestation in this case will be achieved after monthly treatments for 3-6 months.
The easiest way to instantly kill a cockroach is to order professional treatment of the room using the cold or hot fog method from SES Dez Group. What is the advantage of this approach?
- The insecticide is sprayed in the form of small drops and penetrates into all hard-to-reach areas where insects hide.
- The prolonged effect of the drug protects against repeated invasion of cockroaches for up to 40 days and destroys young individuals that appeared after treatment.
- If necessary, service specialists will carry out repeated disinsection free of charge.
- Processing one apartment takes 1.5-2 hours.
- Certified insecticides are safe for humans and pets and have been proven effective against cockroaches in tests.
For detailed information, contact the consultant of SES "Des Group" by phone or email.
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How long does a cockroach live without food?
The first thing that interests housewives is how long domestic red cockroaches live without food. Since arthropod pests are cold-blooded creatures, they do not require energy to maintain an acceptable body temperature. Insects have a slower metabolism. In order for Prussians to remain active for 14 days, they need to consume the food once. Without food, red and black longhorned beetles live for 35–70 days (it all depends on the species). Therefore, it is possible to determine how long a domestic cockroach lives without food by taking into account the species.
When determining how long cockroaches live without food, the temperature regime is also taken into account. If this indicator is relatively low, then the number of insects is significantly reduced. Having figured out how long a cockroach can live without food, housewives understand how important it is to remove crumbs and organic debris from the table and trash can.
Why are there so many of them: life expectancy and reproductive characteristics
If you see a lonely running cockroach and squash it with a slipper, do not rush to celebrate your victory. You won the battle, but not the war. The appearance of a lone “guest” indicates that a whole colony of pests lives somewhere in a secluded place. And they probably managed to lay eggs, from which new insects will appear after some time. To successfully fight cockroaches, you will have to take a short course in biology.
Life cycle
Cockroaches live from four months to four years, depending on external conditions. Human factors can significantly affect life expectancy. Characteristics of the life stages of insects are given in the table.
Table - Life cycle of a cockroach
| Stage | Duration | Characteristic |
| Egg (one cockroach in one egg) | 2-3 weeks | — 15-20 eggs are arranged in even rows in the protective shell of the ootheca; — formed larvae independently gnaw through the egg shell |
| Nymph (larva) | 2-6 months | - Looks like a smaller copy of an adult cockroach, but without wings and darker in color; — during the growth process, sheds her shell several times (molts); - young individuals are fully adapted to life |
| Imago (adult cockroach) | 4 months-4 years | — Life expectancy depends on external conditions; — reproduces offspring up to 9 times; - the life expectancy of each new generation is longer than the previous one |
There is interspecific struggle between red and black cockroaches. Prussians eat the eggs of black insects. That is why the population of the latter is growing more slowly compared to their brown counterparts.
The female as a source of danger
Cockroaches reproduce sexually. Insects undergo real mating games, during which the males begin to vigorously shake their wings and even fly low to please the female. The latter chooses the most worthy “father” for her offspring. After fertilization, she lays 15-20 eggs, which are securely stored in the protective capsule ootheca. The female carries this pouch with her everywhere for two weeks. At the last stage, the female leaves the ootheca in a secluded place, where after a few days new cockroaches hatch.
Throughout her life, the female lays an average of 20 oothecae, which is equivalent to 300-400 eggs, the survival rate of which is 90-95%. In this case, a female, fertilized once, retains the male’s genetic material in her body and can continue to reproduce independently through parthenogenesis. Thus, if you want to defeat cockroaches, you need to try to destroy the females, which can be recognized by such signs.
- Size. The female is an order of magnitude larger than the male.
- Wings. In females they are small and poorly developed.
- Head. The male has two vertical stripes on his head. Females do not have such a distinctive sign.
- Color. The male is darker than the female.
- Sexual characteristic. The female does not have a genital plate in the posterior part of the body. The easiest way to recognize a fertilized female. A “sac” containing eggs will be attached to the back of the body.
The ootheca is a reliable and dense shell that protects future cockroaches from the strongest chemicals, and even powerful radiation. It is also not easy to crush the shell. The surest way to destroy eggs is heating by treating potential laying sites with a steam generator or a hair dryer.
Can cockroaches live without water?
Many housewives know how long domestic cockroaches live without food. Without water, cockroaches can live much shorter lives. After all, arthropod pests require moisture to start and maintain vital processes. Water promotes the development of internal organs and improves metabolism. Although longhorned beetles are cold-blooded organisms, they cannot do without moisture. Knowing how many days cockroaches live without water, it is easier to choose effective methods of controlling arthropod pests.
The effectiveness of insecticidal preparations is reduced if insects have access to water. In order to get rid of a large population of longhorned beetles, it is necessary to block access to moisture in the shower and kitchen for 7–8 days. This period of time is enough for arthropod pests to leave the apartment or die.
How do cockroaches survive in unfavorable conditions?
Difficult periods can occur for everyone, including domestic Prussians. In this case, life expectancy becomes an order of magnitude shorter. In extreme conditions they survive, but only for a certain period.
How to get rid of black cockroaches forever read the article here.
A tropical climate or life in southern latitudes allows insects not to be afraid of temperature changes. But in the middle zone they are often forced to endure inconveniences, for example, when the heating is turned off. If the temperature is reduced to -5, the insects die immediately, although this will require risking the entire heating system.
Help: As you know, even radiation does not kill pests. In reality this is not the case. The dose of radiation that an insect can withstand is 15 times greater than that of a human, and yet it is not infinite. If an insect is irradiated for a long time or strongly, it will also die.
Cockroaches without a head
No less interesting is how long domestic headless cockroaches live. Scientists have found that the arthropod pest can live without a head for 9 days. Especially for this purpose, American scientists conducted various experiments and studies. Since the nervous and circulatory systems are connected to the brain only conditionally, the loss of the head will not significantly affect the condition of the insect. Once the head is cut off, the neck vessels are carefully sealed. At the same time, the circulatory system continues to function without disturbances.
Since the respiratory system of an arthropod pest is not connected to the head, its absence has minimal impact on the state of the insect’s body. Small tracheas and spiracles are used to enrich the body with oxygen, which is why a headless cockroach lives for about a week. Since suffocation does not provoke decapitation, this method is not suitable for destruction. Therefore, information about how long a cockroach can live without a head should be taken into account, but it should not be used during the extermination process.
The lifespan of a headless cockroach also depends on the conditions in which the arthropod pest lives. If the room is warm, this period increases.
Stages of life
All cockroaches develop in an incomplete cycle, that is, they do not have the stage of turning a larva into a pupa. Females lay eggs in an ooteca (a special capsule at the end of the abdomen) and carry it with them. The eggs develop in it, then the female either drops the “children”, like, for example, red cockroaches, or carries them with her until they are fully born, like a Prussian.
Small parasites are “born” as almost transparent, white nymphs, after which their chitin darkens and hardens. This process can last up to two months at warm and favorable temperatures. The lifespan of an adult is approximately 20-30 weeks.
There are also long-livers, for example, the black domestic cockroach, which lives up to several years. In principle, if you have such parasites in your home, then in about a couple of months they can build a colony of hundreds of fellow tribesmen. Females live much longer than males and are very fertile.
The eggs are formed and laid in a kind of capsule
Effect of temperature on insects
Temperature influences the activity of barbels. Arthropod pests are attracted to warmth, which is why they move into apartments and country houses. Insects are active if the temperature varies in the range of +2 - +28 degrees. It’s always warm in living quarters, which is why Prussians settle next to people.
To reduce the life expectancy of cockroaches, it is necessary to reduce the temperature in the apartment to -5 degrees. Within half an hour, the vital functions of the barbels slow down and stop completely. If the temperature drops to -10 - -15 degrees, then the death of the Prussians occurs much faster.
High temperature also has an impact on the life processes of arthropod pests. If you raise the temperature to 28–30 degrees, the barbel will begin to lose moisture, which is difficult for them to do without. Therefore, some housewives use boiling water to fight.
How to prevent insects
Cockroaches can appear in the house for various reasons. They run from neighboring apartments, enter the apartment with products or equipment purchased in the store, and crawl along risers from basements and boiler rooms.
The life cycle of insects is closely related to water, food and external temperature, so to reduce the likelihood of cockroaches you need to:
- Use tightly closed containers for storing food and do not leave them in the open;
- cover the ventilation holes with nets, treat cracks and crevices;
- use a trash can with a sealed lid and take out the trash daily;
- water the flowers in the first half of the day so that the liquid from the trays has time to evaporate before the evening;
- wash dishes immediately after use, carefully removing any remaining food and grease from the sink;
- Wipe kitchen surfaces and plumbing fixtures dry, and make sure that no water drips from the taps.
In addition, it is important to regularly clean and ventilate the room. In unsanitary conditions, insects multiply faster, so keeping your apartment clean is the best preventive measure against cockroaches.
Proven remedies
Considering that the average lifespan of longhorned beetles is 6 months, their population in an apartment or country house is rapidly increasing. To prevent such an outcome, it is necessary to destroy arthropod pests.
Among the means used for the fight are:
- Insecticidal drugs. They are sold in agricultural and specialty stores. These drugs include aerosols, tablets, gels and powders. They differ in composition, properties and effectiveness.
- Boric acid. This component is used when preparing baits at home. Boric acid is mixed with egg yolk, boiled potatoes or sugar. Sometimes vegetable or baby oil is added to the mixture, which has an attractive aroma.
- Compositions that have a pungent odor. So, housewives use vinegar or essential oils. They are introduced into water, which is used to clean surfaces in the apartment.
The lifespan of cockroach-like insects depends on the conditions in the apartment and the availability of food and water. If you consider how long an insect lives without water or organic matter, it is easier to destroy it.
The most common types of cockroaches and their lifespan
In this article I would like to highlight 3 types of cockroaches, which are one of the most common, while only 2 species live within our territorial borders:
- A red-haired cockroach or a Russian cockroach - perhaps most apartment residents are familiar with these nosy reddish or brown scoundrels. Prussians live on the second floor and above, deftly moving through ventilation airlocks, thanks to which they are able to crawl into almost any apartment. The average lifespan of red cockroaches is approximately 10 months, provided that the insect is in a favorable environment and has access to water and food.
- Black or basement cockroach - their main distinguishing feature is their black color, more massive body and the fact that they live only in basements and not above the first floor. The lifespan of black cockroaches is somewhat shorter than their red relatives; on average, they live about 8 months.
- American cockroach - this species is practically not found in our latitudes, but compared to the first two it has significant differences. First of all, American cockroaches are much larger, and on average they live for about 2-3 years.
Factors influencing the life of cockroaches
Life expectancy is influenced by environmental conditions and how cockroaches live: temperature, amount of water and food.
The answer to the question of how long cockroaches live without food may surprise many, because they can easily survive for a long time without food:
- “red” individuals – 40-50 days;
- black – up to 70.
This is explained by the structure of the body. Insects are cold-blooded, so they do not need energy to warm their bodies, and if there is a lack of food, they simply wait for a more favorable moment to feed. Therefore, the period of how many days cockroaches live without food can be so long.
Cockroach and food
Interesting!
The only thing that can kill a cockroach during prolonged fasting is infection by mold or other microorganisms.
Temperature conditions are of great importance for life: optimally +20ºС and above, but they cannot withstand the cold: already at -1 ºС the parasites die, which is often used in the fight against cockroaches, using freezing of the room.
For what reasons do they appear in a particular residential area?
There are several reasons:
- unsanitary conditions. Always dirty floors, unwashed dishes, cluttered corners, food residues lying around in different places (this could be spilled sugar or flour);
- things from trips. An insect can come to your home in a travel bag, having entered it from a hotel or train carriage;
- dysfunctional neighbors. It doesn’t matter which side the sluts are next to you (above, below, through the wall). Cockroaches will definitely get into your apartment from the ventilation hole or cracks in the walls and floor;
- faulty water and sewer pipes. Small damp places under the drop and warmth - this is a real cockroach paradise. As long as there is moisture nearby and the temperature in the apartment does not drop below 10 degrees, the Prussians will be ready to live with you forever.
We suggest you read: How to remove fleas from a cat at home
Head: is it needed or not?
No matter how strange and wild it may sound, but yes, a cockroach can live without a head. Just like the head itself without it. Of course, it is difficult to believe in this simply because everyone knows what happens to a person if he is beheaded. But with cockroaches the situation is much different.
American scientists confirmed this. They carefully decapitated the cockroach, sealed the joint between the body and head with wax, and then placed the body and head in a special solution. And what a surprise the scientists were when, in addition to the body, the head also lived! It is quite simple to explain this in human language.
A cockroach's body systems are different from those of humans. For example, their circulatory system is open without capillaries, so if you tear the head away from the body, the vessels will simply become clogged with coagulated blood and continue to function.
In order to breathe, a person still needs a head, because it contains a nose and a mouth. But for a cockroach this is not necessary. His body is dotted with a huge number of tracheas, through which he breathes. The head does not take part in this process.
A cockroach can even live without a head, but not for long
