The Prusak cockroach, the photo of which is shown below, is a classic representative of the “uninvited guest” in any home. The fight against this type of insect has been going on for thousands of years and has not yet been crowned with complete success.
There are almost always owners of houses and apartments who study all kinds of information in order to get rid of the Prussian. However, to defeat a cockroach, you need to know about the features of its life cycle, reproduction and nutrition. Below will be a description of the most important characteristics of such an insect.
Appearance and structure
Red cockroaches are a small species compared to other members of this family.
The size of a normal imago (adult) is one and a half centimeters .
The head is oblong, the eyes are widely spaced, dark. The legs of red cockroaches are long, with special suction cups that allow them to move along vertical planes .
The body is colored reddish-yellow and consists of the following parts :
- cephalothorax;
- abdomen;
- head.
The insect has developed wings with hard wing covers on top, but does not know how to fly , it can only glide, falling from a height. But there are also flying cockroaches. The mouthparts are gnawing.
In males, the body is narrow, the abdomen is wedge-shaped, its edge is not covered by wings
The body of females is wider, the abdomen is rounded, completely covered by wings.
One of the most important organs of cockroaches is the antennae, which are very sensitive to all kinds of odors . With their help, Prussians communicate with their relatives and navigate in space. The loss of one or both whiskers becomes a real tragedy for these insects, as they are deprived of information about the world around them.
REFERENCE! A distinctive feature of Prussians is the cerci - small tails at the end of the body (one on each side).
Photo
You can clearly see the appearance in the photo of red cockroaches below:
The Cossack boy sent into the house is a red-haired, mischievous little Russian
The first meeting with him can happen anywhere: in an apartment, in a store, in a dining room or cafe. There is probably no person who has not seen an insect with his own eyes. The red Prusak cockroach multiplies quickly, and all of Europe already knows it. Thanks to the ability to adapt to new conditions, the families number more than 4,000 species.
Why are cockroaches called Prussians? The insect got its origin and name from Prussia, because it was from there that soldiers under the leadership of Napoleon brought them home. But oddly enough, in Germany they are usually called Russian cockroaches, hares. There is another name we have adopted - stasiki.
Reproduction
Cockroaches belong to insects with incomplete metamorphosis (transformation). They do not have a pupal stage, and the larvae take on the appearance of an adult after several molts.
Red Prussians breed throughout the year.
Females lay eggs (about 30 pieces) in a small brown capsule (ootheca). The female carries the future offspring with her at the end of the abdomen (the protruding part of the ootheca is visible to the naked eye) until the larvae hatch (2-4 weeks) .
The initial color of the larvae is white, gradually darkening. The larvae (nymphs) undergo six molts until they take on the form of an adult. Over the course of their entire lives, females bear from four to ten oothecae and contribute to the birth of up to 300 young cockroaches.
How long do red cockroaches live?
The life expectancy of red Prussians at home and with sufficient food and water is from 8 to 10 months (this period of time includes the life expectancy of the imago (7 - 8 months) and the nymph stage).
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.
Lifestyle and nutrition
Prussians do not like daylight and crawl out of their hiding places only at night.
If you suddenly have suspicions about the appearance of uninvited red-haired guests in your apartment, turn on the light in the kitchen at night: live cockroaches will splash out from the sink and from the dining table in all directions.
The favorite habitats of domestic red cockroaches are all kinds of narrow crevices (so that the back and abdomen of the insect are in close contact with surfaces): in the floor, under baseboards, in door jambs, furniture . In addition, Prussians can choose household appliances and books for settlement.
These insects are omnivores . Food for them can be not only food, but also paper, wallpaper paste, book bindings, fabric and even soap.
Cockroaches are capable of starving for a long time, but they cannot tolerate drought at all. If the Prussians can survive without food for a whole month, then without water they will not survive even a week.
A little about the life of a Prusak
Due to the cold climate in our country, Prussians can only survive by hiding in warm apartments. Their small size allows them to hide in small crevices, and their durable chitinous cover protects them from light blows.
The Prusak is a nocturnal resident and is found very rarely during the day, usually when there is a shortage of food, when the colony contains many Prussians.
If they have wings, Prussians do not fly; the wings are used for gliding when falling from a great height. In southern countries there are representatives of cockroaches that fly well over long distances.
When there is a lack of food, Prussians can bite, but only at night, when a person is sleeping, they choose soft areas of the skin: lips, eyelids, neck and elbows.
Prussians almost always live in the kitchen, choosing places to live closer to a source of water and food.
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.
Common mistakes
We have given many ways to effectively influence cockroaches, which you can use one or several at a time. But at the same time, it is important not to repeat those mistakes that happen quite often:
- do not resort to the use of highly toxic drugs;
- after using aerosols or sprays, be sure to ventilate the room;
- Do not use repellers and bait at the same time.
In the fight against cockroaches, try to use the experience of others more. Read customer reviews about the effectiveness of using a particular drug against cockroaches, communicate on forums with people who know how to resist cockroaches. Not all brands that are advertised in the media meet consumer expectations. Consider using simple home remedies that are effective and safe for your health.
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Do they cause harm to humans?
IMPORTANT! Red cockroaches are dangerous to humans : constantly in contact with garbage, household waste, dirt, they are carriers of pathogenic bacteria, as well as worm eggs.
Intestinal disorders, tuberculosis, helminthiasis are just a few of the diseases that Prussians can bring on their paws.
Do red cockroaches bite?
Scientists knew of several cases when these pests ate away the keratinized parts of the dermis on the face and hands of people, but did not cause any tangible harm to them. So we can safely say that Prussians do not bite .
How dangerous are cockroaches?
Despite the general discomfort that people experience in the presence of Prussians, it is necessary to note a number of other important negatives of such a neighborhood:
- Cockroaches are carriers of a variety of bacteria. Their household activities can cause dysentery, food poisoning or allergies. The chitinous shell of the Prussian body remains a very powerful antigen.
- Cockroaches can bite people. The main places of damage are the earlobes, the area around the lips and eyes. Small children are often affected. Their skin is very delicate and the Prussians are not averse to eating it.
- Cockroaches crawling into household appliances can cause short circuits and disable the devices.
One way or another, when Prussians appear in a house or apartment, you need to actively start fighting them using traditional or folk methods.
Fighting methods
As soon as you discover the presence of at least one red-haired Prussian in the house, take immediate action .
Because in just 2 weeks your home will be swarming with hordes of these annoying parasites.
To make the fight against cockroaches more effective, you need to do the following :
- place food in containers or tightly sealed bags;
- ensure that dirty dishes with food residues on them are not left in the sink or on the kitchen table;
- keep the apartment clean;
- Dispose of household waste in a timely manner, do not accumulate garbage for several days;
- put all pipes and plumbing in order, eliminate leaks;
- Do not leave water containers on the surface where insects could drink.
After this, you can start baiting the Prussians.
How to get rid of red cockroaches in an apartment? This can be done using industrial insecticides. Today, there are a great variety of means for exterminating domestic cockroaches. These are gels: Dohlox, Global; aerosols: Raid, Clean House, Raptor; crayons, powders: FAS, Karbofos; emulsions, special traps, etc. You can entrust the disinfestation of the premises to specialists or do it yourself.
It is possible to cope with cockroach mass using traditional methods :
- using boric acid (powder). This substance dehydrates the body of pests. Acid is mixed into mashed potatoes, rolled into balls and placed throughout the house;
IMPORTANT! If there are pets or small children in the apartment, use this method with caution! Boric acid is poisonous!
- using self-made traps . To do this, a glass jar (edges) is lubricated with a sticky substance (oil or Vaseline), and bait is placed inside.
To make the battle with the red evil spirits more effective, it is advisable to cooperate with all your neighbors. Then you will be one hundred percent sure that not a single “Prussian enemy” will remain alive. If, nevertheless, the enemy broke through the defenses, then after reading our article you now know how to get red cockroaches out of the apartment.
What are the Prussians afraid of?
The mustachioed Prussian has taken root remarkably well in apartments and houses where people live. There are some things that poison-resistant pests are afraid of.
Why is a Prussian afraid of strong smells?
The Prusak has a very developed sense of smell thanks to its antennae, so any strong smell is very irritating, and they are afraid to approach. What Prussians are afraid of are kerosene, ammonia, vinegar, and they are also afraid of plants with a pungent odor (oranges, lemons).
To prepare a solution against Prussians, mix a tablespoon of ammonia in a 2 liter bottle of water. Dip a sponge into the resulting solution and wipe the surface on which Prussians often run.
This method does not guarantee 100% removal of pests and many will not like being in a room that stinks of such strong odors. They will disappear within a couple of hours, and a person will no longer feel the pungent odor, but the Prussians will be irritated for several days.
You can add some herbs to the list of what Prussians are afraid of. The most effective herbs are tansy, honeysuckle and wild rosemary; they should be placed on the windowsill, in the cabinets where the Prussian was seen, behind the radiator, etc. Herbs can help get rid of the Prussians if their population has not grown significantly.
