Cockroaches are among the oldest living creatures. According to scientists, they appeared on our planet about 300 million years ago, developed and divided into different types. At the moment, scientists know about the existence of approximately 5000 species of cockroaches. And only about 30 of them are able to live next to people. We can say that they are directly dependent on us, because we unwittingly provide them with warm living conditions, food and other amenities. But have you ever thought about what kind of cockroaches live next to us and how they appeared in the first place? In addition, in some regions of our country they suddenly began to disappear. Scientists still don’t know exactly what this is connected with, but they have several interesting assumptions.
Fear of cockroaches is called insectophobia or entomophobia
Where do cockroaches come from in an apartment?
Possible sources of cockroaches in housing:
- Through the garbage chute
- Pests are able to “travel” through ventilation
- Insects can either move from neighbors through cracks or come from the streets (in the warm season, through open windows)
- The queen-shaped parasite can attach itself to your bag, for example, on the street or in a store
- Also, if you are buying used appliances, be careful. After all, Prussians can become an unpleasant “bonus” for a purchase
If you notice cockroaches in your home, it is unlikely that you will be able to get rid of them with regular cleaning. Once in good living conditions: where there is access to food (crumbs), moisture and preferably dampness, mustachioed guests will never want to leave.
On a note:
Basically, Prussians are nocturnal and crawl out to eat in the dark.
In addition to the obvious reasons for the appearance of cockroaches in an apartment, there are also a number of non-obvious ones.
When did cockroaches appear?
Cockroaches appeared on our planet during the Carboniferous period, approximately 300 million years ago . In those days, there were no continents yet and the outlines of the supercontinent Pangea were just beginning to appear on the globe. The fauna mainly consisted of amphibians, and the plants were conifers and other trees. Also in those days, deposits of coal appeared, which we still use as fossil fuel. In general, cockroaches are very ancient creatures, even older than dinosaurs .
At the time of the appearance of cockroaches, nature looked like this
A little more about the reasons for the appearance of cockroaches in an apartment
Insects move from apartment to apartment, squeezing into the thinnest cracks and overcoming various obstacles. There are practically no barriers for these parasites.
Why do parasites migrate? The answer is simple: there is a catastrophic lack of space for new offspring, and the population decides to move to another space.
This is interesting:
Cockroaches appeared on Russian soil in 1812 during the war with Napoleon. It is to the French soldiers that we owe this not so pleasant acquaintance.
Also, the cause of the appearance of parasites in an apartment can be:
- Neighbors and their measures to remove pests from their homes. During disinsection, parasites escape and look for new conditions to preserve the population. Therefore, just a couple of cockroaches that survived and escaped, for example, into the ventilation, can bring you a lot of trouble in the future.
- Parasites from supermarkets or stores. Another reason for the appearance of cockroaches can be a banal trip to the store. By placing the bag on the floor, the Prussians may well crawl into it and travel straight to your house. Thus, completely unaware, you can bring not only purchases, but also a “surprise” in the form of cockroaches.
Of course, this rarely happens and only in cases where the store openly neglects the rules of sanitary standards, nevertheless, such a reason does exist. Therefore, be careful!
- Cockroaches can also be brought from long trips or bad hotels. Similar to the previous case, with things from a train or travel you can accidentally bring a parasite with you into your home.
This is interesting:
Whiskers are vital for a cockroach! With the help of their whiskers, cockroaches communicate with their relatives and receive information about the world around them. Also, cockroach antennae are very sensitive to various kinds of odors. By losing at least one whisker, not to mention both, the insect is unable to fully orient itself in space, which becomes a real tragedy for it.
Features of cockroaches
From ancient times to this day, the favorite place of cockroaches is loose forest litter. Moist conditions and nutrients are retained underneath. And these insects eat any organic remains, both plant and animal origin. It turns out that they practically cannot die from hunger. In addition, they withstand the effects of radiation and can survive even after terrible disasters. So, they managed to survive mass extinctions and serious wars between people.
Many people have probably seen red cockroaches
The secretive lifestyle greatly affected the appearance of insects. They have very powerful legs and a dense body. Their jaw opens horizontally - it is believed that with their help they grind food more easily, dig holes and even drag things from one place to another. These structural features of the body arose millions of years ago and persist to this day. Cockroaches were the dominant group of insects for a long time and only then were replaced by larger and stronger beetles. Indeed, in the course of evolution, real strongmen like the dung beetle (Onthophagus taurus) appeared on our planet. I have already talked about him in this material.
The strongest animal in the world looks like this
Are cockroaches in the home always unsanitary?
So, do “mustachioed” parasites always enter the house due to unsanitary conditions? In order for a premises to receive the status of unsanitary, it must have certain conditions. First of all this:
- Stale garbage
- Lots of dirty dishes in the sink
- Improper food storage
- Wool, excrement and other animal waste on the floor
- Grease on walls, floors and hard-to-reach places
As you can see from the list, for your home to receive unsanitary status, it is not enough to have dusty shelves or a dirty floor.
In addition, mustachioed guests love high humidity, so you need to make sure that your faucet does not leak and that your water pipes do not become rusty.
In general, we can say that the likelihood of cockroaches is much higher where conditions are close to unsanitary. After all, such premises have everything that is needed for the full existence and reproduction of parasites!
Why did they decide to stay?
Now you should pay attention to the question of why cockroaches, having come to your house, decided to stay there and began to actively reproduce. There is only one answer here - unsanitary conditions.
- An endless source of food. Cockroaches are quite unpretentious eaters and can consume not only fresh food, but also waste. They will not disdain scraps in the trash can or rotten vegetables. It is also worth remembering that these insects are able to crawl into the smallest cracks and narrow passages, where spilled sugar or flour will certainly be found. But even without food, cockroaches can live for about two to three weeks, and a small handful of cereal will become a real food warehouse, which is enough to feed an entire colony.
Advice! To resist insects, always try to keep your kitchen in perfect order: take out the trash every day, do not leave food in the public domain, and clean the floors, baseboards and stove as often as possible.
- Availability of water. Cockroaches can go without food for a long time, but they are unable to live without water. Therefore, always close the taps tightly, wipe the sink and bathtub dry at night, water indoor flowers only in the morning and afternoon, and carefully monitor the working order of the plumbing. After all, even a small puddle on the table can become a huge reservoir for insects.
- Temperature and humidity in the room. The ideal habitat for cockroaches is relative humidity and a warm climate. Human housing fully meets these requirements, and there are also convenient crevices and corners in which cockroaches can safely hide from prying eyes.
Interesting fact! Not all cockroaches prefer such conditions. For example, eastern species live in cold sewer pipes and are the exception to the rule.
If you find cockroaches in your home, then, first of all, you need to analyze where they could have come from. All ventilation passages should be covered with nets and existing targets should be sealed so that the parasites have nowhere to hide and avoid the migration of other individuals from their colony. And be sure to keep your house clean, because if they have already appeared, then in unsanitary conditions they will definitely begin to actively multiply. And now that you know where your mustachioed “guests” came from, it’s time to ask the question: How to get rid of cockroaches forever quickly and without much effort?
What to do if red cockroaches appear in the house
Once you have found out what caused the cockroaches, you can begin to destroy them. Among all the market and popular variety of cockroach remedies, some insecticides can be distinguished
— “Globol” paste with a quick effect. It is necessary to apply to places where the largest cockroaches accumulate in the apartment. Insects will pick up the product and carry it throughout the colony. The interesting thing is that the parasite does not die immediately, but manages to “infect” and poison its entire family.
— GET “Total” – against all insects. Using this solution you can also prevent the appearance of ants and bedbugs.
— Dohlox is a gel that paralyzes insects.
You can use these products yourself, but only after reading the instructions. Be sure to clean your apartment before using the product to deprive insects of a food source.
If you are not confident in your own abilities or simply do not want to bother with poison, then the best solution for you would be to call exterminators to your home. All drugs used by specialists are safe for people. However, while housing is being processed, there should be no residents or pets in the premises.
After the persecution is over, preventive measures should be taken to prevent the appearance of parasites in the house. Also, such measures will help to avoid contamination of the home altogether.
Where cockroaches hide: the best places to hide a colony
Cockroaches hide in flocks in places inaccessible to humans. They can be found: behind radiators, under and behind the refrigerator, kitchen cabinets, behind the bathtub and sink, in the cracks of the walls and floor. Insects can also get into electrical appliances and damage them. One of the favorite hiding places for parasites is the gaps under baseboards and window sills. In corners and on hinges of kitchen cabinet doors. They go out hunting for food at night and hide during the day.
In the quiz from the Odnoklassniki network “Matryoshka” (episode 315), this question was asked to people. The most common answers were: cracks (39%), furniture (17%) and head (8%). The last habitat of cockroaches is more difficult to fight. “Matryoshka” has not yet answered this question.
If you find at least one individual or the presence of their waste, it is important to inspect hard-to-reach places, nooks and crannies
Preventing home infestation
In order to avoid cockroaches in your home, you should adhere to the following recommendations:
- Check the plumbing for leaks. If found, correct the problem immediately.
- Always close the trash can tightly.
- Store food and cat food according to package instructions.
- Throw out trash and wash dishes regularly.
- Make sure the apartment is protected from cracks and crevices. Insects crawl into the apartment through cracks and holes in the walls.
- Eat food only in the kitchen.
By following these simple tips, you will be able to get rid of mustachioed guests in your home forever or avoid their appearance altogether.
What to do if cockroaches run away from neighbors?
Cockroaches do not always appear in an apartment due to unsanitary conditions. There are several other ways they can appear in your home.
If cockroaches are creeping in from neighbors, it is recommended to keep the apartment perfectly clean , throw out trash every day, put away food, wipe up even small puddles, wipe the bathtub and sink at night, prevent leaks from plumbing fixtures and water pipes, put nets on ventilation, seal all cracks and holes .
If there are too many cockroaches in the house, the following methods of dealing with them will help you: all kinds of ready-made powders and crayons (for example, Mashenka), as well as gels, traps, aerosols, repellers, folk methods may help. If the pests cannot be controlled, more drastic measures will have to be taken.
If cockroaches are crawling from your neighbors, it is recommended to agree with them and at the same time invite a special service that will take the necessary measures. If neighbors refuse to poison, they can be forced to do so in court; for this, you will need a document confirming the unsanitary conditions in a particular apartment. You can obtain such a document from the management company, as well as from the sanitary and housing inspection.
Do cockroaches bite and why is a bite dangerous?
Cockroaches happily feed on dead epidermal cells, which are normally exfoliated every day.
person. At night, Prussians crawl into bed, collecting “food”; in search of water, they can crawl to a person’s mouth and drink his saliva. Insects need water for normal life; due to a lack of fluid, cockroaches can attack a person, biting him.
The danger of cockroach bites is that the wounds left by the insect's jaws do not heal well and bacteria easily enter them. A huge number of pathogens of infectious diseases are located on the body and mouthparts of a cockroach, so at the time of a bite a person can become infected with a serious illness. The protein contained in the saliva of Prussians causes an allergic reaction, because of this the bite site swells, hurts and itches for a long time.
There are known cases where cockroaches gnawed off the fingers and earlobes of infants. Such severe bites are observed if cockroaches reproduce unhindered in huge numbers.
How to deal with cockroaches
Having made sure that cockroaches live near you, you need to first understand how they got into the house. Then follow some steps to prevent them from appearing:
- seal the cracks in the wall, between the baseboards;
- clean or replace ventilation grilles;
- Seal holes near drainage systems and toilets.
Folk remedies
Having closed the holes that the Prussians use to enter your apartment, use folk remedies to exterminate them:
- boric acid;
- purchased crayons and powders;
- traps, gels and aerosols;
- repellers.
Insecticides
Trade organizations offer many chemicals for exterminating cockroaches. Among them the following have gained popularity:
- Combat;
- Raptor;
- Get;
- Executioner;
- Regent;
- Global;
- Karbofos;
- Forsyth;
- Fas.
When preparing to exterminate Prussians with chemicals, it is important to remember that they do not kill insect eggs. Therefore, to completely exterminate cockroaches, you will need to carry out 2 or 3 treatments with different means.
Calling specialized services
In the event that you have tried folk remedies and store-bought drugs in the fight against Prussians, but have not achieved any effect, contact a specialized service that will carry out disinfestation in the house. Experienced specialists will rid your home of unwanted guests. It’s even better if you agree with your neighbors and do similar processing at the same time.
It is difficult to fight cockroaches, since they have adapted to withstand cold and live for some time without food. For extermination you will need proven means. Equally important are preventive measures, which include blocking possible ways for insects to enter your apartment, maintaining cleanliness in the house and thoroughly checking the things and furniture that enter your home. It is easier to prevent the appearance of Prussians in the house than to fight them.
Joint fight against insects
If you are lucky with your neighbors and they are ready to eliminate the infection through joint efforts, it is better to immediately contact professional exterminators.
This is both more efficient and economical. Specialists have at their disposal the best remedies against annoying domestic insects, against which they have not yet developed immunity. Ultrasonic traps also show good efficiency.
If you install them simultaneously and to the maximum, hordes of arthropods will rush away. You should not expect an immediate effect, since the females have already laid eggs in any case, and new pests will inevitably hatch from them, after which you will either have to repeat the sanitation or wait until the first one takes effect, depending on the means used.
Specific description of cockroach species
- The Prusak (red cockroach) is entirely covered with a brown, chitinous shell with a light or dark shade of brown. It parasitizes human homes, feeding on any leftover food.
- Black beetle. Sometimes I call it kitchen. All variations of black color predominate in the cover. Some specimens reach 100 mm in length, although females are usually small (30 mm). Does not disdain eating spoiled foods. They prefer to “inspect” garbage bins, buckets and garbage heaps, spreading harmful microbes everywhere along the way.
Prussians and black cockroaches - photo for comparison
Gels
Gels are convenient and advisable to use if it is not possible to leave the room after it has been treated with aerosols.
The gels are colorless, devoid of unpleasant odor and are easily washed off from almost all surfaces. They are safe for pets. A component is specially introduced into their composition, which gives an unpleasant bitterness when it enters the oral cavity. The composition is applied to the surfaces where cockroaches most often appear in dotted lines or drops at a distance of 10-15 mm. The effect after using the gels occurs only after 7-10 days. The disadvantages of the drug include the inability to treat hard-to-reach places and the entire room as a whole, and ineffectiveness against egg laying. Gels are recommended for use in combination with drugs of a different release form and action. The most popular gels are:
- "Clean house";
- "Dohloks";
- "Raptor";
- "Global".
Boric acid
After clarifying the question of why cockroaches appear and how they get into the apartment, we should talk about methods of combating them. These are very tenacious pests that can live for a couple of weeks even after being decapitated. In the absence of air, they exist quietly for another 45 minutes. It is possible to kill them only with a dose of radiation that is 10 to 15 times higher than the critical dose for humans! Therefore, physical methods against cockroaches do not always help.
Boric acid powder is considered a safe method for humans and pets. It is inexpensive, you can buy the product at any pharmacy, and 50 to 150 grams will be enough to treat your home. Does not leave an unpleasant odor after use.
There are several effective ways to kill insects:
- Sprinkle the powder in all places where cockroaches pass on their way to water. The powder will settle on the paws and antennae, and infected individuals will pass it on to others.
- Since cockroaches are known for their cunning, many prepare bait - mix acid powder with chicken egg yolks, make balls and place them in places where the parasites appear. It will be possible to get rid of curious insects in this way only after 3 – 4 weeks. After which all that remains is to remove the corpses.
Favorable environment for reproduction
Cockroaches can get anywhere. They will not reproduce in unsuitable conditions. Reasons for the increase in population in the apartment:
Water in accessible places. They extract the main source of life activity with enviable tenacity. Provided there are no leaking taps or puddles in the bathroom or sink, they will find moisture in flower pots. It is recommended to water indoor plants early in the morning, when insects are hidden from view.
- Uncleaned power sources. These insects eat whatever they can find (organic). They will reach into the bread bin, trash cans, find husks and pieces of paper, not to mention food left on tables and a dirty stove.
- Indoor air temperature. A person cannot live in the cold. He heats his room. Insects also love warmth.
If the first and second points can be observed, then in the third a person is powerless. To freeze an insect out means to freeze yourself out. All that remains is to look for them and apply methods to combat them.
