Why are red cockroaches called “Prussians” and is it possible to get rid of them?

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.

Varieties of cockroaches in Russia

In our area, there are two types of cockroaches - red or Prussian (lat. Blattella germanica) and black. They lead a similar lifestyle and differ slightly in appearance. They are synanthropic species, live in apartments, and do not live in the wild. Choose damp, dark rooms with food and water available. They often inhabit kitchens, hallways, baths, and toilets. Examples of sabotage can be seen in the photo.

Red cockroaches

They lead a nocturnal lifestyle and are omnivorous creatures, but their main food is food waste, slops, and leftover food on tables. Pest cockroaches reproduce quickly and live up to 2 years. There are up to 60 eggs in one clutch. Over the course of her life, a female reproduces up to 300 cubs. She carries the ootheca with her and hides it in a secluded place a week before birth. Young larvae are similar in appearance to adults, but are smaller in size and lack wings.

The body is long, flat, oval in shape. The abdomen of females is wider. The head is small. The type of symmetry is well demonstrated. The color is light brown, almost red. Nymphs are always darker. The body is covered with a dense chitinous covering. The whiskers are long, and in males they are often broken, crooked, or deformed. Photos of this type of cockroach can be seen below.

Black cockroaches

The body is massive, black, the head is large, lowered to the bottom. Powerful jaws, big eyes, curled mustache. Life expectancy is about 4 years. The female sheds the ootheca a week after the eggs are formed. There are up to 60 pieces in one clutch. The population multiplies very quickly. Under favorable conditions, the larva turns into a sexually mature individual in 3 weeks.

Leads a nocturnal lifestyle, often settling in the bathroom and toilet. Omnivores. Many cockroaches live in an apartment where there is unsanitary conditions. Chemicals, traps, and poisonous baits are used to kill insects.

In our area, people are plagued by red and black cockroaches, with whom there is a constant, merciless war. A prejudiced attitude towards all cockroaches has formed. But many species of this family are harmless, harmless and even useful.

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.

Why and how should we fight the Prussians?

If you accidentally find a saffron milk cap in your apartment, be vigilant and take a good look: you will probably find other cockroaches, or even a whole nest, and a heap of chitinous coverings after molting. Not everyone knows, but these same chitinous shells can cause a severe allergic reaction. Half a century ago, scientists discovered a connection between the presence of Prussians in the house and the development of asthma in humans.

Read on the topic: how cockroaches reproduce, they will conquer the world

This is a strong argument in favor of disinfestation, and if it does not seem convincing, I will tell you what other infection and where cockroaches can bring into your home on their nimble little paws:

• eggs of helminths (ascaris, pinworms and others);
• salmonellosis;
• dysentery;
• gastroenteritis and many other joys.

You may ask, what route did the little insect take that brought me so many different infections? Of course, the cockroach did not come to your house by taxi and did not wash its paws after going outside - they come through communication tunnels, from unscrupulous neighbors, through sewer risers. Imagine that a couple of hours ago a creature was crawling on a dead rat in the basement, and now it is encroaching on your sandwich, which you bravely fought off and are about to finish.

Do you already want to quickly find out about an effective remedy that will save your home from nasty insects? Don’t panic: our century of technological progress and the flourishing of the chemical industry has given us a huge arsenal of means to fight the Prussians.

Depending on the number of insects and a combination of factors (room area, presence of animals and children in the house, financial situation in the family), you can choose a product that suits all parameters, and there is plenty to choose from:

• powders;
• crayons;
• aerosols;
• traps and gels;
• fumigators and aquafumigators;
• folk recipes.

Each method has its own advantages and disadvantages, but one thing I can say for sure: with the right approach, you can get rid of insects quickly and without much effort. You can find out more about all the remedies against saffron milk caps in our blog - read, choose the appropriate drug and celebrate your victory over the saffron milk caps.

By the way, even if it seems to you that an invasion of cockroaches does not threaten you, I hasten to disappoint you. Each (just think, every!) apartment building is home to from 900 to 300,000 different insects. The bulk, of course, are representatives of the cockroach family. For this reason, it makes sense to take care of preventative measures to avoid unexpected roommates in your apartment.

Faster than rabbits

If you still think that one cockroach is not a cause for concern, then let's do a little math. As we already know, the Prussian lives for about six months. During these six months, the female is capable of bearing offspring 6-8 times during her life, in each case about forty eggs. So, a simple calculation: one female cockroach will give us three hundred small cockroaches in her life. If among these three hundred at least 20% turn out to be females, in a couple of months not one, but thousands of frisky cockroaches will live in a tiny territory.

Of course, you can be sarcastic, saying, I only have one cockroach running around here, how can he reproduce alone without a partner? I have an argument for this too. The fact is that after one external fertilization, the female can conceive new offspring on her own. All thanks to the body’s amazing ability to store semen for the time being. That is, it is not even necessary to have slutty neighbors who will send a population of cockroaches into your apartment.

We are reading on the topic: Large cockroaches are very scary for me

It is enough to accidentally bring a pregnant female from the store, and goodbye, goodbye to your measured and calm life - in a few months, hordes of insects will collect your things and put your suitcases at the door: now this is their apartment.

I hope I was able to convince you that in the case of cockroaches, it is better to play it safe and take care of prevention than to suffer later and panic-buy all the insecticides in the area.

Why did nature create this vile and harmful creature?

Despite all the horrors that you happened to learn about today, you shouldn’t wish so much for the death of the entire cockroach family. Insects are food for many species of animals, so the complete disappearance of cockroaches would entail serious changes in the animal world. In addition, not only animals eat cockroaches - some nations have quite success eating fried insects. Have you ever tried a cockroach? You may think not, but I will now prove the opposite to you. Particularly impressionable people and those with a sweet tooth should stop and not read further.

Do we all eat cockroaches?

Tell me, have you ever tried chocolate? Farms that grow cocoa beans for chocolate production are literally infested with cockroaches. You can get rid of them only with the help of pesticides, which cause significant harm to human health. This is how cockroaches live on the farm, and then, together with the cocoa beans, they end up in a special machine, where they are crushed and mixed with raw materials from which chocolate will later be made.

Statistics say that each tile contains approximately 8 insect particles. Regardless, it is much less harmful than pesticide-treated food. In addition, particles of cockroach bodies are found in pasta, fruits, cheese, and peanut butter. Cockroaches are so ubiquitous that people will have to give up food entirely if they want to stop eating cockroaches. By the way, it is insect particles in food that can be the real cause of food allergies - allergenic cockroaches have been studied by scientists for several years.

Now you know a little more about these familiar and at the same time amazing insects. Share this article with your friends on social networks, let them upgrade their horizons. Stay with us - we have many more interesting and useful topics ahead, subscribe to updates and be the first to read new articles. With this I say goodbye, dear friends, and see you soon. Sincerely, blog author Mikhail Leshchenko

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.

Original scientific names of cockroaches

It happens that not only ordinary people, but also entomologists use nicknames. In addition to scientific names, individual representatives of the cockroach genus also have nicknames that reflect their characteristics.

• The cockroach, called the "Death's Head", owes its nickname to the ominous black image on its wings.
• The already mentioned rhinoceros cockroach got its name from the protrusion on the shield crowning the cephalothorax.
• One of the types of cockroaches is called “automobile” for its 2 yellow headlight spots located on the cephalothorax. Their function is to scare away potential enemies.

There are other insects that have additional names that reflect their special properties.

• “Ash” cockroaches are endowed with gray wings.
• "Banana" live on banana plantations, hiding between the bunches of fruits.
• “Furniture” cockroaches prefer all types of materials – wood, and are located mainly in wooden structures.

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.

Harm to humans

With a large and long-term accumulation of insects, they spoil things, the appearance of finishing materials and household items is lost. Cockroaches can damage radio equipment by short-circuiting it.

Climbing on sleeping people, cockroaches gnaw off the edges of the lips and other delicate areas of the skin, which can become infected and not heal for a long time. Sometimes they get into the ears and cannot get out.

The chitinous shell of the Prussian is capable of holding a great variety of microbes, since it is abundantly supplied with hairs, hooks and processes. Moving through trash cans, animal corpses, their feces, beds and feeding areas, the cockroach picks up pathogenic microorganisms and helminth eggs and brings them to the human table.

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.

Stasiks, Prussians and trams: popular nicknames for cockroaches

Cockroaches have become so firmly entrenched in human culture that they even acquired their own nicknames. No, well, it’s not Latin to call kitchen pests. So popular names were attached to red insects. The most popular of them are: Stasik, Tarasik, Prusak and Rusak. Where did they come from? Let's figure it out now.

Stasiki

One of the most common folklore names for cockroaches. There are many versions of its origin, but finding the truth is not difficult. Why are cockroaches called stasiks? Here are the main versions of the origin of the nickname:

• For a long time in Russia, men of non-traditional sexual orientation have been addressed obscenely. We will not voice this word, we will just hint - it rhymes perfectly with the name Stas. Initially, stasiks were the name given to pubic lice, which were transmitted to unlucky homosexuals during sexual intercourse, and over time the name was assigned to cockroaches.
• Stanislav is a popular name among minor nobles of the 18th and 19th centuries. Almost all of them wore long and prominent mustaches. What do some people associate a cockroach with? That's right, with a mustache!
• The literary version is a little sad. Once upon a time there lived a lonely man who, out of sadness, began talking to a cockroach. I even came up with a name for him - Stas. And when this man died, the insect crawled up to his lifeless body and moved its antennae for a long time in thought. A dubious version, since the nickname Stasik was attached to cockroaches long before the story was published.

Some linguistic researchers are inclined to believe that this word actually came to us from the French language. And it is again connected with the mustache. It sounds like moustache, and translated means “mustache.” If you listen to this phrase performed by a native speaker, the word “stas” just suggests itself. This is where the name stasik came from.

Tarasik

It's a little easier here. Initially there was no such name; people preferred to call it stasik. But tarasik is closer in sound to residents of the Russian hinterland, so the more aristocratic name did not stick among them.

In the old days there was even a saying “to go to visit Taras or Tarasik,” that is, to the toilet. Nowadays, cockroaches rarely visit bathrooms, but in the old days it was impossible to get them out of there!

The other option also has the right to life, but is not entirely attractive to some people. In the old days, the name Taras was very popular among the common population. Among such individuals there were many alcoholics, and simply unkempt people.

It goes without saying that there was no escape from cockroaches in their homes. This is how the old Russian name clung to the insects, which, due to the small size of cockroaches, became a diminutive.

Prusak or Russian?

It is correct to say both ways. Both words appeared in the lexicon during the wars of the late 18th century, and were finally established after the invasion of Napoleon. Until this time, there were cockroaches in Russia, but in small quantities and were not particularly annoying.

As soon as the Prussian army entered the country, red insects quickly spread throughout the homes of Russian citizens. It is logical to assume that it was the soldiers of the enemy army who brought cockroaches with them, and so the name “Prussians” was attached to them.

Almost simultaneously with this, the boots of Russian soldiers set foot on Prussian territory. And immediately cockroaches spread across the western country. Residents of the cities reasonably assumed that it was Russian soldiers who brought the red-haired parasites, so another name stuck – “hare.”

But who is really to blame? Don't call us racists, but the real culprits are the gypsies. During the wars, these unscrupulous people began mass migration, carrying with them myriads of cockroaches.

Felixes

This is a relatively new name, which is firmly associated with Felix Edmundovich Dzerzhinsky, a prominent party figure in the first years of Soviet power. His mustache was simply luxurious! What do we associate a cockroach with? That's right, with a mustache! So they began to call the red insects after the main cleanser of the country from any counter-revolutionary infection.

Not to say that the name was popular in those years. They didn’t put him in jail for him, but people were still afraid - you never know what to expect about the new government. However, now cockroaches are also called Felix quite rarely, because the insect’s whiskers are needed not for decoration, but for survival.

What is another popular name for cockroaches?

The above is a drop in the bucket from all the famous popular nicknames. Here are some more options:

• trams;
• tanks;
• automobiles;
• saffron milk caps;
• Shuriki (a German name that has stuck with us);
• shurbarts;
• Buba;
• chewers.

But whatever you call the cockroach, it will no longer be useful. Therefore, insects need to be poisoned and crushed. Clean House products, sprays, as well as ordinary house slippers are good for this!

Similarities to men named Stanislav

In past centuries, the male name Stanislav (short form - Stas) was very common. According to people’s observations, the owners of this name and the “cockroaches” had a lot in common:

• Presence of a mustache. Fashion for facial hair appears cyclically. Long, curled mustaches used to be a trend. They were looked after and starched. It is believed that it was the Stanislavs who had a weakness for wearing a mustache. Most of them were red. Everyone knows what cockroaches look like. Their characteristic feature is their long mustache. Perhaps it was this common feature that led to the fact that insects began to be called stasiks.

Due to the presence of long whiskers and adaptation to external factors, cockroaches are also called Felix. They owe this to Felix Dzerzhinsky, who was popularly called “Iron Felix.”

• There are also some similarities in behavior patterns. Stanislavs are mobile, active, and are able to “come out unscathed” from any situation. Cockroaches are nimble and run quickly. It is difficult to get rid of them, especially considering the small arsenal of remedies that existed before the advent of insecticides. It was for these qualities that pests could receive an affectionate nickname, consonant with a man’s name.

How to get rid of stasiks

Whatever the cockroach is called, in a rude or affectionate diminutive form, it should be remembered that it is dangerous. The pest carries many infections on its paws, and its waste products can trigger asthma attacks.

The most effective way to kill insects is to use insecticides. One of the safest and most effective for home use is gel. It is enough to apply the product to the substrates, place them in places where insects are located and move, and after 3 weeks there will be no trace left of the large colony. Gels are produced by the following brands:

• Clean house;
• Raptor;
• Raid;
• Dohlox;
• Lethal Force and many others.

No less effective are concentrates or powder mixtures, which are diluted with water before use in accordance with the instructions. These drugs show good results in heavily contaminated areas. Water-soluble powder Super Fas (not to be confused with the dust Fas Double) is allocated from the budget. In the middle price range are Sinuzan, Averfos, Sychlor, Tetrix.