There are more than 4,500 species of these insects on the planet. Cockroaches are quite ancient creatures that lived in the Paleozoic, hundreds of millions of years ago. These flat and very mobile creatures love moisture and warmth. A number of cockroaches have chosen human dwellings for their habitat, linking their way of life to ours.

Despite the general hostility towards these insects, it is impossible to get rid of them. But it turns out that cockroaches have a number of amazing properties. True, some of them are even exaggerated with the help of myths. It is worth learning more about such familiar, but also such mysterious ancient creatures.

Cockroaches are able to survive a nuclear winter, after which they will become the kings of nature. The famous American program “MythBusters” held interesting experience. Red cockroaches, better known as cockroaches, flour beetles and fruit flies were irradiated with radioactive cobalt-60. It turned out that the latter could tolerate higher doses of radiation than cockroaches. And the beetles in general have adapted best to radiation. Scientists have found that cockroaches can withstand radiation levels 15 times higher than lethal levels for humans. So if these insects undoubtedly survive the nuclear winter, then on the way to conquering the world they will meet serious rivals.

Cockroaches can survive being underwater. And again, “MythBusters” undertook to check this statement. Five cockroaches were placed in a container of water for 20 minutes. After this, the insects showed no signs of life; it seemed that they had died. However, within a day the cockroaches “came to life,” so this statement turned out to be true.

A cockroach can live without a head. Anyone can check this myth. For those who care about the result itself, and who care about catching a poor cockroach and torturing it, let us tell you right away that this is true. For some time, these insects can actually do without a head. The fact is that insects do not have the same circulatory system as warm-blooded animals. As a result, cutting off the head will not be accompanied by blood loss and will not result in a quick death. And the respiratory organs of cockroaches are represented by spiracles distributed throughout the body. Without food, this insect can live up to 45 days. So, having lost its head, the cockroach will lose its organs of vision and whiskers, which it uses to touch. Death will come from starvation in about a month. The poor creature will simply have nowhere to eat.

Cockroaches are peaceful creatures and do not feed on other creatures. By their nature, these insects are truly non-aggressive. They would rather run away than fight. Cockroaches subconsciously strive for safety; there is no need to talk about attacks on other creatures. However, it is worth remembering that these insects are omnivores. That is why a long absence of regular food can push them to attack living beings. Only they should be in a state of rest, for example, sleep, and not visually appear dangerous.

Cockroaches can fly. Since cockroaches are insects, all species have wings. They make cockroaches look like seeds, which allows them to be classified as this class of creature. But not all cockroaches can fly. Only a few species living in the wild have this gift. And the vast majority of species, including the red and black cockroaches, cannot fly under normal conditions. But during the breeding season they can take to the air. They are also forced to spread their wings by a light source.

There are white cockroaches and albino cockroaches. Some species actually boast representatives white. However, it has been scientifically proven that albino cockroaches do not exist in nature. These creatures can change their color literally for several hours during molting. Then the old shell is discarded, and the new one has not yet acquired normal properties. Cockroaches can also turn white due to exposure to certain types of poisons, in particular those used for household insect extermination. If unusual white cockroaches appear in the apartment, it means that the person’s victory is already close.

Cockroaches do not pose a danger to humans at all. It turns out that an unpleasant appearance is not the worst thing about these creatures. They are quite dangerous for humans. In particular, the smell that is released from the glands of such insects is unpleasant, and some asthmatics react to it. And fumes coming from cockroaches can cause allergies. The most important thing is that cockroaches are carriers of bacteria. This is why you should not leave food on the table overnight. After all, it will not only become a source of food for cockroaches, but they will also infect it. If these insects do not have enough food, they will feed on plants, paper and even skin. That is why the abundance of cockroaches in the house will be harmful not only to humans, but also to their environment.

Cockroaches cause asthma. About 50 years ago it became known that there was a direct connection between cockroaches and allergic diseases. This is especially evident in the case of asthma. In every city multi-storey building population ranges from one to three hundred thousand various insects. Most of them are cockroaches. Scientists believe that most allergies occur in homes, since people, especially children, spend most of their time there. There are periodic allergies that are associated with the seasons, and there are year-round allergies that can be caused by cockroaches.

Cockroaches feed on leftover human food. As already mentioned, these insects are omnivores. The best food for them is what is left of human food - crumbs, leftovers. In addition, cockroaches love sweets. If it is difficult to find such food, then they try to find food among the garbage. Cockroaches do not disdain rotting products and other waste. If there are no food remains in the garbage, then insects can feed on plants, paper and skin.

Cockroaches reproduce by laying eggs. Cockroaches use sexual reproduction to reproduce. Sometimes female cockroaches are capable of pathogenesis; a normal individual can grow from their unfertilized eggs. Usually the result is a male. This is how the sex ratio of cockroaches is regulated. When the female is fertilized, she carries an ootheca. Eggs are stored in this capsule. When the time comes, the female cockroaches lay eggs in a secluded place inaccessible to other insects. However, not all cockroaches reproduce this way. There are also viviparous species, for example, Madagascar cockroaches.

Cockroaches can't bite. And again let us remember the omnivorous nature of insects. These creatures can eat any food of animal origin. When a person is asleep and practically immobilized, cockroaches may even try to bite people.

Cockroaches feed on bedbugs. This is a fairly common misconception and is not true. The fact is that there is no natural competition for food between these creatures. Cockroaches are omnivores, and bedbugs are blood-sucking. The former can attack the latter only in an exceptional situation, when there is no other food.

Cockroaches don't make sounds. There are also hissing cockroaches. One species is called the Madagascar hissing. When moving, these insects make a loud hissing noise. Thus, cockroaches clear their way, warning everyone that it is better to get out of the way. This feature was even noticed by filmmakers and now you can even hear cockroaches in some films.

Cockroaches die on their backs. This is true. If a cockroach falls on its back in a flat place, for example, on the surface of a table, then it will not be able to turn over on its own. All he can do is twitch. As a result, the cockroach will die. If there are leaves, branches or pebbles on the surface, then the insect may well be able to cling to them and be able to tumble over. That is why substances are added to pesticides that paralyze the muscles of insects.

Cockroaches have a global impact on nature. It turns out that these creatures make a significant contribution to global warming. Cockroaches release gases every 15 minutes. And even after dying, they continue to do this for about 18 hours. In total, all the gases released by insects on the planet account for about a fifth of methane emissions. Cockroach gases occupy this 20 percent important place. So cockroaches have a certain impact on nature and on global warming. Cows and termites can also boast of similar things.

Cockroaches are eaten. In some countries, cockroaches are eaten, including for medicinal purposes; black cockroaches are especially valued in this regard. It turns out that these insects contain three times more protein than chickens. In Chinese cuisine, candied cockroaches are a fairly popular dish.

You can destroy cockroaches on your own. Many people believe that they can defeat annoying insects without calling a specialist. However, making homemade baits and purchasing popular products not only does not lead to the final destruction of cockroaches, but only makes the situation worse. After all, pests gradually get used to the drugs; you can only slightly reduce the number of insects. Conventional household preparations have a targeted effect and do not have a long-term effect. So for a 100% guarantee of removing cockroaches, it would be better to use the help of professionals.

Cockroaches can be destroyed forever. Some enterprises believe that after treating the areas, cockroaches will disappear once and for all. In fact, this is almost impossible to achieve. After all, after getting rid of “their” insects, the empty area will immediately become the object of close attention of other creatures. Over time, they will want to settle in the vacant territory and will make every effort to do so. It is worth understanding that many fly-by-night companies take advantage of this myth and deceive their clients by promising cheap processing with a multi-year guarantee. If a new generation of cockroaches of several dozen individuals enters the warm generation, then the next generation will increase the population thousands of times. That is why the best effect is achieved only by quarterly and regular treatment. This is the only way to prevent cockroaches from multiplying.

Cockroaches live only in dirty houses. In fact, even in clean homes you can find these insects. It’s just that their colonies are larger in dirty dwellings, because access to food is easier. Therefore, it is easier to meet cockroaches here.

Cockroaches do not hibernate. This is not true, in America, for example in the northern territories there are wild species that hibernate.

Cockroaches are afraid of light. Most species prefer darkness, but some cockroaches, on the contrary, are drawn to light. You can see them near the window or near the TV screens at night. Most cockroaches will run away if a light flashes above them. However, such a reaction indicates more fear of a person, and not a fear of light.

Human hair and nails are the favorite food of cockroaches. This myth appeared quite a long time ago. Sailors of the ancients sailing ships they told how their nails were chewed by cockroaches at night. However, today this is impossible, unless the insects get very hungry. Hair and nails may have limited nutritional value to the cockroach. After all, hair can be greasy and nails dirty. But it is very difficult for such food to compete with the variety of food found around the house. So you can sleep peacefully, just watch your ears. After all, cockroaches can try to look for food in the ear canals.

Immature cockroaches can develop in human wounds or fast foods. This myth is connected with the previous one, which claims the love of these insects for human flesh. In fact, cockroaches thrive in humid and warm areas, but they do not use human flesh for this purpose. Bites are possible, but only in rare cases.

Cockroaches need to constantly feed. It seems so, since cockroaches are constantly moving, as if in search of food. In fact, these insects can live without food for about a month. As for humans, the presence of moisture is much more important. For example, Prussians can live without water for about a week. True, in nature there are desert cockroaches that can survive without moisture for a long time.

Despite their habits, cockroaches are pure creatures. To prove this myth, they say that cockroaches can clean themselves. The reality is that these insects are very dirty. They live and feed in garbage, sewers, waste. There they pick up and carry bacteria on their antennae and legs, spreading them everywhere they go, including into our food. Cockroaches eat contaminated food, and diseases are also transmitted through their own waste. So these insects are dangerous, regardless of whether they can clean themselves.

If you step on a cockroach, its eggs can get stuck in your shoes and then multiply in the house. This myth is most likely false, although it has been vigorously discussed. If the cockroach is really crushed, then it is better to clean the shoes in any case. It's best not to risk hundreds of insect eggs appearing in your home. It is better to protect yourself in advance than to start dealing with emerging problems later.

In this material, we have collected the most interesting and rare facts about cockroaches, which may be of interest to anyone who decides to treat these insects “ have a fun life", and also simply as entertaining reading. Perhaps, after reading this article, some of our readers will even change their attitude towards these invaders of the apartment’s residential area. How long do cockroaches live, where do they hide, what do they eat - we looked for these and many other questions in scientific literature and received quite interesting answers.

Who is this cockroach?

First, let's look at some basic facts about the life of the cockroach as a genus.

Flying cockroaches

Anyway, the only thing worse than cockroaches on the floor (or bed) are cockroaches flying around the room. Although not all Blattella can fly, Megaloblatta longipennis spreads its wings an impressive 185 mm. This cutie lives in Central and South America, it is not on other continents, so we are not familiar with it. But as for the red German cockroaches familiar to us - although adult individuals have developed wings, they never use them. Perhaps they just don't need it yet.

Contribution to global warming

Studies have shown that cockroaches release digestive gases into the air on average every 15 minutes. Even after death, they will continue to release methane for up to 18 hours. Globally, insect flatulence is estimated to account for 20% of all methane emissions. This describes the cockroach as one of the biggest contributors to development global warming. By the way, other major contributors to the background of digestive acoustics are cows and humans.

A cockroach can break if it falls from a height

A wild cockroach dies, for the most part, in the stomach of a bird or other small animal for which the insect is a culinary predilection. In our homes, however, many of the cockroaches may die because they are simply unable to recover from a fall. IN wildlife Where there are leaves and soft soil, a cockroach can grab onto something and land softly, while in our houses, with their smooth floors, the poor creature can find itself stranded.

Additionally, some insecticides work by causing muscle spasms and a general lack of muscle coordination, which can cause the cockroach to fall onto its back and never get up again, wallowing in exhaustion. Unable to control its muscles, the insect dies without rising.

Where did the word “cockroach” come from?

The name “cockroach” is believed to have come to the modern Russian language from the ancient Russian “cockroach”, and there, in their own way, they began to call it this way to describe the insect, thanks to its ability to quickly escape - “tar-aqan”, which translated from Turkic means “fugitive” "

By the way, cockroaches are called quite interestingly in different languages:

• Chinese: zhang or lang.
• Dutch: kakkerlak.
• Hebrew: Jook.
• Japanese: gokiburi.
• Mongolian: Joom.
• Swedish: kackerlacka.
• Turkish: hamam böce.

Do cockroaches have a voice?

The famous hiss of the Madagascar cockroach is believed to be the only time the insect uses its air passages to make sound. Most other insects produce sounds by rubbing various parts of their body or their wings in flight.

The Madagascar cockroach even has some vocal abilities; it is capable of producing two individual sound- one when he is disturbed, and the other when males go out in search of females.

Because these insects are quite large - their body length reaches 5-8 cm in length, and wingless, they can often be seen in films. By the way, these are quite popular pets - many people keep them in insectariums, for example, or in aquariums on their desktop. It's also, apparently, a pleasure.

Does a cockroach die from losing its head?

They say that a cockroach doesn't need a head to survive. And yet it is true. In comparison, and from a purely biological point of view, we humans use our heads for three functions:

• We breathe through our nose and mouth, and the breathing process itself is controlled by our brain.
• Losing your head can cause severe blood loss, which in turn would cause a drop in blood pressure, which is needed to transport oxygen and nutrients through body tissues.
• We eat with our mouths, so if we are deprived of them, we will simply die of hunger.

Let's now compare the above points with cockroaches:

• Insects also breathe with oxygen, but through spiracles throughout the body, and the brain does not control this function.
• Insects do not have blood pressure, so they are not afraid of “bleeding out.”
• One meal of food, if the ambient temperature is low enough, can provide the cockroach with food for a whole month.

Thanks to these features of its biology, a headless cockroach can, in fact, survive for quite a long time.

Allergy to cockroaches

Allergy to cockroaches was first reported and confirmed about 50 years ago. It's really real opportunity and can be quite dangerous. The allergens in this case are excrement and residues from the decomposing body of the cockroach, which become volatile and enter the human bronchi.

Sensitivity to this dust causes bronchial allergic reaction known as asthma. Scientists believe that the increase in Lately The number of cases of asthmatic manifestations is due to the fact that many urban children, who spend more of their free time indoors, are in constant contact with cockroach allergens.

Some studies have shown that almost every urban apartment house has from 900 to 330,000 insects (wow, the cockroaches were counted). The published results describe that the prevalence of asthma is higher among residents of such houses, with more patients where there are more cockroaches.

Unlike seasonal allergies, asthma caused by cockroach allergies lasts throughout the year. By the way, it can only be diagnosed using skin reactions.

Simple Arithmetic

The well-known German cockroach is cousin a black cockroach that has inhabited the homes of Russian people since ancient times. During the Russian-Prussian War, the red cockroach came to Russian territory from Europe, for which it was nicknamed the Prussian. This is probably the most common pest among all species, at least the statement is one hundred percent true for residents of Russia.

The life cycle of insects is about 100 days, in general they live about 6 months. Each female, after fertilization, grows a capsule on her belly, which is called an ooteca, which contains about 30-40 eggs. During her life, a female can produce 6 or 8 oothecae, which she confidently hides from the rest of the “inhabitants” of the nest. As a result, from 180 to 320 offspring are born. If we consider that only 10 of her children become sexually mature females, and this is a very low estimate - the number is still closer to a hundred, then thousands of insects can appear in an apartment in just a few months. But this rarely happens, since active insect control measures significantly thin out the population.

Speed ​​is life

Many studies show that the highest recorded speed among flightless insects belongs to the American cockroach and is 75 centimeters per second. If compared to human standards, this is about 330 km per hour, which is three times faster than the fastest land animal - the cheetah.

Cockroach and radiation

There is a lot of talk that the cockroach will be the only living organism after the explosion atomic bomb. However, there is no clear scientific evidence on this topic, but there are some logical theories as to why this might be true, although not exclusively for cockroaches.

Living cells are especially sensitive to radiation during their division, hence the effectiveness of radiation on cancer cells. Cockroach cells divide only during the molting cycle, when the insect's body grows. This happens 4 to 8 times, from the moment of hatching from the egg to the sexually mature individual, with a frequency of approximately once a week. Thus, cockroaches are only "radiation sensitive" for about 48 hours, or about 1/4 of a week. Humans, and most other animals, contain blood and immune stem cells in their bodies, which are in constant division throughout their lives.

Considering the deadly effects of radiation due to nuclear war, all complex organisms would definitely cease to exist. As for cockroaches, only one fourth of all populations would die.

Interestingly, one of the radiological laboratories conducted a test to study this very concept and the following result was obtained. Cockroaches can survive ten times more radiation than the amount that kills people, but exceeding the permissible concentration by a hundred times, everything destroyed the insects.

What do cockroaches eat?

Cockroaches can eat any organic food that emits appropriate odors. Insects love everything that humans eat, including their waste products. In times of shortage, a cockroach can feed on soap, paper, and also glue containing starch. Therefore, the answer to the question - what do cockroaches eat, is the answer - everything. When a cockroach is hungry, it is not itself.

Why are cockroaches dangerous?

Cockroaches can attack humans, but they do this extremely rarely, mainly at night, and on small sleeping children. “Attack” sounds very rude, most likely in times of food shortage, the cockroach likes to “eat” particles of dead skin and sebum from the surface skin person.

But the way of life of cockroaches can cause quite more serious harm. They crawl everywhere, including sewers, collecting a huge number of different microorganisms on and inside their bodies. And then, when the insect moves along surfaces that a person comes into contact with, it rapidly inoculates them with this microflora.

Where do cockroaches hide and live?

As already noted, cockroaches prefer exclusively dark, warm and humid places, sheltered from light, and therefore from potential enemies, including humans. Therefore, if there are cockroaches in the apartment, their nest should be looked for in the cracks of the walls, ventilation shafts, piles of various rubbish and behind bulky furniture.

If our readers know additional facts about cockroaches, we will be glad if they share them in the comments to this article.

Cockroaches insects order species, lifestyle food how they reproduce

Cockroaches - (Blattoptcra, or Blattodea), order of insects. Known from Carboniferous. length from 4 to 95 mm. The head is partially hidden under the prodorsum. The antennae are long, bristle-like, multi-segmented. The mouthparts are gnawing. The elytra are more dense than the wings, with distinct venation; the wings are membranous. A number of species lack elytra and wings. Running negs. Males often have scent glands on their abdomen. The transformation is incomplete. About 3600 (according to other sources, over 4000) species, mainly in the tropics and subtropics. In Russia - 55 species, including the widespread Lapland cockroach (Ectobius lapponicus). T Arakana predominantly nocturnal, secretive insects. They live in plant litter, under stones, and in soil cracks. Eggs are laid in special capsules - ootecae. They develop from 3-4 months to 3-4 years. Omnivores. Synanthropic species are distributed throughout the world and live in human dwellings, for example, the red cockroach, or Russian cockroach (Blattella germaniсa), and the black cockroach (Blatta orientalis). Can damage food supplies, leather goods, book bindings, indoor and greenhouse plants; Some are carriers of pathogens of a number of diseases (for example, dysentery) and helminth eggs. Relict forest cockroach (Cryptocercus relictus), living in the southern Primorsky region, in the Red Book of Russia.

Squad cockroaches- one of the most ancient orders of new-winged insects that have retained primitive organizational features. Cockroaches have been known since Paleozoic, in any case, they already existed along with Orthoptera in the Carboniferous period.

Cockroaches They live in nature in various conditions: in the grass, under leaves, etc. Species that have adapted to life in human dwellings, kitchens, and bakeries are especially well known. These include the black cockroach (Blatta orientalis), the red cockroach (Blattella germanica), and the American cockroach (Periplaneta americana). Quite a few species live in southern latitudes.

Most eat solid plant foods, and those living in houses are omnivores. Due to their feeding method, they have a typical gnawing mouthpart.

The wings of the front pair are more rigid - elytra; the wings of the second pair are membranous and fold under the front wings when at rest. In the females of some species, the wings are underdeveloped (in the black cockroach), and in some they are completely absent (for example, in the large Egyptian cockroach - the “turtle”, often found in Central Asia and Transcaucasia).

Female cockroaches surround the eggs they lay with special shells that form cocoons, which they carry with them for some time at the end of their abdomen, and then leave them somewhere in a secluded and warm place. These cocoons are formed from the secretions of the accessory glands of the female reproductive apparatus. Development in the black cockroach takes a long time and depends on environmental conditions. Eggs can develop from one year to several years, and the entire development cycle, from egg laying to adult stage, can last 4-5 years.

Cockroaches Squad Cockroach Representatives

Much more than black cockroach, The red cockroach is common in homes, noticeably displacing the black cockroach. This is explained by the fact that the red cockroach turned out to be more adaptable in many respects. Its small size, allowing it to hide in cracks and crevices, and most importantly, greater fertility (the female lays up to 50 eggs) and faster development - all this gives the red cockroach significant advantages.

The species name of the red cockroach is germanica, as well as its popular name "Prusak" hint at its German origin as an insect. However, there is no reliable information about whether the species was brought to Germany earlier than to other countries. European states, or he got from there to Russia, not now. But another curious fact is that in the western part of Germany itself the cockroach is called “French”, and in the eastern part, also in the Czech Republic and Serbia, it is called “Russian”.

The red cockroach has an elongated body, 13 mm long, long limbs and antennae. The mouthparts are of a gnawing type, thanks to which the insect is able to feed on a wide variety of food. The color is reddish-brown, with two dark stripes on the shield. Both sexes have wings. Red cockroaches, although they have long wings, move only on the ground. The flight of insects is just planning when jumping down.

Red cockroaches, like all representatives of the order, are characterized by incomplete transformation. Females lay 30-40 eggs in the so-called ooteca. This is a small (up to 8 mm long) capsule that remains attached to the end of the female's abdomen until the offspring appears. The larvae turn into imangos. after going through 6 molts, it usually takes about 60 days.

Red cockroaches prefer damp and warm places. That is why one of the most effective ways The fight against these insects is to freeze the premises. However, the Prussians demonstrate miracles of survival. An individual of this type of insect can live for several days with its head torn off.

In the wild, the natural food is rotting vegetation or animal corpses; in homes, food remains, various organic waste and garbage. If there is no suitable food, then the most indigestible things will do: glue, starch, toothpaste, fabrics, leather goods. Cockroaches can eat their own kind.

British scientists spoke about the special mission of cockroaches on Earth

Cockroaches play an important role in the life of planet Earth; they have a special mission, British entomologists said. According to researchers, these insects literally prevent environmental disaster by their existence.

Cockroaches are a natural mechanism for processing decaying organic matter, which they convert into nutrients for other organisms. Today, science knows about more than five thousand varieties of cockroaches, and 1% of them can cause harm to humans.

Literature

Bey-Bienko G. Ya., Cockroach insects, M.-L., 1950 (Fauna of Russia. new series, 40).

However, researchers have dispelled the myth about the ability of cockroaches to survive even after nuclear explosion. In the event of such a disaster, their chances of survival are half that of humans.

Gallery

The appearance of cockroaches in a house always makes a person want to get rid of them as quickly as possible. This is natural, because such a neighborhood brings a lot of problems, ranging from banal hostility from their appearance and ending with the threat of contracting diseases (typhoid, tuberculosis, E. coli, etc.) and the development of allergies to the waste products of these insects.

But before you start getting rid of cockroaches, it won’t hurt to learn more about them: what kind of insects they are, how they live and what they are afraid of. This will help you find more ways to fight them. effective remedy.

Cockroaches are arthropod insects of the suborder Cockroaches. There are many species of them, differing from each other both in appearance and in their habitats and way of life. On the territory of Russia, the most common are red cockroaches, popularly called Prussians. They have been called Prussians since the time of the war with Napoleon, whose army brought these barbels to Russia from Prussia.

What do red cockroaches look like?

Cockroaches have wings, but these insects cannot fly. The only benefit of wings is that they allow barbels to glide in the air for a short time.

The oral apparatus of cockroaches is gnawing, equipped with jaws with many strong chitinous teeth. On the sides of the triangular head are compound eyes. Long mustaches are not at all a decoration or a source of “pride” for a cockroach: they are a kind of “navigators” that help the insect navigate in space, find food and its fellows. However, even a headless cockroach may well continue to live (move and breathe) for some time thanks to the ganglia - nerve ganglia, located in each section of the 8-10 segment abdomen.

The cockroach has 6 legs, 3 on each side of the body. The paws are very strong and tenacious, which allows the insect to calmly move along the vertical surface and ceiling of the room.

These barbels eat literally everything: from human food to thick paper, leather goods, glue, soap, etc.

Lifestyle

Prussians cannot stand the cold, so in winter they tend to settle closer to humans. They settle in sewer systems, ventilation, basements, but most comfortable for them, of course, is right in the apartments, where there is always water, heat and food.

By nature, cockroaches are more active at night. But if the colony is too large and there is not enough food for everyone, the insects go out in search of food even in the middle of the day. They can be seen especially often in the kitchen and bathroom. It is in these places that there is always water and food:

• Products not removed from the table;
• crumbs falling on the floor;
• waste in the trash can;
• drops of drinks or water that accidentally fell on the floor, etc.

If the apartment supports perfect cleanliness and the barbels have nothing to eat in the kitchen, then paper, glue and reverse side a torn piece of wallpaper, book bindings and other seemingly inedible things.

Females are more voracious. They are able to eat amounts of food several times their own weight. Males eat about 2 times less.

Reproduction

Cockroaches are not hermaphrodites, as many still believe today. These insects are of different sexes; accordingly, both male and female participate in reproduction.

The glands of females produce a special odorous secretion that attracts males. After mating, the male leaves the female and goes in search of the next one. The fertilized “cockroach” also no longer needs this male: after fertilization, his gametes remain in her body, which she will subsequently consume “in portions” and repeatedly. Gametes are stored for a long time in the ovipositor (a special chamber in the female’s abdomen). The female “grows” a certain number of them immediately after fertilization, the rest she “preserves” for the future, when it’s time to make the next clutch. This “self-fertilization” has led many to mistakenly believe that cockroaches are same-sex.

Reproduction takes place in several stages:

• after mating, a portion of eggs enters the ooteca - a special translucent capsule on the abdomen of the female (up to 4 dozen eggs can be formed in the ooteca at the same time);
• shortly before the birth of the offspring, the female throws the grown capsule into a dark, inconspicuous place;
• there small cockroaches are “born” - nymphs, which already outwardly resemble adult insects, but differ from the latter light shade;
• nymphs immediately begin to feed on the same things as adults, and after only 2 months (during this time they endure several molts) they already become fully sexually mature and begin to reproduce.

Cockroaches live from 4-7 months to 1-2 years. Over the course of a year, one female will form about 9-10 oothecae, which is equal to approximately 3-4 hundred new cockroaches.

With such rapid reproduction, there can be no question of good neighborliness with these insects. Considering all the risks associated with health threats, you need to get rid of the Prussians at any cost and as soon as possible.

How to fight

You can destroy cockroaches in different ways. It depends on the number of insects and on the capabilities and preferences of humans.

As always, chemical and folk remedies help to poison the Prussians. The first of them are more effective and solve the problem faster. The latter are less dangerous to use, but require time, sometimes repeated use, to achieve results. The effect of each method may also be different.

Chemicals

These include insecticides (gels, traps, aerosols, powders, crayons), which are now widely represented in the assortment of hardware or specialty stores:

But no matter how strong the insecticides are, none of them has a lethal effect on well-protected cockroach eggs. Any chemical product requires reuse when a new generation of insects is born.

Traditional methods

Trying to get the Prussians out using folk recipes always less expensive and more secure. However, these methods are not always ideal in terms of their effectiveness. But if allergy sufferers or people whose use of chemicals is clearly contraindicated live in the house, folk remedies will the best solution. Especially if there are not many cockroaches in the apartment yet:

1. Freezing. Since cockroaches cannot stand the cold, you can try freezing them out. But we must take into account that the death of insects will not occur so quickly, and the home will need to be ventilated for at least 2 hours. The outside temperature should be -10C or lower. Disadvantages: the method is only acceptable in winter time, additional care is required household appliances and heating system to avoid breakdowns and accidents.
2. Ammonia. Cockroaches cannot stand the smell of this alcohol, but they do not die. The pungent “aroma” of ammonia disorients insects, disabling their sense of smell. Under such conditions, longhorned beetles lose the opportunity to live fully and therefore rush to leave the territory that smells of ammonia. To expel cockroaches, it is enough to carry out regular cleaning with water in which ammonia. Cons: does not kill, but only repels, ammonia vapors are unsafe for humans, repeated regular use is required.
3. Boric acid. This is the most popular folk remedy, and with a 100% guarantee. You can scatter boron powder around the perimeter or corners or lay out bait balls from a liquid solution with food (semolina, mashed potatoes, boiled eggs, etc.). A cockroach will definitely crawl to the smell of food, feast on the poison and die after a while. But in addition to the intestinal action, boric acid It also has contact. That is, the cockroach may not eat the bait; it only needs to touch it and bring particles of poison to the nest, where other individuals will be poisoned in a chain reaction. Disadvantage: boric acid in any form should be inaccessible to animals and children.

Poison cockroaches traditional methods Can. But it’s better if you use them at the very beginning, when the barbels have just appeared in the apartment and have not had time to breed. Otherwise, it would be more appropriate to give preference chemicals. If you can’t successfully fight cockroaches on your own at home, only specialized service.

An important condition for a successful outcome in the fight against cockroaches is to limit the access of insects to water, since a poisoned barbel will definitely drink and survive.

It is almost impossible to get rid of the Prussians forever and with a guarantee. You can never be sure that insects will not get into the house again from neighbors or with things brought from hotels, hospitals, etc. Therefore, it is better to adopt several methods of exterminating cockroaches in advance and use any of them as soon as at least one the barbel will be seen in the house.

The most common representatives of the Insect class are Cockroaches. Two synanthropic species live in human homes in temperate latitudes: Black cockroach - Blatta orientalis and the red cockroach, or Prusak - Blatella germanica. Both

The species belongs to the order Cockroaches, class Insects, subtype Tracheine-breathing, type Arthropods.

The black cockroach has a body of dark black or black-brown color with a metallic sheen, the length of the male is 1-2 cm; the length of the female is 2-3 cm. The red cockroach is brown or red in color, slightly smaller in size: males are about 1 cm, females up to 1.5 cm. In both species, the wings are well developed only in males, they cover the entire abdomen. They are not capable of active flight, but use wings for gliding flight. In females, the wings are underdeveloped, and the abdomen remains open.

Cockroaches are polyphagous, i.e. they feed on a wide variety of foods: bread, plant products, remains of invertebrate animals, leather goods, book bindings, indoor and greenhouse plants.

Cockroaches are dioecious animals. By the time of fertilization, females form a kind of pouch from the secretions of the reproductive system ootheca, which serves to carry eggs. The eggs in the ooteca are arranged vertically and in several rows. The female Cockroach carries the ootheca for several days, after which she hides it in a place inaccessible to other insects. After some time, many small whitish cockroaches appear from the ootheca (cockroaches are insects with incomplete metamorphosis). The larvae of the Black Cockroach reach sexual maturity by 1-4 years, depending on living conditions, and in the Red Cockroach after six months. Therefore, the renewal of the red cockroach occurs faster than that of the black cockroach. Therefore, the red cockroach is becoming more common, and the black cockroach has become rare.

Cockroaches are nocturnal animals and have easily adapted to living in human homes. Cockroaches are capable of learning. Moreover, cockroaches leave behind a chemical trail that other cockroaches will use to quickly find their way to sources of water, food or shelter. Cockroaches are very clean animals, and suspicions of carrying any invasions (worm eggs, pathogenic bacteria) are unfounded.

Among other species of the order Cockroaches, the Lapland Cockroach lives in taiga communities. In the tropical region, the American cockroach is common. Cockroaches from the island of Madagascar ( Gromphadorhina portentosa) 6 to 10 cm long are used in cockroach racing.

Questions for self-control

Name the classification of the phylum Arthropods.

How many insects are there and where do they live?

What external body structure do insects have?

What is the body of insects covered with?

What is the structure of the oral limbs of insects?

Type Arthropod class Insects

What body cavity is characteristic of insects?

What structure does it have? digestive system insects?

What is the structure of the circulatory system of insects?

How do insects breathe?

What structure does it have? excretory system in insects?

What is the structure of the nervous system in insects?

What is the structure of the sense organs in insects?

What structure does it have? reproductive system insects?

How do insects reproduce?

What are the types of postembryonic development of insects?

What is the importance of insects in nature and in human economic activity?

Rice. 1. External structure insects: male (A) and female (B) Black Cockroach.

1 - antennae; 2 - palp of the lower jaw; 3 - pronotum; 4 - elytra; 5 - thigh; 6 - shin; 7 - foot; 8 - tenth abdominal segment; 9 - churches.

Type Arthropods class Insects

Rice. The mouthparts are of the gnawing type (in the Cockroach, for example).

1 – upper lip; 2 – mandibles; 3-7 – lower jaw (3 – mandibular palp, 4-5 – external and internal chewing lobes, 6 – stem, 7 – main segment); 8-12 – lower lip (8 – subchin, 9 – chin, 10 – uvula, 11 – accessory uvula, 12 – lower labial palps).

Rice. Head of a black cockroach (front view).

1 – crown; 2 - compound eye; 3 - base of the antennae; 4 - forehead; 5 - platband; 6 - upper lip; 7 - upper jaw; 8 - mandibular palp; 9 - lower labial palp; 10 - simple eye; 11 - cheek.

Type Arthropods class Insects

Rice. Diagram of the structure of an Insect (female).

1 - compound eye; 2 - simple eyes; 3 - “brain”; 4 - salivary gland; 5 - foregut; 6 - front wing; 7 - rear wing; 8 - ovary; 9 - heart; 10 - hindgut; 11 - churches; 12 - antennae (antennas); 13 - upper lip; 14 - mandible (upper jaw); 15 - maxillae (1st pair of lower jaws); 16 – lower lip (2nd pair of lower jaws); 17 - subpharyngeal ganglion; 18 - abdominal nerve chain; 19 - midgut; 20 - Malpighian vessels.

Rice. Internal structure of insects (Cockroach, female).

1 - salivary glands; 2 - esophagus and goiter; 3 - stomach; 4 - blind outgrowths of the midgut; 5 - hindgut; 6 - Malpighian vessels; 7 - ovary; 8 - abdominal nerve cord.

Type Arthropods class Insects

Rice. Diagram of the structure of the insect circulatory system.

1 - heart, 2 - aorta. Arrows show the direction of hemolymph flow.

Rice. The structure of the tracheal system of an insect (fragment of the system). The tracheae branch into tiny tracheoles, the end sections of which fit and supply oxygen to every cell of the insect’s body.

OVERVIEW OF THE CLASS INSECTS OF THE TYPE ARTHROPODA

Insects are the most numerous and widespread group of animals. The number of insect species is more than 1 million. On land, insects are distributed everywhere. They spread widely across all continents and adapted to the most different conditions existence. Only in the seas are insects rare and live only in the coastal strip. Among insects there are many species that harm humans and their economic activities.

In total, there are about 30 orders of insects. Some of them are presented below.

Insects with incomplete metamorphosis