- this is always bad news, because they look disgusting and can bring various diseases into your apartment. They often feed in garbage dumps and are carriers of infection and larvae. An infected cockroach in an apartment tries to find food and climbs on plates and food, leaving an infection that can then get into humans with food.

If black cockroaches in an apartment cause nothing but disgust, then a white cockroach can lead to stupor and bewilderment. The first thoughts when you see such a cockroach will be “what is it and how dangerous it is.”

Are there albino cockroaches?

Rare animals and birds white, such animals are called albinos; their DNA lacks the gene that is responsible for the production of melanin, which is responsible for pigmentation. Albino animals are very rare, so people specifically look for such animals and buy them at a high price and keep them in an apartment in a cage or enclosure.

The situation with cockroaches is different; there are white cockroaches in the apartment, but the light color is for a completely different reason. Scientists conducted experiments and found no evidence that albino cockroaches exist.

Why are cockroaches white?

If you encounter white pests in your apartment, do not be afraid, these are ordinary black or. Why are they white? Very simply, the chitinous shell of a cockroach is very hard and durable and does not grow with the cockroach, so all representatives of the cockroach genus are forced to molt in order to get rid of the tight shell. White cockroaches are found at home in the first hours after molting, when the cockroach has shed its shell, it becomes very vulnerable, since the new one is very soft and white. During such a period, insects try to hide away; in the apartment they try to run into dark and hard-to-reach places.

During their short life, Prussians molt 6-8 times; after molting, you can see a white cockroach running around the kitchen at home. Even the African cockroach turns white when it moults.

Where did many white pests come from - since insects grow in almost identical conditions after hatching, molting occurs simultaneously, this explains the cases when dozens of white Prussians run around the kitchen.

In rare cases, insecticides may affect the color of a cockroach. If you poisoned cockroaches folk ways using bleach, you may subsequently encounter white pests that survive the baiting. When bleach enters the body of a cockroach, it lightens the chitinous cover and the insect becomes white.

Where do house pests come from?

If there are crumbs from half-eaten food and drops of spilled water or tea in the kitchen, you can predict that cockroaches will soon appear in the house. We figured out where white pests come from, but where do ordinary cockroaches get into apartments? Favorite paths of cockroaches in apartment buildings is air shaft, they move around it calmly and can get into any apartment they like. Cockroaches can also easily crawl into small door cracks, holes in the floor near pipes, and even through things moved from another home.

Thus, traveling in backpacks, the Prussians were able to populate all of Europe. To successfully live, cockroaches only need a warm climate or human homes, which constantly maintain a comfortable temperature.

Why is the white pest dangerous?

Cockroaches can cause asthma attacks; the shell of a dead cockroach crumbles and mixes with dust and air. Chitin coating microparticles can cause an asthmatic attack when they enter the respiratory tract.

They can pose a danger to small children, eating skin from the lips, eyelids, ears and elbows, thereby introducing infection with saliva.

How to deal with cockroaches

Nowadays you can find many products that guarantee the destruction of insects in a few weeks. You can purchase both highly toxic aerosol preparations that guarantee the death of insects in a few hours, as well as low-toxic gels and crayons; in the case of a small number of pests, you can use sticky cockroach traps that are completely safe for people.

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They not only cause disgust in a person, but also fear for their health, because as is known, these unpleasant-looking insects can lead to severe intestinal infections.

Since about the beginning of the 21st century, the number has noticeably decreased, but it was not possible to get rid of this insect in all areas.

The reduction in the population of red “monsters” was achieved through the use of modern chemicals; some researchers put forward a theory according to which insects are negatively affected by radiation from modern gadgets.

Some people notice that white cockroaches have appeared in their home, and naturally in this case the question arises - are they a different species and how to deal with them?

Many of us, even if we haven’t seen cockroaches in person, probably have a rough idea of ​​what they look like. The insects have an elongated body, a head with antennae, and their color varies from red to almost black.

Light or almost white cockroaches appear from the same insects that were previously present in the apartment.

You can notice this phenomenon in the following cases:

1. At the moment of change of the old chitinous cover for something new. The replacement occurs quite quickly - in about 6 hours, and during this period your roommates turn into albinos. Usually this process is not noticeable to humans, since during this period they prefer to hide. But at night or with the alluring smells of bait, the family goes out to get food and at this moment you can see not one, but several white cockroaches at once.

   Simultaneous molting occurs in insects from the same nest; this occurs because chitin changes occur at almost equal intervals of time, but no more than 10 times during the entire life period.

1. Use for the destruction of small carriers of infection chemical substances– reagents. Some chlorine-containing components in their composition, after consuming them and surviving, the cockroach becomes light-colored. The usual color is restored after the poison leaves the body.

Are white cockroaches dangerous?

As we found out, white cockroaches in an apartment are the same insects, but only during their specific life cycle.

Therefore, the danger from them is exactly the same as from Prussians with a normal body color.

• Cockroaches are carriers of many intestinal infections and therefore, when they accumulate in the house, a person may develop dysentery, dyspeptic disorders, and gastroenterocolitis. It has been proven that cockroaches carry bacteria on their antennae and is abundantly excreted along with feces. IN small intestine insect eggs of pinworms, whipworms, and tapeworms were isolated. While traveling around the apartment, Prussians leave eggs on tables, that is, wherever their route passes.
• The glands of the animal's body secrete a specific odor and elements that lead to the development of allergic reactions. A deterioration in general well-being when insects appear in the apartment is observed in people suffering from bronchial asthma.

In addition to the obvious danger to health, cockroaches also cause significant damage to the appearance of premises.

Insect colonies produce a lot of excrement, which remains in the form of black dots on wallpaper, baseboards, and furniture.

How white cockroaches appear in an apartment

White cockroaches can be noticed in an apartment after cases of encounters with ordinary insects have been recorded.

They can get into the home from neighbors, with food brought home household appliances, things taken from relatives, that is, there are quite a lot of ways of their migration.

Moving around cockroaches leave a special chemical trace, persistent over a long period, guided by it, following one individual can be very welcome large family. If the conditions for their life are favorable, then they will occupy the apartment for a long time.

That's why the best way don't give small pests to reproduce is to meet several conditions:

• cleanliness of the apartment– the smallest food crumbs, large quantities of garbage, uncollected food – ideal dinner table for insects;
• poor condition of plumbing or high humidity in the apartment. A drop of water for a cockroach is both food and liquid; on such a diet it can live for several days without any problems. Therefore, you must always close the taps and prevent leaks and running pipes;
• numerous cracks in the apartment create suitable conditions for the life and movement of cockroaches between apartments.

How to get rid of white cockroaches

White ones are just like regular ones - using poisons, traps, folk methods.

If the color has changed after using the reagents, but the insects themselves are somewhat unharmed, then the chemical needs to be replaced.

Perhaps the product already in use has expired or the family has mutated and become resistant, and in cockroaches this happens very quickly.

Before using the chosen product, you must follow the most simple tips, which will help make insect control quick and effective.

1. Need to turn off all the water, carefully wipe up spilled liquids, remove wet plants away from the main habitats of cockroaches in the apartment.
2. Before using the products, it is advised put all products in tight bags, if possible, in airtight containers and a refrigerator.
3. The trash needs to be taken out, and rinse the bucket thoroughly.
4. spring-cleaning moving away all the cabinets and washing the floors is especially necessary - without leaving food and water for the cockroaches, you will provoke them to consume the poison left behind or fall into a trap, where they will be attracted by the alluring smell.

It is advisable to carry out the treatment simultaneously with other residents of the house - this will ensure the desired result in a short period of time.

A condition for the complete destruction of cockroaches will be the use of chemicals or traps for several days after you no longer notice the cockroaches.

This is necessary so that the cockroaches that emerge from the clutch of eggs are also destroyed. When using any product, you must carefully read the instructions, since some poisons are used only in the absence of humans and pets.

Hypotheses refuted by scientists:

• White insects are mutated under the influence of high doses of radiation, insects emit gamma rays. They are indeed capable of acquiring mutations, but this will require a powerful radioactive source, which is impossible to encounter in a human home.
• They are representatives of albinos- the rarest individuals who are congenitally lacking pigmentation. If this were true, then the likelihood of meeting them would be negligible.
• Albino is not at all, but new insect unknown to science. Agree, it is naive to believe that a representative of a new species was able to hide from taxonomists developing new taxonomic units.
• The absence of pigment in the white cockroach is a consequence of a lifestyle in secluded dark places. The theory was criticized due to the fact that no relationship was found between exposure to light and the intensity of the color of the cockroach.

Interesting! Some chlorine-containing insecticides can temporarily inhibit pigment synthesis in animals. This may be the reason for the temporary fading of the color of the poisoned insect.

In fact, an albino is a nymph that has just shed small chitinous scales, and not the new kind cockroach

White individuals are less common than others for two reasons:

• the chitinous cover is colorless for a short time: after 4-6 hours the pigment gives it a light brown color;
• During molting, insects are vulnerable, so they hide in secluded places where they will not be taken by surprise.

As a result of molting, the larva forms a young, colorless chitinous cover under the old shell. Pigmentation promotes its hardening and begins a few hours after the scales are shed.

The last moult transforms the nymph into an adult, which in the first hours of life is also devoid of color. Soon the pigment accumulates, and the insect takes on its usual appearance.

Photo

Let's look at the photo of white cockroaches and make sure that these are not some mutants or a new species of insects:

Differences from the rest

To an insect all qualities are inherent. They became famous neither for their remarkable survival rate, nor for their gluttony, nor for their danger to people. On the contrary, during the “colorless” period of life, the insect is most vulnerable due to the fragility of the newly formed protective shell.

Albinos, like other individuals, live close to humans, but due to their vulnerability they choose secluded places:

• cracks under the bathroom, furniture;
• defects in the walls, between baseboards;
• basements.

More often than adults, a white nymph is found, mistaken for a new species of insect and frightening with its unusual color and lack of wings.

Interesting! Now it is clear why the color intensity of cockroaches varies so much: the more time has passed since the last change of the old shell, the darker the color of the chitinous cover.

What harm do they do?

They are carriers gastrointestinal tract infections.

The entire insect body is covered with small villi that serve as a tactile organ. Tens of thousands of pathogenic bacteria, fungi, protozoa and helminth eggs can settle on the villi.

Average domestic cockroach is a carrier:

• dysentery amoeba;
• salmonella;
• pathogenic cocci;
• Koch's sticks;
• meningococci;
• roundworm;
• pinworm

When visiting garbage chutes and sewers (especially), it collects on its surface pathogens of enteritis, colitis, acute intestinal infections, meningitis that enter human body after swallowing a piece of food with which the insect has come into contact.

Refers to strong allergens

Along with pet hair and plant pollen, they are powerful allergens.

Contact with dust particles that have come into contact with the allergen is enough for the following to develop:

• any type of immediate allergic reaction (contact dermatitis, conjunctivitis, urticaria, allergic rhinitis);
• exacerbation of bronchial asthma and the onset of the disease in children.

Interesting! A man presented to a hospital in Taiwan with a foreign body sensation in the nose, allergic rhinitis, lacrimation and conjunctivitis. A live cockroach was removed from a man, which, according to the patient, had been in the nasal cavity for 3 days.

Can it bite a person?

There is an opinion that the cockroach is capable

Scientists have long argued about the reasons for the appearance of such an insect as the white cockroach. At one time it was even considered to be a manifestation of an isolated case of albinism in the insect world. However, information began to arrive about a massive accumulation of such insects, which gave food for new myths and speculation. Let's consider them all and try to identify the truth, based on verified facts and logical reasoning.

Speculation about the reasons for the appearance of white cockroaches

Noticing a strange cockroach with an unusual coloring, people get scared, assuming that a mutant has appeared in their house - an evil monster that will eat their supplies, things, and themselves in the end. However time is running, and the white cockroach does not show itself in any way, as if it never existed, so the witnesses themselves begin to doubt its existence. And the assumptions they made at the time continue to live their own lives, acquiring more and more details and shocking facts every year.

So, here are the main assumptions associated with the appearance of a white insect in city apartments:

1. This is a mutated insect that has lost its natural color under the influence of harmful ecology, which has changed it at the genetic level.
2. This is a new species of insect unknown to science.
3. White coloration is a manifestation of albinism, which often occurs spontaneously in different types animals.
4. Coloration is absent in insects that have been in the dark for a long time.

At first glance, all these speculations are not without meaning, but there are facts that deny the possibility of their implementation.

Facts that debunk speculation about white cockroaches

So, let's look at the real facts regarding the reasons for the appearance of white cockroaches in the order of the rumors presented above.

Mutation

There are facts proving the simultaneous existence of two or more unusual cockroaches within the same apartment. At the same time, a mutation occurring within one species is such a rare phenomenon that it would hardly be possible in several insects in one colony at once.

Moreover, if conditions external environment are so pathogenic that they are capable of changing one of the oldest insects, which has preserved its appearance since the time of dinosaurs, then first of all they would affect the more vulnerable human body.

Unknown species

The world of insects is so well studied that meeting a previously undescribed species is as unrealistic as finding an alien in the attic of your house. And cockroaches rarely get along with their own kind. Competition occurs among related species, the reason for which is food and feeding grounds.

Studies have also shown the identity of insects of supposedly different species, with the exception of their coloring. If you overcome your disgust, then upon closer examination of the unusual cockroach, you will notice a clear resemblance to an ordinary inhabitant of apartments - the Prussian.

Albinism gene

The albino cockroach is a myth that has also not been confirmed. Science knows of insects whose coloring partially lacks melanin, which is responsible for the color of their skin, but it is a well-established fact that cockroaches have no pigment at all. this moment has not yet been recorded in any country in the world.

The albinism gene is often found in mammals and birds. Breeders use this phenomenon to develop new decorative breeds of pets. However, no one has yet succeeded in obtaining an albino cockroach.

Reclusive cockroaches

Regarding the lack of “tanning” in reclusive cockroaches, only one thing can be said - this is clean water nonsense, since then the coloration would be absent in the entire colony, and not in an individual insect. If cockroaches living in the same room with a white individual have Brown color, then there is no reason for the appearance of an albino, since the living conditions are the same for everyone.

An “untanned” insect feeds in the same way as others, running out of its hiding places only at night. There is no sun at this time of day. So there is absolutely no reason to believe that cockroaches owe their brown color to our luminary.

White cockroaches - who are they?

This answer explains the reason for the appearance of several white cockroaches within one apartment. Since the development of larvae from the same clutch proceeds in the same way, which is due to similar living conditions, they will molt at the same time, thereby giving rise to myths about a supposedly new species of cockroaches.

Sometimes the reason for a change in the color of the external integument of insects can be frequent treatment of the room chemicals. For example, such a reaction can be caused by chlorine, a rather toxic substance that causes discoloration of the chitinous cover. However, such a “etched” individual can be easily identified by its painful appearance, since the poison has its effect on all organs of the cockroach, ultimately leading to its death.

Myths about white cockroaches

Ordinary people tend to exaggerate facts, which is why, out of idle gossip, entire myths have arisen regarding unusual albinos. So, white cockroaches - what kind of insects are they? Are they dangerous and if so, why?

Myths regarding white cockroaches:

1. White cockroach– dangerous to humans, as it is extremely infectious to insects. This is complete nonsense! The larva does not become any more dangerous because it has shed its skin. Moreover, insects tend to hide during this period of their life, since its soft skin makes them vulnerable to any type of external influence.
2. They are radioactive because they were created under the influence of radioactive radiation. This myth also has no basis, since we have already found out that mutant cockroaches do not exist.
3. They grow to gigantic sizes, posing a threat to residents. This fact has also not been recorded.

You can see how people react to white cockroaches in this interview:

Residents of old multi-storey buildings From time to time they welcome uninvited guests into their kitchens. People are accustomed to the appearance of black or red mustaches in apartments. Ordinary insects cause disgust, sometimes fear, because they are carriers of infectious diseases. But white cockroaches can cause real horror because unusual appearance, but, contrary to erroneous belief, they are not albinos.

You can find albino cockroaches in your apartment

Characteristics of the variety

The body of a common cockroach is oval-shaped. Its length can reach 1.5 cm. Each individual has 3 pairs of paws equipped with hooks and suction cups that help the insect to easily move around vertical surface.

There are cockroaches different colors and sizes

Males have long wings and whiskers, while females have much shorter wings. White individuals have the same characteristics, they are distinguished only by color. Light representatives are not identified as a separate species, so many do not even know whether white cockroaches actually exist. The nature of these insects is designed so that they can be at a certain stage life cycle, when their difference in color from their counterparts is only one of the stages of development through which all individuals pass.

Reasons for color change

Like all arthropods, cockroaches tend to shed the chitinous shell, which covers their torso. This process is caused by the fact that it cannot grow with insects. The time spent without a shell explains why cockroaches are white. Experts call this molting. The process proceeds quickly - in just a few hours.

Under the chitin there is a flexible and soft cover, which is exposed during molting. Without a strong shell, the Prussian becomes defenseless and vulnerable to external influences environment. Therefore, cockroaches usually wait out this period for secluded corners apartments where they feel safe. Insects have to hide until the cover hardens. The shell recovers quickly. Cockroaches undergo this process more than 6 times during their existence.

Cockroaches can live in different parts of your home

You can meet a white cockroach in an apartment:

• under the sink.
• under the bathroom.
• in the basement.
• in the attic.

Secluded places near a power source are also suitable for temporary shelter. This is a very important factor when choosing a shelter, because individuals in difficult period existence eat a lot. This is because to quickly restore the shell it is required a large number of nutrients and essential microelements. White cockroaches usually crawl around the trash can at night.

In addition to molting, there is another reason where such individuals can appear. There have been cases where pests survived after being baited with bleach, but the caustic substance changed the appearance of the cockroach. The thing is that chlorine, entering the body of arthropods, brightens the chitinous shell.

Danger from insects

It has long been known that brown cockroaches are the source of various diseases. White individuals are no different in this from their counterparts. The body under the chitinous shell has millions of microscopic villi. The insect carries many dangerous bacteria and other microorganisms, as well as helminth eggs, onto them. While in the ventilation or trash can, arthropods catch pathogens of enteritis, colitis and pathogenic cocci.

The chitin dropped by transparent cockroaches is dangerous to humans. After drying, the shell collapses, turning into light dust. She starts flying in the air. A person can easily inhale it and receive allergic reaction. A high content of chitin particles in the air often leads to asthma attacks in people.

Cockroaches are carriers of various diseases

Prussians cause damage not only to human health, but also to his home. They spoil the appearance of the apartment, leaving traces of their activity everywhere. Insect excrement appears as black dots.

Fighting methods

Techniques for getting rid of “albino” cockroaches are no different from baiting red-haired individuals. Arthropods are considered the most resilient creatures on earth. Even in the event of nuclear destruction of all living things, they will not die. Insects have an amazing ability to adapt to any changes in their environment. Therefore, if you poison cockroaches with the same chemical, they will get used to it.

If, after many attempts to get the Prussians out of the apartment, the insects do not leave, it’s time to change tactics. But at first, when cockroaches appear in your home, it is recommended to start fighting with simple folk remedies. They are no less effective and safe for household members. Boric acid has proven itself well in this.

You can poison cockroaches in different ways chemicals

Before using this recipe, you should think about where you can put the poison, because children or pets may try it accidentally or out of interest.

You can place a bait for uninvited guests in the closet, behind the refrigerator, under the bathtub, behind the trash can.

Cockroach treat ingredients:

1. Boric acid in dry form. It can be purchased at any pharmacy or garden store.
2. Boiled chicken egg.
3. Peeled potatoes boiled in water.

You only need 1 packet for preparation. boric acid(10 g). All components of the composition are mixed until a yellow mass is obtained and small balls are rolled out of it. It is recommended to place them at night in places where insects accumulate.

The process of disappearance of cockroaches is not fast, so you need to be patient. They disappear within 1-3 weeks. During this period, it is important to ensure that the Prussians do not have the opportunity to get to water, otherwise they will be able to cope with the poison and develop immunity to it.

For safety, it is better to purchase well-known products: although they are much more expensive, they work for sure. Cockroaches love such baits very much and as a result often disappear after the first use.