Nest of cockroaches in the apartment. Photos of various cockroaches. Using cockroach bait

Few people do not know what a domestic cockroach looks like. Each person met them several times in his life, and probably had time to admire their tropical relatives at various exhibitions or in terrariums.

Nevertheless, even famous and popular Prussians should be examined in detail in the photographs, so as not to inadvertently confuse the first conquerors of the apartment with random guests from the street. In addition, it is in the photo that you can see in detail the difference between the types of cockroaches and the stages of their development.

Photos of domestic cockroaches: all types and stages of development

The most common in human housing are three types of cockroaches: red, aka Prussian, black and American. In the tropics, more exotic human friends also crawl into houses, but it is difficult to call them synanthropic species.

A synanthropic species of an animal or plant is a species that feels better in a city, village or human habitation than in the wild. Sometimes such species do not occur in nature at all. Examples are house sparrows, rats, bed bugs, pharaoh ants. Do not confuse synanthropic species with species tamed by man - dogs, cats or pigeons.

It is the cerci that are the most reliable way to distinguish a cockroach from a bug. In the photo of a cockroach in macro photography, the end of its abdomen is visible, and in the photo below - the end of the abdomen of a bed bug:

Black cockroaches differ from red ones in color and size. The Prussians are really small next to the adults of their black counterparts, barely reaching half the length of their body. In the photo you can estimate the size of the imago of this species:

As you can see from the photo, only charcoal is present in the color of the black cockroach. The nymphs of this species have brown transverse stripes outlining the segments of the abdomen. The photo clearly shows the difference in the color of adults and larvae:

The female black cockroach has very short wings and a wide abdomen. In males, the wings almost cover the entire abdomen. However, they can't fly only males are able to jump far and, with the help of flapping wings, increase the length of the jump. In the photo on the left is a male, on the right is a female:

On a note

The Prussian also cannot fly, but if it falls from the ceiling or high altitude, can flap its wings and control its fall to a certain extent. Among tropical species of cockroaches, there are those that fly very well and can flock at night to the light of lamps.

The American cockroach is less "domesticated" than black and redheads. It can live in forests and fields, but when it gets into the conditions of the city, it easily switches to eating human food and actively reproduces.

It was with man and his cargoes that this species spread throughout the world and is considered today a cosmopolitan. The photo shows the imago of the "American", in which the female is only slightly denser than the male:

... and here are nymphs of different ages:

Cockroaches do not have nests, but they prefer to gather in groups in the most comfortable places. Having found such a shelter, a person may mistake it for a nest of cockroaches or a colony of cockroaches, and even think that a queen like a bee is present in such a colony. This is not so: there is no organization in this settlement.

Video footage with various cockroaches

The photo shows the swelling of a black cockroach:

In many tropical species of cockroaches, the females not only wear the ootheca until the end of such a peculiar pregnancy, but also protect and care for the nymphs for several days. Their ootheca is usually very soft, white and long.

For example, the photo shows an ootheca:

Unusual cockroaches found in apartments

Of the unusual cockroaches, the attention of a person in an apartment is primarily attracted by white cockroaches. These are not albinos, but simply nymphs that have just become adults.

In the first hours after the shedding of the chitinous cover, they have a soft white body, which gradually hardens and acquires a color characteristic of adults. During this period, the insect tries to be in a secluded place, but sometimes it still catches the eye.

Every cockroach is white once in a lifetime. In the photo below - a white Prussian:

In the south of Kazakhstan, in Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan, a brown and slightly larger Turkmen cockroach can be found in human housing. Terrariumists love him very much because he cannot crawl on glass. In the photo - a small group of insects:

And the following photo shows ash cockroaches, also called Egyptian:

They are interesting in that they are able, like termites, to feed on wood and paper. They live in the Middle East, North Africa and the Mediterranean.

And of course, one cannot help but admire the individual tropical cockroaches - the famous Madagascar ones:

... banana ones, the ones that fly well:

...and gigantic:

... to make sure that even such seemingly unpleasant planetary neighbors can be extremely beautiful and interesting.

Why you can't get rid of cockroaches

Giant hissing Madagascar cockroaches

Contrary to popular belief, cockroaches do not run all over the apartment day and night, poisoning the life of its warm-blooded inhabitants.

It is because of this that some housewives make a serious mistake by treating all open surfaces in the house with insecticides, forgetting that they simply do not appear in such areas. Where are cockroach nests located, how to detect and destroy them?

Where do cockroaches live

To answer this question, you need to remember the lifestyle of these harmful insects. If a cockroach can live without food for a month, then the lack of water will become fatal for him already for 2-3 days. Therefore, Prussian nests should be sought as close as possible to water sources:

kitchen sink;
Dishwasher.

Insects are rare in the bathroom, since the presence of water, although important, is not a fundamental factor in choosing a place to live.

It's a paradox, but sometimes the Prussians can be found even in the refrigerator, and this despite the fact that low temperature deadly for them! It goes without saying that they hide as close as possible to the heat distribution unit, sometimes it gets a little hot there, but in the freezer and food compartments, cockroaches, if they happen to be, only by chance.

Cockroach nests: photo

We will immediately make a reservation that the signs of the presence of a cockroach nest, indicated below, can be found throughout the house, even in places uncharacteristic of the Prussians. However, their accumulation at a specific point directly indicates that the Prussians have a rookery here:

many empty ootheca (egg capsules);
chitinous covers that insects leave after molting;
empty shells of eggs (they are very small, so it is difficult to detect them);
discharge that looks like particles of ground black pepper.

The more signs you see, the closer you are to the nest. By the way, a visual inspection of the "locality" also does not need to be discounted - if you move the furniture and tear off the jambs with baseboards, you can see the cockroach house with your own eyes. The sight is not very pleasant, so be prepared.

How to destroy the nest?

The decision to transfer part of the insects with slippers will not be a mistake, although in any case, insecticides from cockroaches cannot be dispensed with. Such a move would make it easier for the chemicals to work, as the population would be slightly reduced. With luck, the larvae (nymphs), which are potentially the main successors of the cockroach genus, will be crushed.

After the initial intervention in the quiet life of the Prussians, you need to use one of the drugs:

Please note that some of these insecticides can be harmful to humans and pets. Compliance with elementary safety rules when working with them is necessary. If everything is done correctly, then there will be no trace of cockroaches, and comfort will come to your house again, and it will bring cleanliness with it!

Useful video

How to remove cockroaches from an apartment forever at home in the video below:

In contact with

classmates

hlopklop.com

How to find a nest of cockroaches in an apartment: where they live and where they hide

Finding a nest where cockroaches live is not easy, because insects prefer to hide in secluded places. Barbels do not come out of their shelter during the day, but at night, so households often notice pests in the room only when there are too many of them. At the first suspicion, a nest of cockroaches should be found as soon as possible. This is the only way to quickly and effectively get rid of pests.

Where do cockroaches live?

Where do cockroaches live?

As a rule, mustachioed pests appear in houses with poor sanitary conditions. Open trash cans, scattered food leftovers, dirty countertops, unwashed household appliances - all this attracts cockroaches and provides them with a comfortable existence in a human home. But even clean tenants can become victims of barbel attacks. Cockroaches often move into an apartment from dirty entrances and basements, as well as from neighbors whose living space is already infested with pests.

Garbage chutes and various landfills are ideal habitats for cockroaches. However, in an apartment, they prefer to hide in dark secluded places located near sources of food and water. It can be:

cabinets and slots under sinks and other plumbing fixtures;
cracks in baseboards;
heating pipes closely adjacent to the wall;
plot drain pipe to the siphon
cluttered rooms, such as a pantry or closet;
gaps behind furniture;
Appliances.

Household appliances are one of the favorite hiding places for cockroaches in an apartment. The back walls of the refrigerator, stove or microwave are favorite places for pests. Often, barbels populate these places already in the warehouse of the store. The buyer, who is unaware of the presence of barbels in a new household appliance, brings the goods home, and after a few days notices insects in the apartment. Behind the back walls of household appliances, cockroaches equip their nests and breed in incredible numbers, since no one disturbs them there. Sometimes insect nests are in cistern, an old-style TV or a computer system unit.

If cockroaches are bred in the apartment, then most often their nest is in the kitchen. Anything can be a sanctuary for pests. This and kitchen cabinets, and a place under the sink or countertop.

Barbels can be found in ventilation ducts and on hood filters, in the drain hole, behind decorative ledges, in flowerpots and even in dishes that are located on upper shelves.

If it is difficult for pests to do without water, then without food they can hold out long enough. for a long time. After general cleaning in the kitchen, cockroaches may not leave the home, but move to other rooms. Often, cockroach nests are found behind wallpaper that has peeled off the walls. There, barbels not only hide, but also feed on paper and glue residue.

How to find a cockroach nest?

Pest nests are a large cluster of individuals. The place itself is quite dirty and unsightly, because food remains, chitinous shells, cockroach feces, carcasses of dead individuals accumulate there. It is difficult to find out where cockroaches that have just appeared indoors are hiding. However, their presence can be traced by the following signs:

appears in the apartment bad smell mold;
a crunch is heard at night;
dark brown dots appear on walls and kitchen surfaces.

When there are a lot of insects in the house, it will not be difficult to detect them. It is enough to suddenly turn on the light in the kitchen at night, as the pests will run to the place where they live. It is possible to determine the areas of their greatest accumulation by the amount of excrement. If there is no desire to wait for the night, then you can conduct a simple experiment when it gets dark outside the window. Leave a shiny candy wrapper on the kitchen floor and wait for the pests. After the wrapper begins to rustle, you can turn on the light. Cockroaches will scatter, pointing the way to their shelter.

Traps for cockroaches

For a long time, traps were the only way to get rid of mustachioed pests. There are many effective chemical insecticides available today to control household pests. However, it is the traps that will help to detect cockroach nests. You can buy these products at the store or make your own. From store traps, sticky or electric ones are suitable. The former do not allow pests to leave the box, inside which the bait and adhesive are located, the latter kill the barbels with a small discharge of current. Traps are placed in places where cockroaches may live. Modern traps are small boxes that can be attached to both horizontal and vertical surfaces. If there are many dead individuals in the box, then there is a nest nearby.

The trap can be made at home. For this, a small cardboard or plastic board is suitable. Stick on the surface double sided tape or lubricate it with a special glue that does not dry. In the middle, you must definitely put a delicious bait - a piece of meat, fish or bread. The trap can be made from high glass bottle. Outside, it is wrapped with paper so that it is convenient for pests to climb, the edges are smeared vegetable oil, and put the bait inside. Such traps are placed in places where there may be cockroach nests.

If it is not difficult to find pest nests in private houses, then in multi-storey buildings this problem is sometimes insoluble for residents. Through ventilation openings and sewer pipes, pests visit different apartments in search of food, while their nest is located in the corner of any entrance or basement. There are even sewer cockroaches that live in the underground system and climb into human dwellings through sinks and bathtubs. Find out where the nest is. In such situations, you can not do without calling a special insecticidal service. With the help of professional equipment, a team of specialists will not only detect pest nests, but also destroy them.

zelenplaneta.ru

Where do cockroaches live

26.06.2018 5:29:23
Dmitry Lipchiu
0 comments

Among the large detachment of cockroaches, numbering over 4600 species, some representatives prefer to live under the same roof with a person. However, the prospects of such a neighborhood are by no means attractive to a person, because in houses where cockroaches live, sanitary and hygienic conditions worsen, and the risk of infectious diseases increases. And in general, a nest of cockroaches in an apartment with its very appearance makes people disgusted.

If you have ever encountered a cockroach at home, in a restaurant or public toilet, then perhaps it was a black (Blatta orientalis), American (Periplaneta americana) or furniture (Supella longipalpa) cockroach. But it is more likely that it was a red (Blattella germanica) cockroach, or in a simple way, the Prussian - the most common type of synanthropic cockroaches. Meeting a cockroach indoors, regardless of its species, is unlikely to please anyone, and even more so if it happens at home.

We will discuss in this article how to find out if there are cockroaches at home, where they hide, and how to find a cockroach lair in an apartment.

How to find out if there are cockroaches in the apartment

Cockroaches are fearful and cautious insects, and therefore they try to literally stay in the shade, direct rays of light signal them about the danger of being noticed. Therefore, once in the house, cockroaches choose darkened places hidden from the eyes for shelter.

To understand that cockroaches have started up in the apartment, it is enough just to see at least one insect. As a rule, the first meeting of the house with cockroaches occurs at night, when you turn on the light in the kitchen or in the bathroom. At night, cockroaches crawl out of their crevices and go in search of food and water, but often they catch the eye during the day.

An indirect sign of the presence of cockroaches in the house will be the products of their vital activity - dark fecal spots and capsules with eggs, called ootheca. Similar evidence is found, for example, in kitchen drawers, under the sink or on cabinet hinges and interior doors. And the fact that the colony of cockroaches in the apartment has reached alarming proportions will also be evidenced by a specific smell.

Where do cockroaches live in an apartment

So, cockroaches find convenient cracks, cracks, gaps and other secluded places in the house, and arrange shelters there. To feel comfortable, cockroaches require warmth, as well as mandatory access to water and food. According to these parameters, the kitchen, bathroom and toilet are ideal in the apartment - the top rooms where cockroaches live.

Areas suitable for cockroaches in the kitchen: space under the sink, behind and under the refrigerator, inside the built-in kitchen furniture, inside the microwave oven and other kitchen appliances. In addition, cockroaches inhabit cracks in baseboards and ceiling baguettes, cavities under peeled wallpaper, gaps between hanging cabinets and the wall, hidden spaces on the floor under the working area of the kitchen, ventilation holes and so on.

In sanitary rooms, cockroaches hide under the bathtub, under a hanging mirror, in cabinets, in boxes hiding pipe risers. If the rooms are lined plastic panels, this creates a lot of additional space where cockroaches can hide.

As the colony grows, synanthropic pests also look for places convenient for shelters in other rooms of the apartment: these are furniture, baseboards, and household appliances - any nook. The number of cockroach shelters in an apartment directly depends on its technical condition. If the house has not been renovated for a long time, cracks abound in the floor and walls, and wallpaper peels off, then, accordingly, cockroaches have a place to roam.

The situation with cockroaches also depends on how carefully the house is kept clean and tidy. If the hosts do not allow dirty dishes, crumbs and leftover food to remain on the tables overnight, if there is a regular wet cleaning floor, and greasy dirt does not accumulate on the stove, it will be difficult for cockroaches to find food.

However, the fact that there are cockroaches in the house does not necessarily indicate a low level of sanitation, unfortunately, sometimes pests appear even in the kitchen of clean housewives. But in a clean and well-maintained house, cockroaches are much less likely to settle for a long time.

How to find a cockroach nest in an apartment

At the initial stage of infecting an apartment, cockroaches behave cautiously and try not to catch the eye, only getting out at night to search for food. But if at least one was seen, it means that the insects intend to settle here, and perhaps a nest of cockroaches has already appeared in the apartment.

To find out and prevent cockroaches from breeding, arm yourself with a flashlight and inspect the apartment, starting with the kitchen and bathroom. Check the cabinets under the sinks, drawers kitchen furniture, grocery and utensil cabinets and shelves, look under the window sills and behind the batteries. Move the refrigerator away from the wall and inspect back wall, remove or raise wall cabinets to see if cockroaches are hiding underneath. Light the vents and risers with a flashlight, check the space under the bath and washing machine.

Also look under the microwave, electric kettle, coffee maker and other appliances. Cockroaches love to hide in cardboard boxes, so check them out if there are any. If the linoleum in the kitchen or bathroom is loose, lift the edges and inspect the floor, paying attention to the corners.

In areas inaccessible to visual inspection, you can use a steam generator with a narrow nozzle - direct a jet of steam under pressure into the cracks of the baseboards or the gaps between kitchen cabinets and find out if anyone is hiding there. An aerosol can of household insecticide is also suitable for this purpose.

By the same principles, inspect the hallway, bedrooms and other rooms. When inspecting, look for both live cockroaches and traces of their vital activity - dark spots, eggs and dry remains of dead insects.

geradez.ru

Where do cockroaches usually hide in an apartment and can they crawl out of the sewer?

Where cockroaches usually hide in an apartment and what you need to know about their "nests";
Are there so-called sewer cockroaches and what to do if they suddenly appeared in the entrance of the house;
Where cockroaches can live in the kitchen and how to remove these insects from microwaves and other household appliances;
What to do if cockroaches climb from neighbors;
Are there mutant cockroaches in the home?

…and other interesting points.

Imagine a typical situation: you are sure that your apartment is in full order, cleanliness and comfort are maintained. And do not even imagine that cockroaches are already hiding somewhere in this very cleanliness - the fiends of garbage and unsanitary conditions.

But then one night you find such a pest on kitchen table, in a bathtub cleaned to a shine, or simply on the floor in the hallway. Usually, at the same time, residents are puzzled by the question: how is it, where did the cockroaches suddenly come from, because the apartment is almost perfectly clean! And if this runaway cockroach is not the only one, then where are the rest hiding? ..

Let us immediately reassure you: this situation is quite typical, and thousands of people in various parts of our country are puzzled by similar questions. For some of them, the apartment does not at all resemble the standard of cleanliness, while for someone it is quite suitable for a photo shoot in a fashion magazine, however, cockroaches appear here and there, scare the owners with themselves and, most importantly, worsen the general sanitary situation in the house (because they are potential carriers of pathogens).

The less often the apartment is cleaned and the more it accumulates food waste, the easier it is for cockroaches to survive. However, these insects are also able to populate well-cleaned premises: the main thing here is that they maintain the conditions necessary for cockroaches to live. And given that there are not many such conditions, almost everyone can expect to meet pests in their home.

All cockroaches need is:

water - in the sink, toilet, bathtub, glass on the table, or even its remains in a flower pot. Having access to water sources is the main condition for the survival of cockroaches in an apartment (and this is often used in practice to get rid of pests);
any foodstuffs within reach, such as breadcrumbs, fruits and vegetables, groceries, burnt-on pieces of food on the stove or in the microwave. Cockroaches do not disdain wallpaper glue, splashes of oil behind the stove and even soap;
the temperature in the apartment is above 15°С all year round- cockroaches do not live in colder rooms;
the presence of secluded places where you can hide and wait out the daylight hours - for example, these can be spaces under cabinets, bedside tables and other furniture, closets with randomly piled things, the back of the stove and refrigerator. Cockroaches also like to hide in various household appliances (we will talk about this in more detail below).

In practice, the situation is often as follows: cockroaches can find food and shelters almost everywhere, and critically an important factor their survival becomes, above all, the availability of available sources of water.

It is interesting

Experiments show that glue on postage stamp enough for a cockroach to eat for about one month. Be sure: in your house, such a mustachioed neighbor will find something to profit from.

At the same time, with an acute shortage of water, cockroaches can make up for its lack with the help of a person - there are cases when these insects gnawed the wet epithelium from the lips of sleeping people. Young children are especially vulnerable in this respect.

Another risk factor for the sudden appearance of pests in an apartment is the ability of cockroaches to easily enter the premises, for example, from neighbors. From the places where they breed in large quantities, some individuals sooner or later “resettle” due to the growing overpopulation in the population.

Where cockroach scouts find suitable conditions, insects “take root” and actively multiply, colonizing a room that was previously uninhabited by them. Especially known for this are the so-called sewer cockroaches, which in the warm season crawl out of the sewers not only in apartments and houses, but sometimes even just along the streets of cities.

If there is such a nursery near an apartment or house where cockroaches hide in abundance, then getting rid of them in a single room can be very problematic: here you need to either securely isolate the room (which is usually not possible in practice), or fully armed to meet scouts, fighting them on your own, or contact the appropriate authorities and complain about the insect breeding center near you.

Remember: cockroaches in the entrance are the main candidates for the speedy settlement of your apartment. If you simply take their presence on the stairwell or near the garbage chute as a matter of course, do not go anywhere and do not fight on your own, then with a high probability you can expect that most apartments in a multi-storey building will soon be infected and will simply become breeding grounds for new hordes of cockroaches.

The photo below shows cockroaches on the wall in the entrance high-rise building:

On a note

Each district of large cities of our country has its own district SES. If cockroaches climb from neighbors or from the entrance, then first of all you need to call the SES. And they will already tell you what to do next: wait for the inspector, call private services, or get rid of it on your own.

Keep in mind that the Sanitary and Epidemiological Station is a state structure, and while its partly bureaucratic mechanism is cranked out, it is easier to call a private pest control service, or still agree with your neighbors and poison the cockroaches on your own.

Optimal hiding places for cockroaches in an apartment

If you are serious about getting cockroaches out of your home, it is very helpful to have an idea of where these insects usually hide.

So, where do cockroaches most often hide in an apartment? As a rule, these are secluded places located near a source of water and food, for example:

cabinet under the sink;
section of pipe from the top drain hole in the sink to the siphon;
secluded places next to the trash can;
gaps behind kitchen furniture;
space under the bathroom;
cupboards in the closet;
refrigerator heat exchanger (usually located at the back and at the top of the case);
back side of the stove;
household appliances (microwave, TV in the kitchen, computer, etc.).

Insects usually breed in the largest numbers behind kitchen furniture and large-sized household appliances(refrigerator, dishwasher, stove), because no one bothers them here, and before the sink with water and the trash can with food - "paw give". The abundance of food, access to water, and the heat generated by technology form an ideal habitat for cockroaches in such places.

For example, sometimes residents are horrified when, during pest control work (or just during repairs), they move furniture and literally hundreds of fattened cockroaches and their larvae are found just behind the furniture. In some apartments, insects, for example, behind the refrigerator, are able to form an almost continuous swarming "carpet". Here, on the floor, there are an abundance of chitinous covers of cockroaches remaining after molting, dry shells of cockroach eggs (ootek) and black dots of excrement.

Examples of such shelters are shown in the photographs below:

Meanwhile, if you are going to remove cockroaches, you need to remember that they come to the watering hole only in those places where there is water available to them - in sinks and bathtubs. This means that it is better to place traps and poisons here, and not just somewhere near the refrigerator or stove.

On a note

Actually, cockroaches do not have a nest - they simply gather in the most secluded places, sometimes forming significant clusters. Therefore, sometimes it may seem that such a cluster of them, which usually looks like a rather dirty and very unsightly place, is a real nest. However, strictly speaking, this is not a nest, since cockroaches have no organization.

However, this does not mean that it is not worth looking for a “cockroach nest”: if you find the main places of accumulation of these pests, then it can be much easier to deal with them.

The photo shows what a large cluster of cockroaches looks like in an apartment:

In some cases, the apartment of less prosperous neighbors can become the main source of cockroach infestation in your clean and well-kept home. Usually, it is the houses of alcoholics that have not been cleaned for years or, no matter how bitter it is to realize, the apartments of lonely and infirm elderly people who are no longer able to maintain cleanliness and order, are real farms for growing these insects.

It is from here, from the neighbors, that cockroaches sometimes climb in whole hordes into the nearest apartments, eventually settling on all floors. Therefore, if you do not want to meet insects in your room, then conduct explanatory conversations and educational work with your neighbors, and if necessary, involve SES. Remember: if you don’t complain anywhere and don’t take action, then the neighborhood with cockroaches will be provided to you on long years forward.

It is interesting

The main habitat of cockroaches in nature is leaf litter in tropical rainforests. Here, insects swarm sometimes in huge numbers in close proximity to the main source of food - rotting vegetation and falling fruits.

In higher latitudes, cockroaches also live in forests, but here their habitat is replaced by meadows and rock ruins, and in South Africa- mountain slopes In any case, cockroaches come from places with an abundance of vegetation and frequent rainfall, which is why they are so dependent on water.

Unusual hiding places

Do not forget that in addition to the "standard" shelters, cockroaches can sometimes also hide in the most unexpected places:

What to do if cockroaches have chosen one of these (or some even more unusual) places in your apartment? Of course, it is necessary to remove insects from these shelters, but sometimes this also has to be done in different ways.

For example, you can get cockroaches out of the microwave by turning off the device from the network and plugging one of its technological holes at the back with cotton wool moistened with ammonia (a 10% pharmacy solution will do). If some cockroaches hide in the block with electronics, then they will leave the microwave rather quickly from the smell of ammonia. However, you should be prepared that after weathering the ammonia, pests can again climb inside in search of food and shelter.

Do not try to drive cockroaches out of the microwave with the help of powerful insecticides - in this case, it will not take long to poison yourself.

It is interesting

Cockroaches love the smell of wood and stay near wooden objects whenever possible. Therefore, people often report to the SES that they have found a cockroach nest at home in a cage with sawdust where a hamster lives, or in an old plywood mailbox.

Finally, in the southern regions of our country, as well as in Central Asia and Ukraine, cockroaches can live normally in the summer on the streets of cities and even in the fields around villages. Black cockroaches in exceptional cases can even hibernate in nature.

Sewer cockroaches: do they exist?

In almost any city, cockroaches inhabit sewer systems. And the reasons for this are quite obvious: there is enough food (do not ask what kind) and water, high humidity and a more or less comfortable temperature for them.

It is not surprising that insects often climb into houses through the sewer system and crawl out through sinks and bathtubs into apartments. And such people from the sewerage clearly do not improve the sanitary situation in the room ...

Sewer cockroaches are no different from "ordinary" apartment cockroaches. In our country, these are ordinary Prussians and black cockroaches; in Europe, American cockroaches are also added to these species.

In an apartment or house, they cannot be distinguished from insects that constantly live behind the nightstand or under the sink. One can only assume that the cockroaches found in the bathroom or toilet could have come from neighbors, or could have recently crawled out of the sewer.

On a note

In many newspaper news from around the world, there are regular reports of invasions of sewer cockroaches in large and seemingly prosperous cities. Naples, Paris, Istanbul, San Francisco, Moscow are faced with such a cockroach epidemic with enviable regularity. There is nothing surprising in this: in some years, the number of cockroaches in the sewers is growing at a particularly rapid pace. In the summer, they crawl out to the surface and look for suitable places to settle. And the townspeople, accustomed to cleanliness, begin to panic and cut off the phones of the Sanitary and Epidemiological Stations.

You can get rid of sewer cockroaches in the same ways that are used to deal with any other cockroaches: treating the room with insecticidal preparations, setting traps and poisoned baits, and preventing insects from entering the room. All these actions can be performed either by the apartment owners themselves, or these tasks can be entrusted to professional exterminators.

Sewer mutant cockroaches - fact or fiction?

But mutant cockroaches, which are fashionable today to talk on forums or make journal notes, are nothing more than fiction. All currently known reports about mutant cockroaches are easily refuted not even by a specialist biologist, but by a simple enthusiastic young naturalist.

So, for example, reports of the appearance of cockroaches with gills in the basements of houses, which have adapted to the aquatic environment in the sewers, appeared after the discovery of ordinary aquatic swimming beetles in bathrooms by several residents of Ukrainian cities. As they say, fear has big eyes, and people want to become victims of "mutants" without fail.

Here is a photo of a red cockroach:

And here is a photo of a swimming beetle:

On a note

There is nothing surprising in the fact that a cockroach climbs out of the toilet or from the pipe in the bathroom. These insects swim well, and when completely immersed in water, they can survive for a long time. In laboratory experiments, individual red cockroaches came to life after being underwater for an hour, so traveling through the sewers for such a Spartan will not be stressful at all. Therefore, by the way, it is worth remembering that if you flush a cockroach into the toilet, it will simply move down the sewer pipe and almost certainly will not die, but will only find new environment habitats with an abundance of food and water.

The situation is similar with white cockroaches, which people always meet in their homes, but which, at the suggestion of the media, began to talk in some places as mutated monsters. A white cockroach is not a mutant, but just a very recently molted individual that has shed its colored chitinous cover and has not yet had time to form a new one (see example in the photo).

In general, talking about mutant cockroaches is not entirely correct: it takes millions of years for the appearance of any serious functional mutation and its fixation in the insect population (especially when it comes to, for example, the development of the aforementioned gills) - this is much more than in this world There is sewerage and water supply. In this regard, it would be very naive to believe that sewer system in your home is so unique that cockroaches in it undergo such major evolutionary changes in just a few years.

However, changes imperceptible to the human eye in the body of cockroaches still gradually occur - for example, under the influence of chemical substances. It's no secret that for many years of stubborn struggle between man and this insect, the latter has adapted (some will say - mutated) to survive even when poisoned by some insecticidal agent: that is why the industry offers us more and more new, more advanced drugs.

On a note

By the way, the talk that cockroaches will be the only living creatures that will survive a nuclear war is also naive. This is another myth. Cockroaches are indeed more resistant to short-term exposure to radiation than humans, but prolonged fallout of radiation is just as detrimental to them as to all living things. Cockroaches are no different in their "anti-nuclear" properties from other insects, and in the event of a corresponding cataclysm they will die out at about the same rate as, for example, flies or ants.

Cockroaches are not in the apartment: where else can these insects meet in the city

It is logical to assume that if conditions suitable for the life of cockroaches are maintained in some place outside the immediate habitation of a person, then insects will be able to live there as well. Let us recall at least cockroaches in the entrance and in heating mains throughout the city.

But this is just the tip of the iceberg. In fact, cockroaches in the city hide in a huge number of places.

Warehouses for food products and imported products. Here, by the way, among the bunches of bananas and boxes of oranges, you can even meet representatives of exotic species that came to us from across the ocean.
supermarkets and their warehouses. Despite the certificates received from the SES, almost every such room gives shelter to a huge number of cockroaches. And in some places, insects even manage to seep into the trading floors and frighten buyers with their appearance.
Metro. Indeed, the climatic conditions here more or less meet the requirements of cockroaches, especially at the stations. In the subway, garbage accumulates in abundance, which can become a food source for picky insects. Not surprisingly, cockroaches in the subway are, in general, not uncommon.
Kitchens of restaurants and cafes. Yes, yes, absolute cleanliness in such establishments is observed only in the halls for guests. What is happening in the kitchen and who is hiding there among the pots is hidden behind a well behind closed doors.
Greenhouses in which cockroaches simply bliss in warmth, high humidity and an abundance of normal natural food for them.

This list can be continued for a long time: attics and basements, markets, MAFs, greenhouses, enterprises Food Industry, canteens of schools and universities - wherever there is food and heat is maintained, sooner or later cockroaches can start up. And the talk that cockroaches left the cities for Lately seems to be as much of a myth as the notion that these insects will survive a nuclear winter.

On a note

If you find yourself in Egypt, Jordan or Israel and want to experience the thrill - walk through the backyards in the tourist districts in the early morning, when the owners open cafes and sweep out cockroaches that have been poisoned at night. Here you can meet both marble cockroaches, and American ones, and even rarer ones, and in such quantities that it is just right to ask the question: who eats more in this cafe - tourists or insects ...

So do not be alarmed if you suddenly meet a red-haired, mustachioed friend in your favorite supermarket or in a cozy cafe. Even with a careful approach to maintaining order, the owners of the establishment are not always able to prevent insects from entering it.

Ordinary citizens should remember that cockroaches most often get into the house from neighbors or from the entrance, and hide here in the most unexpected places. And if meetings with these pests become too frequent, then you need to contact the pest control services, or start an independent fight.

Interesting video: another hot news about “mutant cockroaches”…

Sewer cockroaches occupy the first floors of a multi-storey building

Destruction of cockroaches with the help of special glue traps

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Cockroaches are uninvited guests in the apartment. Therefore, in order to successfully fight them, you need to know how they reproduce, how many larvae appear from one cockroach fruit, what is their life cycle.

The peculiarity of this order of insects is that the chain of their development is interrupted at the pupal stage, and from the larva (nymph) immediately appears adult insect(imago).

The nymph can remain in this stage of development from one and a half months to several years, shedding and increasing in size. How many times she sheds her skin, so much will increase. The maturation of the nymph is affected by poor environment, malnutrition and exposure to chemicals.

Adults have sex organs and may have wings that they do not use. At the adult stage, these insects have glands that secrete an odorous substance. It attracts a partner and repels enemies. May be an allergen for humans.

That is why we need to fight them. At this stage, the insect also continues to grow, shedding its skin.

Features of breeding cockroaches

Cockroaches are non-viviparous creatures. They are ovoviviparous or oviparous insects. Their embryo is in the egg and is not connected with the mother's body, but at the same time, in ovoviviparous, it is in the body of the female before birth.

Reproduction of cockroaches is a very unusual process. Do not confuse the two terms associated with it: egg and capsule (ootheca), from where insects are “born”.

Cockroach eggs are laid directly in the body of the female in a special chamber of the abdomen. A lot of sticky secretion also enters there, quickly and completely enveloping the embryo, which is released from a special organ.

At the end of the formation of the capsule, it is clogged with a secret. At the same time, most of the ootheca is visible from the body of the female, who carries this camera with her. This phenomenon is not typical for all species of these insects. The ovoviviparous female carries the ootheca in her body for as long as necessary.

The development of eggs inside such a chamber occurs under certain conditions. If temperature regime does not match, development stops. Optimal for development is + 30 degrees.

Ways to deal with cockroaches

Another feature of cockroach reproduction is interesting: a female can meet with a male only once in her life and use the resulting seed material for further fertilization of eggs.

What are cockroach eggs

Packed in a special chamber, weak larvae are reliably protected from harmful effects environment. Such an egg produces only one larva, which later turns into one adult insect.

Ooteka can be different shapes, colors and sizes. It depends on the type of individuals. The wall near the chamber is hard and very strong, similar to the shell of bird eggs. Developing embryos feel comfortable there.

In such a capsule, depending on the type of individuals, the female lays from 20 to 50 eggs. They lie in even rows very close to each other: two in height and two in width. They are about one millimeter long. The shell is transparent, light yellow or white, allowing you to see the embryo through a microscope.

If you carefully open the finished ootheca, you can see how many compartments for larvae are there and what cockroach eggs look like inside this shell.

Features of ootheca

The presence of a special capsule is one of the features of how cockroaches reproduce.

Ooteka means "egg storage" in Greek. It separates future individuals from external environment and has the following purpose and features:

Madagascar hissing cockroach - larvae

inside this capsule, eggs develop within 30-75 days; the higher the temperature and humidity, the faster the insect hatches;
as many cockroaches will hatch from one ootheca as there were eggs in it;
durable capsule shell provides proper development larvae and high survival rate of individuals;
the capsule can withstand temperatures from -5 to +50 degrees, it is also not afraid of pesticides;
on average, one female lays up to 35 future cockroaches in such a capsule 4-5 times in her life.

After the larvae mature, the wall of the ootheca bursts, and the small insects quickly leave their shelter.

Cockroach "nests"

Females of different orders are divided into two types: those who always carry the capsule with them and lay it in a secluded place.

In the former, the capsule is attached to the abdomen. How larger view insect, the more ootheca will be visible. It can contain up to 75 eggs. When the time comes, a live cockroach hatches out of the capsule one by one, and it seems that the female is giving birth.

After that, some species of insects show a kind of concern for their offspring, when the kids hide for some time under the mother's belly. Then they scatter, as they can eat on their own after birth.

If there are cockroaches in the house - they live under the plinth

The female of the second species hides the capsule in a secluded place. In nature, these are safe gaps between stones, roots, under leaves, in dry earth or wood.

Indoors, such a place can be:

gap between furniture and wall;
distance from furniture to floor;
in the kitchen between the sink and cabinet;
under skirting boards;
in the vent;
In bathroom;
on the shelves in the pantry.

Sometimes during cleaning you can find such capsules. If they are empty, they must be thrown away, and not yet opened, destroyed.

How cockroaches hatch

The embryo that is inside is constantly moving, simultaneously absorbing all the nutrients in the fluid surrounding it. Gradually increasing in size, the larva no longer fits and breaks the shell. Then she begins to gnaw through the wall of the ootheca and quickly gets out.

The process of "birth" of young individuals lasts several hours. The larvae leaving the capsule are transparent and have a white tint. As it grows, the chitinous cover becomes hard and darkens.

Usually the mother does not take care of her offspring. The born larvae simply stay next to it for about two hours, then quickly scatter into secluded cracks and do not contact each other.

Video: Cockroaches, ways to deal with them

If you've ever encountered a cockroach at home, in a restaurant, or in a public restroom, it may have been the black cockroach (Blatta orientalis), the American cockroach (Periplaneta americana), or the furniture cockroach (Supella longipalpa). But it is more likely that it was a red (Blattella germanica) cockroach, or in a simple way, the Prussian - the most common type of synanthropic cockroaches. Meeting a cockroach indoors, regardless of its species, is unlikely to please anyone, and even more so if it happens at home.

We will discuss in this article how to find out if there are cockroaches at home, where they hide, and how to find a cockroach lair in an apartment.

How to find out if there are cockroaches in the apartment

An indirect sign of the presence of cockroaches in the house will be the products of their vital activity - dark fecal spots and capsules with eggs, called ootheca. Similar evidence is found, for example, in kitchen drawers, under the sink, or on the hinges of cabinets and interior doors. And the fact that the colony of cockroaches in the apartment has reached alarming proportions will also be evidenced by a specific smell.

Where do cockroaches live in an apartment

Areas suitable for cockroaches in the kitchen: under the sink, behind and under the refrigerator, inside built-in kitchen furniture, inside the microwave oven and other kitchen appliances. In addition, cockroaches inhabit cracks in baseboards and ceiling moldings, cavities under peeled wallpaper, gaps between hanging cabinets and the wall, hidden spaces on the floor under the working area of the kitchen, ventilation holes, and so on.

In sanitary rooms, cockroaches hide under the bathtub, under a hanging mirror, in cabinets, in boxes hiding pipe risers. If the rooms are sheathed with plastic panels, this creates a lot of additional space where cockroaches can hide.

As the colony grows, synanthropic pests also look for places convenient for shelters in other rooms of the apartment: these are furniture, baseboards, and household appliances - any secluded corner. The number of cockroach shelters in an apartment directly depends on its technical condition. If the house has not been renovated for a long time, cracks abound in the floor and walls, and wallpaper peels off, then, accordingly, cockroaches have a place to roam.

The situation with cockroaches also depends on how carefully the house is kept clean and tidy. If the owners do not allow dirty dishes, crumbs and food leftovers to remain on the tables overnight, if regular wet cleaning of the floor is carried out, and grease does not accumulate on the stove, then it will be difficult for cockroaches to find food.

How to find a cockroach nest in an apartment

To find out and prevent cockroaches from breeding, arm yourself with a flashlight and inspect the apartment, starting with the kitchen and bathroom. Check cabinets under sinks, drawers of kitchen furniture, food and dish cabinets and shelves, look under window sills and behind radiators. Move the refrigerator away from the wall and inspect the back wall, remove or lift hanging cabinets to see if cockroaches are hiding under them. Light up the vents and risers with a flashlight, check the space under the bathtub and washing machine.

Where do cockroaches live

It is difficult to associate a clean, bright apartment with a place where cockroaches live. But insects can settle in such a place. Arthropods breed quickly and regularly develop new territories. Yesterday's residents of the garbage chute in the entrance can at any time be on the kitchen table or in the sink. Ways of entry into the home are:

ventilation ducts;
cracks under the door and in the walls;
with things after staying in a hotel (dormitory);
with parcels, the longer they travel, the more likely you are to get insects.

Information. A common variant of the appearance of cockroaches in an apartment is relocation from an adjacent room treated with insecticides.

In order for insects to stay and breed in a new place, they need several conditions:

There are quite a few places where cockroaches hide. They love the heat. Therefore, they often crawl into electrical devices: microwaves, refrigerator, computer system unit, dishwasher. Another favorite place is under the sink or bathtub, near the water.

Varieties of cockroaches in the apartment

Red cockroach (Prussian) is a small insect with an elongated oval body 10-13 mm long. The color is reddish-yellow, there are wings. Larvae are dark brown, ootheca (place of laying eggs) 6-8 mm, light brown. The cockroach is prolific, takes care of the offspring. Which has a positive effect on its size.
The black cockroach is an adult 20-26 mm in size, the body is flat, the color is black, shiny. The larvae are also black, the egg capsule is brown and ribbed. In terms of the number of identified colonies, it is inferior to Prusak, but surpasses it in size. Insects prefer the lower floors of houses, garbage chutes.
The American cockroach is a brown or brownish insect, 28-44 mm long. Nymphs are red-brown, the egg cocoon is in the form of a quadrangular glossy capsule. The species has not become widespread as the Prussian, but successfully develops new territories. The life expectancy of adults is up to 3 years.

Detailed information about the offspring of insects in the article.

Harm from insects

How to find a nest of cockroaches in an apartment?

To get rid of the invasion of cockroaches, you will need to find their nest. Insects do not build it from improvised materials, this is a secluded place where they hide during the day and feel safe. It is better to start your search from the kitchen, this room has everything you need for a comfortable life of arthropods. Where to look:

back side of the refrigerator (heat exchanger);
peeling wallpaper on the walls;
under linoleum, if it is not fixed;
for the plinth;
in kitchen drawers and tables;
under the sink.

The habitat of insects is often the toilet and bathroom, where it has access to moisture. In rooms, they hide behind panels, false ceilings, baguettes. Cardboard boxes are a common option for making nests. You should carefully inspect all secluded places, experts advise using a flashlight in search. A beam of light will make the insects become active.

Signs of cockroaches in the house

Timely detection of pests in the room will help to cope with them faster. From people renting an apartment, the fact of the presence of cockroaches in it is carefully hidden. Neighborhood with insects causes many problems, it is desirable to detect their presence as early as possible. How to find out if there are cockroaches in the apartment? It is worth inspecting the rooms and paying attention to the following signs:

Dark dots on walls and furniture surfaces left over from insect feces.
Pieces of chitinous cover scattered after molting.
Ooteks (egg capsules) on the floor and in secluded places.

Any sign is enough to make sure that the room is infected. When looking for a nest in an apartment, you will have to apply physical force - move the refrigerator and gas stove, remove hanging cabinets. In these places, pests traditionally gather. There, dark traces merge into spots, a large number of chitinous skins shed by larvae.

Advice. At night, go to the kitchen and turn on the light, if there are cockroaches in the apartment, they can be detected visually. It is worth looking into cabinets and drawers.

Ways to deal with cockroaches

Many chemicals to get rid of pests. They are available in the form of dusts, gels, pencils, sprays. The use of aerosols "Raptor", "Raid" gives a quick effect. Insecticides are sprayed in the nest, where insects gather. Preparations in the form of gels and dusts are also applied to the path of movement of pests. With a small number of colonies, it is enough to decompose poisoned baits. They are made from egg yolk and boric acid.

As preventive measures it is recommended to get rid of all water leaks, lack of access to food. Products are stored in plastic or glass containers with a lid. Compliance sanitary norms and cleanliness is the main preventive measure.