Even if you are not at all interested in entomology (the science of insects), everyone, without exception, has heard about cockroaches. And there is absolutely no guarantee that one fine, or rather not at all wonderful, day you will not find this “cute” creature in your kitchen or bathroom.
The prospect of such a neighborhood will clearly not please anyone. The presence of cockroaches in the house significantly worsens the sanitary and hygienic situation, which in turn creates the risk of infectious diseases. And in principle, the sight of cockroaches crawling on a plate with leftover food evokes a feeling of disgust and disgust.
It has long been known that forewarned means forearmed, and knowledge of the fundamentally important features of the existence of these insects allows us to successfully resist their invasion and not give these pests a single chance to survive and reproduce.
Signs of cockroaches in the house
For a number of reasons, residents of our country have to deal with such types of cockroaches as red (Prusak) and, somewhat less often, black. Initially, when a house or apartment is infested with these insects, when the population size is still small, it is not always possible to detect them. Cockroaches are predominantly nocturnal; they are quite cautious and shy.
To find out if there are cockroaches in your apartment, you can follow both a simple and one hundred percent correct solution: go into the kitchen or toilet at night and suddenly turn on the light. It is possible that the picture you see will not please you at all. Crowds of insects scurrying back and forth are not a sight for the faint of heart.
Another sign of the appearance of uninvited guests in the house, claiming to become full-fledged owners, is the appearance of black grains, similar to poppy seeds, in kitchen cabinets, on the refrigerator and other places.
Cockroach in the apartment
This is nothing more than the excrement of your new neighbors. You may also find cockroach larvae, eggs, and remains of the chitinous layer (outer cover) of insects. A characteristic unpleasant odor appears. It is necessary to act in the current situation immediately and in the most decisive manner.
Where cockroaches hide: the best places to hide a colony
Cockroaches hide in flocks in places inaccessible to humans. They can be found: behind radiators, under and behind the refrigerator, kitchen cabinets, behind the bathtub and sink, in the cracks of the walls and floor. Insects can also get into electrical appliances and damage them. One of the favorite hiding places for parasites is the gaps under baseboards and window sills. In corners and on hinges of kitchen cabinet doors. They go out hunting for food at night and hide during the day.
In the quiz from the Odnoklassniki network “Matryoshka” (episode 315), this question was asked to people. The most common answers were: cracks (39%), furniture (17%) and head (8%). The last habitat of cockroaches is more difficult to fight. “Matryoshka” has not yet answered this question.
If you find at least one individual or the presence of their waste, it is important to inspect hard-to-reach places, nooks and crannies
Ways of penetration of cockroaches into a home
Absolutely no one is safe from cockroaches entering a person’s home, especially if it is located in an apartment building, where there is also a garbage chute. The paths of cockroaches pass through ventilation passages, cracks in partitions and many other, almost microscopic holes.
Sometimes a person brings them with him in a suitcase from a tourist trip or simply brings them in a shopping bag from the nearest supermarket. This is often enough for a whole colony of cockroaches to settle in the apartment within a month or a month and a half, taking over more and more spaces every day.
Household appliances, especially used ones: irons, microwaves, refrigerators, can be an excellent means of moving a cockroach family to a new apartment.
Even the World Wide Web has contributed to the cockroach migration and emigration process. By placing an order via the Internet, you can, with a certain degree of probability, receive a couple of red or black cockroaches along with the purchased product as a dubious bonus.
Reproduction process
If you have ever found a cockroach nest at least once in your life, this picture will stay with you for a long time. How many of them are there: tens, hundreds, thousands? It seems that the population of these insects is growing literally before our eyes! But how quickly do cockroaches actually reproduce?
In order for a new generation to appear, it is necessary to have two sexually mature individuals, male and female, since they reproduce sexually. The female is slightly larger in size and secretes odorous substances, inviting the male to mate, after which she lays eggs.
Most species of cockroaches have wings, but the need to use them in an apartment has long ceased.
- Over about 2-3 weeks, the eggs develop into the first larval stage in a special protective capsule called an edema, which the female carries with her for a while and then leaves in a safe place.
- When the first stage of larval development is reached (and this can take more than 3 weeks), if environmental conditions are unfavorable, the juveniles leave the edema. If when you hear the word “larva” you imagine something inactive and worm-like, then cockroach larvae will surprise you. They are called nymphs and look like a miniature version of the adult. Accordingly, they eat and run around the apartment just as actively.
The older the domestic cockroach, the lighter its color: if adult individuals - imago - have a reddish color, then the larvae are almost black.
- Cockroaches undergo an incomplete process of metamorphosis: there is no pupation stage. And they grow with the help of molts, of which there are 5-7 throughout the life of the larvae. Each molt brings the individual closer to sexual maturity, but how quickly this process takes place depends only on external conditions. If the nymphs are in a warm and humid place with an abundance of food, they will be ready for fertilization after 4 months. The colder, drier and hungrier it is, the longer it will take the insect to reach sexual maturity.
- A sexually mature individual of a domestic pest lives for about 7 months. How often can she give birth to new offspring? The problem is that after the first fertilization, the female stores the male's reproductive cells for subsequent clutches and, under favorable conditions, will not miss the opportunity to lay eggs about twice a month. On average, during her life she manages to lay 10-15 clutches of 15-20 eggs in each edema.
There are viviparous species, such as Madagascar cockroaches, that can be kept as pets. This system is also characteristic of some other large tropical species.
It turns out that red cockroaches reproduce not too quickly, but in geometric progression. And in order to start a nest, all it takes is one sexually mature female, who accidentally wandered into your apartment and found the conditions in it suitable. Adding fuel to the fire are the larvae, which look almost the same as the adults. But why did they find your home attractive?
Where do cockroaches usually live?
In terms of household amenities, cockroaches are clearly unpretentious. Their home can be any secluded place in the house - a crack, a gap, the space under the sink, behind the refrigerator, inside built-in furniture and a microwave oven, baseboards, peeling wallpaper, books... You can’t list it all. The places where cockroaches live in an apartment can be the most unexpected.
The main thing is that it is warm and satisfying. And there must be water.
Red cockroaches
The red cockroach (Blattellagermanica) or the red cockroach is the most commonly encountered species of these insects. It can grow up to two centimeters in length. Has a dark brown color. The insect's wings, located on the back, are not used for their intended purpose, but they help when jumping.
Nest
There can be a lot of places in an apartment where cockroaches hide. In addition to the kitchen and bathroom, they can even settle in the bedroom, especially if the owner has a habit of having snacks in bed. It is extremely annoying when the Prussians occupy the bookcase, dirtying books with their excrement.
Black cockroaches
The black cockroach (often called the basement cockroach) has a shiny black color, it has no wings, grows up to 3 cm in length. It runs very fast. Cockroaches of this species live mainly on the lower floors, in semi-basements and basements.
Places where cockroaches hide in an apartment can often be recognized by an unpleasant specific smell. Insects easily change their location, so in apartment buildings you need to fight them together, otherwise the victory over these burdensome neighbors will be very short-lived. The main blow must be delivered to garbage chutes and basements, and it is advisable to resort to the help of a specialized organization.
Congestion zones
Where do cockroaches hide?
The kitchen is a favorite place to live, because there is always an abundance of food and water. The last 2 resources are the main magnet for little “guests”. Therefore, any conscientious exterminator advises keeping food covered, thoroughly wiping tables, and never leaving dirty dishes out overnight. Pests can be found in the following places:
- Under and near the sink - there are always leftover food and liquid to satisfy thirst;
- In the trash can - the reasons are the same;
- Behind the cars, refrigerators and dishwashers generate heat, creating a romantic environment for insects to breed;
- Behind cabinets, dark areas make you feel protected.
These are pretty standard places. Here it is worth adding computer system units and cases of other equipment. Take a look at more unusual spots where cockroaches hide:
Paper warehouses : newspapers, books and notebooks are a favorite delicacy of omnivores. There are rumors that they especially like the works of Leo Nikolaevich Tolstoy. It's a joke, but the truth is that insects happily eat paper and cardboard products.
Sewerage : Drainage inevitably leaves greasy deposits on the walls of pipes. There are also pieces of food there. Therefore, insects can constantly run out of the drain. Today, plumbing stores sell vents with valves to seal out odors. They don't let cockroaches through.
Ceiling : It is recommended to check the roof carefully. This is especially true in the presence of wet and moldy corners, wallpaper and baseboards falling off from above. Professionals are full of stories about how creatures begin to fall on people’s heads. There have been cases when such a situation frightened children, after which they had to seek psychological help.
Cockroach nest
A cockroach nest is a large accumulation of cockroach individuals swarming among food debris, chitinous shells, cockroach feces, and dead relatives. Ootecae (capsules with larvae) and nymph-larvae are also located here. It is not difficult to imagine what this rookery looks like. It's not a pleasant sight!
In addition, there is always a special sickening smell around the nest to one degree or another. It can sometimes be really difficult for an unprepared person to overcome the gag reflex.
How to find a nest of cockroaches in an apartment?
Having at least an approximate idea of what cockroach nests look like, you need to immediately begin searching for and eliminating them. It will be much easier to do this if you know what kind of life these insects lead. Since their primary need is water, such a nest will most likely be in the kitchen or, alternatively, in the bathroom.
Carefully, with a flashlight in hand, you need to inspect all hard-to-reach places - behind the refrigerator and dishwasher, under the sink, etc. Watching insects also helps. In case of danger, they most often rush to their nest. If you try hard, everything will definitely work out.
Favorite habitats
To understand how to find a nest of cockroaches in an apartment or in a private house, you must first find out what living conditions they prefer. Any living organism needs nutrition. This fully applies to cockroaches. But without food, the insect can easily survive a month. Something else is more important for them – water. Without liquid, a cockroach will not survive even two days. It is for these reasons that the nest is often found near sources of moisture. Their “home” can be found in the location of the sink or dishwasher.
Cockroaches do not like to feed and reproduce in plain sight. For normal life and reproduction, they require a secluded place. In an apartment or private house, finding such hard-to-reach places for insects is not difficult. Most often their nests are found:
- under baseboards and door jambs. Here, voids are commonplace. At the same time, even after recent renovations, gaps between the floor, walls and baseboard remain. Two millimeters is enough for a cockroach to enter its home;
- the space, even small, between the walls and peeling wallpaper is also suitable for a nest;
- Insects also find a secluded place for breeding on the back of furniture. Objects installed in the kitchen and rarely moved are more suitable;
- cockroaches also choose large cracks in the walls or floor as a suitable shelter;
- if insects “come” from the entrance, then their favorite place to “reside” is the garbage chute. There is plenty of food, moisture and the temperature is suitable for reproduction.
To summarize, three “things” are required for the normal existence of a colony. The first factor is the proximity of water. The second factor is the presence of food nearby. There is plenty of moisture in the bathroom, but nests are rare here. This is due to the fact that there is little food for cockroaches in such a room. The third important component is a secluded place. It is safer for them to rest and reproduce in dark corners.
Temperature conditions are also important. Insects of this species love rooms where the temperature is above plus fifteen degrees all year round. They like to place their nests close to a heat source. Insects were also found in refrigerators, but here they settled close to heat distribution units. For this reason, cockroaches “build” their shelters in other household appliances.
How to destroy a nest?
Insecticides are great for eliminating swarms of cockroaches:
- aerosols;
- gels;
- crayons.
Gel
It is good to install traps along the path of cockroaches. No one has canceled the master's slipper either, however, its efficiency (efficiency factor) is extremely low, especially if the cockroaches seriously decide to occupy your home for a long time.
When working with chemicals, you must follow the instructions exactly, since almost all of them are dangerous to humans and pets.
Of the proven folk remedies, boric acid . The powder is mixed with boiled egg yolk, then small balls are formed from this mixture and placed throughout the house. The main thing is to be persistent and not give up.
Ways to control cockroaches
The appearance of pests is not always associated with unsanitary conditions in the room; they also settle in a clean kitchen. It is enough for them to have access to water; almost any organic matter serves as food for insects. The fight against parasites is carried out comprehensively, using physical and chemical methods. An effective option is to freeze the room; cockroaches die at sub-zero temperatures. But this is a seasonal method and is not suitable for everyone. Available physical methods are mechanical destruction and installation of glue traps.
Many chemicals have been developed to get rid of pests. They are available in the form of dusts, gels, pencils, and sprays. The use of Raptor and Raid aerosols gives a quick effect. Insecticides are sprayed into the nest, a place where insects gather. Preparations in the form of gels and dusts are also applied along the routes of pest movement. If the colony size is small, it is enough to spread out poisoned baits. They are prepared from egg yolk and boric acid.
As preventive measures, it is recommended to get rid of all water leaks and have no access to food. Products are stored in plastic or glass containers with a lid. Compliance with sanitary standards and cleanliness is the main preventive measure.
What can be done to stop cockroaches from multiplying?
It is almost impossible to fight a cockroach infestation alone, especially in an apartment building. It is best to team up with your neighbors and invite professionals.
Prevention measures:
- timely destruction of spoiled products;
- storing perishable foods in the refrigerator, and cereals and other bulk products in tightly closed jars;
- daily trash removal;
- maintaining cleanliness and order;
- widespread removal of water and moisture;
- maintaining pipes and plumbing, sealing cracks and crevices;
- installing mesh on ventilation holes.
