A flying cockroach from an insectophobe's nightmares

“Cucaracha”
(Spanish
La Cucaracha
, “cockroach”) is a comic folk song in Spanish in the corrido genre.
It became popular during the Mexican Revolution of the early 20th century, as government troops were called “cockroaches.” However, there are references [ source not specified 2817 days
] songs dating back to 1883 and even 1818.

Lyrics

There are many versions of the song's lyrics in Spanish (for example [1] or [2]). The most popular chorus in the song is about the cucaracha. Nowadays, variations of the chorus mentioning the number of legs are used as a counting rhyme by children.

Chorus options:

The marijuana version refers to President Victoriano Huerta, a usurper who drank heavily and used marijuana and came to power through the assassination of the popular President Francisco Madero, who started the revolutionary movement. Madero is also mentioned in the next verse of the song:

The story of Nodar Dumbadze

“Kukaracha” is a story by Georgian writer Nodar Dumbadze, written in 1980. The story talks about a young district inspector, who is called Cucaracha because of his dark skin color, but no one really knows what this word means. The inspector is trying to reason with the local boys, who do nothing but destroy and damage the environment, he tries to encourage teenagers and adults to be kinder and more attentive to the place in which they live, but it is not so easy for him to find a common language with people.

The inspector resorts to different methods of education, while simultaneously fighting for a girl who is in love with a bandit. But Inga (the main character) believes that the criminal’s love is real, and when the bandit was caught by Cucarach, the villain accuses the girl and covers her with the dirtiest words. Inga asks to free the thief, because she is afraid of the contempt of others, and the main character agrees, but receives in full for the kind gesture: the story ends with the villain killing the kind and sympathetic inspector. He was, of course, convicted, but the next day the Great Patriotic War began, and this whole story was told by a boy whom Cucaracha taught and mentored. The rather instructive story of Nodar Dumbadze has stood the test of time and changes in values, but still remains relevant to this day.

In Russian

There are at least three sung versions of the song in Russian. The lyrics in Russian are not translations from Spanish and have no relation to the original version.

Klavdiya Novikova performed a song with the text:

I’m almost crying out of frustration... There’s a volcano in my chest: He told me “Cucaracha” - It means cockroach! Even though she is dark and black, such is the law of fate. So why have you been in love with a “cockroach” for so long?!... <...> If I meet a rival, I won’t start a quarrel with her. I won’t answer a word, I won’t even say “stupid.” It doesn’t suit me to be a rattler and pugnacious like a goat. I'll just scratch out your beauty's eyes.[1]

The text, sung by, among others, Eduard Gil, begins with the words:

I'm a cucaracha, I'm a cucaracha, that's what you called me. But I’m not crying, but I’m not crying, that’s what you said, not out of malice. I am a cucaracha, I am a cucaracha, I laugh, I move my mustache. And this means, and this means that I love you most of all.[2]

The song was sung by Irina Bogushevskaya with a different text:

We recently bought a dacha; there was a suitcase at the dacha. And we got a foreign cockroach to boot. We just put on the record and start the gramophone. In yellow leather boots, he jumps on the record. “I am a cucaracha, I am a cucaracha,” sings the cockroach. “I am a cucaracha, I am a cucaracha” - American cockroach.[3]

The song “We're Going on Vacation” is played to the music of “Cucaracha” in the cartoon “Three Heroes on Distant Shores”

Programming language

What is “cucaracha” in the language of information technology? There is a special Windows-based program that develops logic and teaches the basics of programming for children from seven years of age: the child gives commands to a bug crawling on the screen and solves problems of various kinds: from mathematics to how to control a computer and software. In “Cucaracha” there is an interesting series of algorithms, schemes, tasks - everything is given in an easy way in a playful way, which makes it interesting for kids to learn while playing, and the Cucaracha bug unobtrusively points out mistakes and ways to correct them.

Cartoon "Oggy and the Cucarachi"

There are many cartoons about cockroaches, but the most famous is the French animated series "Oggy and the Cucarachi", which has already had five seasons in its arsenal. Each episode tells how a cat named Oggy, calm and kind, shares his home with nasty and cruel cockroaches.

In this film, the cucaracha is a gang of cunning ordinary people who are trying to take possession of the contents of Oggy's refrigerator, forcing the good-natured cat to fall into various traps. In some ways, this series is reminiscent of the more famous American version of “Tom and Jerry” or our dear “Leopold the Cat”. DiDi is the stupidest and gluttonous one, he can sing well, Joey is the leader of the gang, it is in his head that ideas for conquering the territory come, and the last character of Mark, very thin and tall, is considered the most aggressive, but this does not stop him from winning women’s hearts. By the way, the cockroaches were named after the rock band Ramones.

A flying cockroach from an insectophobe's nightmares

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Good day to my dear readers. I’m sure each of us has heard the funny word “cucaracha” at least once. This is the name of an effective and easy-to-use remedy for cockroaches, and it is also the name of a humorous song in Spanish. “Cucaracha” translated from Spanish means “cockroach” - this is what government troops were called during the Mexican Revolution at the beginning of the 20th century.

In addition, the cucaracha is the name of the flying American cockroach. So, let's find out what Cucaracha is, where you can find the flying giant insect and how to use the drug.

A flying cockroach from an insectophobe's nightmares

Imagine for a moment an ordinary and familiar Prussian. Introduced? Did you feel disgust and a desire to quickly kill the bastard? Now sympathize with the Americans, who have the same one, only flying and up to 5 cm long. This creature, called the “cucaracha,” is actually nothing more than an American cockroach. Africa is considered its homeland, and since 1695 the flying giant has lived in North America.

Fortunately, we don’t have any of these here, but if you’re planning to travel around America or Europe, be on your guard and don’t accidentally bring a couple of individuals home - our compatriots will have enough of ordinary cockroaches. Below I will tell you how, using a product named after a comic song and an American cockroach, you can successfully fight against domestic Prussians.

How does this product with a strange name work?

The drug contains two active substances - cypermethrin and malathion. The first is a powerful pesticide that poisons the body by penetrating through the chitinous integument. Malathion accelerates the action of cypermethrin, leaving the individual no chance. In addition, the product sticks to the legs and abdomen of the cockroach, so one individual upon returning to the nest can infect the entire population. Death occurs on average half an hour after contact with the poison. As you can see, Cucaracha helps to quickly and effectively destroy insects in the apartment. Now I will tell you how to use this product and in what form the manufacturer produces it.

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Cucaracha emulsion

The most common format of the product is an emulsion, packaged in bottles of 50 and 1000 ml. A small bottle will be enough to treat an apartment, and a large bottle will be useful for disinsection of large industrial premises. Each package contains instructions, but just in case, we’ll talk in detail about how to use Cucaracha against cockroaches:

• First, prepare the apartment for disinfestation: take children and pets away, hide toys and dishes, take away plants and flowers, put food in the refrigerator.
• Before use, dilute the emulsion in water in the following proportion: 3 ml of emulsion per 1 liter of water. It's better to take cool water.
• After the solution is ready, do not forget to wear personal protective equipment: gloves, goggles, a respirator and clothing that covers the entire body.
• Are you packed? Let's start processing. Using a spray bottle, we apply the solution in corners, on baseboards, on the back surfaces of furniture, in the ventilation shaft and sewer riser - in general, in all those places where cockroaches live or can crawl.
• After all insect habitats have been generously sprayed with the solution, you need to open the windows and leave the apartment for 4-5 hours.

Cucaracha is highly poisonous to people and animals, so do a thorough cleaning when you return. Do not forget to listen to how you feel: nausea, dizziness, headache and weakness can become symptoms of intoxication. In this case, you must immediately seek medical help.

Deadly Cucaracha granules

In addition to the emulsion, the product is produced in granular form in packages of 30 and 100 g. I have recommendations for you on the use of granules to achieve a quick effect:

• Put on gloves and carefully open the packet of poison.
• Place a few granules (about a teaspoon) on a backing (you can use a piece of paper, but usually special plastic backings are sold complete with the poison).
• Leave poisonous treats in places where cockroaches are likely to be: near the trash can, on kitchen cabinets, under the refrigerator, etc.

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One individual, having been in contact with the granules, will provoke an entire epidemic, destroying the entire population of cockroaches. The complete death of all individuals will take two to three days.

Please note - the product is highly toxic, therefore it is prohibited:

• pour the granules into the drain;
• leave poison in places where children and pets can find it;
• use food containers to place granules - such dishes will have to be thrown away;
• work with granules without appropriate protection - rubber gloves, a respirator and long sleeves.

Cucaracha - all the pros and cons

Like any pest control product, Cucaracha has a number of advantages and disadvantages. Let's first consider the positive aspects of the product:

• Maximum effectiveness - the poison leaves no chance for a single individual thanks to the combination of two active substances in its composition.
• Speed ​​of disinsection - complete destruction of all cockroaches will take a maximum of three days.
• Cheap and accessible - the drug is sold in hardware stores and is inexpensive.
• Lack of smell - Cucaracha has such a subtle aroma that you will only notice it if you sniff it specifically. As you understand, it is prohibited to do this, otherwise you risk getting poisoned.
• Versatility - with the help of Cucarachi you can defeat not only cockroaches, but also woodlice, silverfish, bedbugs, ants and, in general, any insects that have entered your home. As you can see, the product has all the qualities of an ideal pest control agent. Now let's look at its disadvantages.
• The first and main drawback is that Cucaracha is very toxic. If your pet licks the solution or eats a few granules, your pet could be killed. A person should exercise no less caution to avoid the hazardous health consequences of intoxication.
• Inconvenient to use - the emulsion must be diluted with water, look for a suitable container; The granules need to be poured onto a substrate and placed around the apartment. This is a serious drawback, especially compared to modern insecticidal traps, which simply need to be taken out of the package and left indoors.

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Actually, these are all arguments against the use of this product in the fight against domestic insects - Cucarachi has many more advantages. Most importantly, do not forget about personal protective equipment, carefully read the instructions for use on the packaging and strictly follow all the manufacturer’s recommendations.

After disinfestation, do not forget to ventilate and wash the apartment, and also listen to your health - if the alarming symptoms of poisoning do not go away for more than two hours, this is a serious reason to consult a doctor to prevent serious health consequences. Subscribe to blog updates so as not to miss important and interesting information. See you soon! Sincerely, blog author Mikhail Leshchenko