How long do domestic cockroaches live in different conditions?

Cockroaches are one of the most unpleasant insects, but information about them is of interest. The details of the existence of arthropods are so amazing that they become the basis for various myths. The most frequently asked question is: how long do cockroaches live without food and water? Incredibly hardy representatives of the fauna are able to survive even without a head.

Stages of life

All cockroaches develop in an incomplete cycle, that is, they do not have the stage of turning a larva into a pupa. Females lay eggs in an ooteca (a special capsule at the end of the abdomen) and carry it with them. The eggs develop in it, then the female either drops the “children”, like, for example, red cockroaches, or carries them with her until they are fully born, like a Prussian.

Small parasites are “born” as almost transparent, white nymphs, after which their chitin darkens and hardens. This process can last up to two months at warm and favorable temperatures. The lifespan of an adult is approximately 20-30 weeks.

There are also long-livers, for example, the black domestic cockroach, which lives up to several years. In principle, if you have such parasites in your home, then in about a couple of months they can build a colony of hundreds of fellow tribesmen. Females live much longer than males and are very fertile.

The eggs are formed and laid in a kind of capsule

Life cycle of cockroaches

In the European part of Russia, there are 2 types of domestic cockroaches: red cockroaches and black cockroaches. Both species are practically omnivores: cockroaches live by eating not only food waste, but also paper, soap, electrical wiring, fabrics, etc.

These tenacious insects have a development cycle characterized by incomplete metamorphosis, i.e. absence of the stage of development of the larva into the pupa:

• After fertilization, females lay down about 30 pieces. eggs into a capsule on the abdomen called an ooteca. Over the course of 2-4 weeks, as the eggs grow, it darkens and increases in size.
• After maturation, the ootheca is discarded by the female in a hard-to-reach place, warm and humid, necessary for the further development of the nymphs hatched from it - white cockroaches 2-3 mm in size. Some types of parasites carry a capsule immediately before the babies hatch and can look after them. There are also viviparous species, the most famous of which is the Madagascar cockroach.
• Within 2 months at a temperature of about 30ºC, the nymphs grow, go through the molting stage, the chitinous shells become harder, and they turn into adult insects. Under more unfavorable conditions and lower temperatures, development may be delayed by up to 6 months.
• Rufous adults can live 20-30 weeks depending on conditions.

The most common types of cockroaches and their lifespan

In this article I would like to highlight 3 types of cockroaches, which are one of the most common, while only 2 species live within our territorial borders:

1. A red-haired cockroach or a Russian cockroach - perhaps most apartment residents are familiar with these nosy reddish or brown scoundrels. Prussians live on the second floor and above, deftly moving through ventilation airlocks, thanks to which they are able to crawl into almost any apartment. The average lifespan of red cockroaches is approximately 10 months, provided that the insect is in a favorable environment and has access to water and food.

   

2. Black or basement cockroach - their main distinguishing feature is their black color, more massive body and the fact that they live only in basements and not above the first floor. The lifespan of black cockroaches is somewhat shorter than their red relatives; on average, they live about 8 months.

   

3. American cockroach - this species is practically not found in our latitudes, but compared to the first two it has significant differences. First of all, American cockroaches are much larger, and on average they live for about 2-3 years.

   

The oldest neighbors of man

For most people, the word “cockroaches” evokes disgust and unpleasant associations: they immediately imagine annoying insects cohabiting with a person in a dirty, untidy house. Although from a scientific point of view, these representatives of the animal world, whose lives are closely intertwined with the existence of humanity and are rich in interesting facts, are of great interest.

The cockroach order is one of the oldest groups in the class of insects. The remains of individuals are found already in the upper deposits of the Carboniferous genealogical period, which means that cockroaches existed 280-350 million years ago. It is not surprising that this particular type of insect has perfectly acclimatized and adapted to human habitation.

Thanks to their proximity to people, modern species of domestic cockroaches have perfectly adapted to existence in deserts and steppes, and have learned to survive in the taiga cold and the rarefied atmosphere of mountain ranges.

The characteristic appearance, image and lifespan of insects directly depend on the conditions in which they modified during the process of evolution and live today.

In human houses and apartments, the most common 2 synanthropic species of cockroaches are:

• red or Prussian;
• black beetle.

Having studied the stages of development and living conditions of these insects, we can draw conclusions about the life expectancy of individuals and ways to shorten their life cycle.

Does a cockroach need food?

The myth that cockroaches can go without food for a long time has been proven and supported by facts. Indeed, red cockroaches can fast for up to forty days, and black ones even longer - up to seventy. This is explained by the fact that cockroaches are cold-blooded, poikilothermic, and they do not need to spend energy on maintaining a constantly comfortable body temperature.

Also, the metabolism of these parasites is strikingly different from that of warm-blooded animals. In particular, it is enough for him to eat a hearty meal just once, so that then he won’t even take a crumb into his mouth for several weeks.

However, like most poikilotherms, heat enters their body from the outside, and for normal, stable life they need to constantly be in a well-heated room. At temperatures below zero, their numbers begin to decline sharply. How they reproduce and the main stages of life are described in this article.

A Prussian can live without food for some time.

Survival in extreme conditions

Many people believe that brown cockroaches will survive even after a nuclear war. This statement is partly true. The fact is that cockroaches are really capable of withstanding a slight increase in background radiation. This fact is confirmed by studies that were carried out after the dropping of nuclear bombs on Hiroshima. There, living individuals were found already 300 meters from the epicenter of the explosion. Of course, a significant dose of radiation will kill cockroaches, but modern research shows that 10% of insects are able to survive at a radiation level of 10 thousand rads.

The most destructive thing for a domestic cockroach is the lack of water. Prussians are extremely sensitive to humidity, since water is involved in all metabolic processes in the body of insects and heat regulation. Therefore, blocked access to moisture can kill them in a week. But immersion under water for 20 minutes does not harm the individuals at all, which was proven by “myth busters” live on air.

It is much easier for cockroaches to tolerate the lack of food. The red-haired Prussian can go without food for up to 40-50 days, and the black cockroach up to 80. Therefore, going on vacation in the hope that “domestic robbers” will die of hunger is a futile undertaking. Insects owe this endurance to their extremely slow metabolism.

At what temperature do cockroaches live?

Cockroaches are heat-loving creatures, and for this reason they love living in people's homes. Temperatures between 20-30 degrees Celsius are optimal for the reproduction and development of the cockroach population. As the temperature drops, the biological processes in the body of these insects gradually slow down. When the thermometer drops below zero, cockroaches die within 4-8 hours. An increase in temperature to +50 degrees and above leads to dehydration of cockroaches, as a result of which they also die.

Black cockroaches are more adapted to low temperatures than red ones, and therefore in warm latitudes they live not only indoors, but also outdoors. However, if the air temperature drops below +15 degrees, black cockroaches stop reproducing.

Does a cockroach need water?

Water is an integral part of every life on earth, and the cockroach is no exception. If he can live happily without food for weeks, he won’t last even one without water. Water is involved in all systems of the body, which means it is constantly needed for normal life.

In the life of a cockroach, water plays one of the most key roles. In addition to the fact that thanks to water, the processes of the circulatory, salivary and digestive systems are carried out in his body, it also serves as a thermostat.

During times of excess humidity, the cockroach can secrete water through the Malpighian vessels, and in the event of prolonged drought or low humidity, the chitinous waterproof body retains moisture in the body of the insect.

Without water the parasite will not last long

Need for food and water

It is enough for cockroaches to eat several times a month, Prussians can live without food for 40 days, and other species can last two months. Such resistance to hunger is characteristic only of cold-blooded creatures, due to the saving of energy that warm-blooded creatures spend on maintaining the required body temperature. Insects are able to eat rarely, which increases their chances of survival. Their metabolic rate is greatly reduced, which allows them to stretch out the calories they receive over several months.

Cold-blooded animals have their own disadvantages, which allow them to survive only in warm climates. Their lifestyle involves receiving heat from external sources (sun, warm air, electrical appliances); they cannot stay in the cold for a long time, so they recommend ventilating the room for a long time in the cold winter as a remedy for the Prussians.

Prussians live a long time without food, and their omnivorous nature allows them to find food in almost any situation, but without water, Prussians live much less, and if they don’t find a source of water in the apartment, they will go look for it elsewhere. Prussians live without water for up to ten days; the fact is that water is an exceptional substance that is necessary for the life of all living creatures. Thanks to water, all creatures on earth live, the majority of the body is water, it plays a big role in the processes occurring inside humans and other animals. Water is also important for the way of life of Prussians, for digesting food, for thermoregulation of the body and other processes that cannot function without water. To avoid overheating, Prussians, like people, secrete moisture through the glands onto the surface of the body, thereby reducing their temperature to an acceptable level. The chitinous, impenetrable shell helps retain moisture during cold nights.

How many years do cockroaches live?

If we turn to paleontological evidence, it is revealed that the history of cockroaches as an order of the insect class goes back hundreds of millions of years, going back to the Carboniferous period of the Paleozoic era. Let us note here the remarkable fact that the existence of humanity is negligibly short in comparison with how long cockroaches live. But these are ancient matters, and we are more interested in modern cockroaches living in apartments, or more precisely, how long a cockroach lives at home.

Head: is it needed or not?

No matter how strange and wild it may sound, but yes, a cockroach can live without a head. Just like the head itself without it. Of course, it is difficult to believe in this simply because everyone knows what happens to a person if he is beheaded. But with cockroaches the situation is much different.

American scientists confirmed this. They carefully decapitated the cockroach, sealed the joint between the body and head with wax, and then placed the body and head in a special solution. And what a surprise the scientists were when, in addition to the body, the head also lived! It is quite simple to explain this in human language.

A cockroach's body systems are different from those of humans. For example, their circulatory system is open without capillaries, so if you tear the head away from the body, the vessels will simply become clogged with coagulated blood and continue to function.

In order to breathe, a person still needs a head, because it contains a nose and a mouth. But for a cockroach this is not necessary. His body is dotted with a huge number of tracheas, through which he breathes. The head does not take part in this process.

A cockroach can even live without a head, but not for long

Headless horseman

Surprisingly, the fact that cockroaches are able to live with their heads separated from their bodies is a scientifically proven truth.
Studying the behavior of insects and their ability to survive, American scientists conducted a series of experiments during which adult insects were decapitated. The results obtained surprised even seasoned scientists. Not only did the body of the cockroach live quietly without a head, but the head itself, placed in certain conditions and fed with a nutrient solution, showed signs of life for a long period of time.

This ability is explained by the specific structure of the circulatory, respiratory and nervous systems of insects. Cockroaches have an open circulatory system and lack small capillaries, which prevented the animals from bleeding to death. The spiracles are located not on the head, but on the body, and it is not the brain that is responsible for the main nervous functions, but the nerve nodes (ganglia) located throughout the insect’s body.

Thus, a headless cockroach can live peacefully for several weeks and risks dying only from starvation (because it simply has nowhere to eat) or damage from mold fungi.

From all of the above, we can conclude that cockroaches are extremely tenacious creatures, but quite vulnerable. Modern means of control effectively and in the shortest possible time cope with cockroach infestations.

Gender and life expectancy

Whether it will surprise you or not, depending on what gender an insect belongs to, its lifespan varies significantly. Thus, female cockroaches usually live slightly longer than males, performing the most important role - breeding offspring. If we relate gender to the type of cockroach, the difference in life expectancy will be as follows:

• Prussians - the male lives on average about 8-9 months, while the female lives up to 10-12 months;
• black cockroaches - males can live 7-8 months, but the average life expectancy of a female is approximately 8-10 months;
• American cockroach - they are real long-livers, because the average lifespan of a male is approximately 2 years, but the female is able to overcome the barrier of 3 years and even live up to 4 years.

How long does a domestic cockroach live?

The life cycle and how quickly cockroaches grow after hatching depends, firstly, on the species of cockroaches, and secondly, on the external conditions where they live. The life of all cockroaches begins with the laying of eggs hidden in a capsule called an ooteca, then cockroaches pass through a series of larval stages and eventually develop into adult insects. Of the more than 4,000 species of cockroaches found in homes, the majority are red, black, and American.

How long does the Prusak cockroach live?

The female red cockroach sheds a capsule, or ootheca, containing 30-40 eggs 1-2 days before the newborn nymphs emerge. Depending on environmental conditions, the period of development from egg to adult in red cockroaches varies between 50-200 days, the average period is 100 days. The lifespan of adult Prussians is 100-200 days.

How long does a black cockroach live?

Male black cockroaches live on average 110-160 days, while females have a life expectancy of up to 180 days. During this time, they manage to lay 8-12 oothecae, 15-16 eggs in each. The period of development from egg to adult in black cockroaches includes 7-10 intermediate larval stages and depends on the ambient temperature.

When eggs appear in the summer months in warm climate zones, the development time takes up to 200 days, but in conditions of prolonged cold weather they can reach 800 days. The average development period is 500-600 days, so the total lifespan of black cockroaches is about two years.

How long does an American cockroach live?

The American cockroach is the largest (up to 50 mm in length) and long-lived representative of synanthropic cockroaches. The incubation period of eggs lasts 40-45 days, and the complete period of development to adulthood, which includes 10-13 larval stages, is 600 days. Adult males live up to 360 days, and females up to 700 days, so long-lived American cockroaches can live more than three years.

What about the brain?

The digestive system still plays an important role, since the cockroach still absorbs food through the mouth. But even without a head, he can live for ten days if he has had a hearty lunch beforehand. It is much more likely to be killed by mold or other insects than by starvation.

Many may ask: “What about the brain?”, and they will still be mistaken. A cockroach has more than one brain in the usual sense. In every part of his body there are nerve nodes that are responsible for body movements and other sensations. The loss of a head is simply the loss of one of the departments, nothing more. But, despite such skills, the head is still not as durable as the body. Therefore, she will “live” much less.

As you can see, most of the legends were still confirmed, therefore, in order to prevent the appearance of these parasites in your home, you need to carefully monitor the water in the house first of all. Cockroaches will live quite a long time without food and a head, but they cannot survive without water, so they are attracted to damp places.

Do cockroaches and bedbugs live together?

On the Internet, there are comments from users who say that bed bugs do not live with cockroaches under the same roof, and that they allegedly displace the other. But this statement is not confirmed in practice. Both bedbugs and cockroaches have natural insect enemies, such as flycatchers or predatory wasps, but these species do not pose a danger to each other.

Bedbugs and cockroaches live together without problems, since their food and territorial interests do not overlap. Even with high numbers of both populations, when these species coexist, for example, in the same dorm room, they do not conflict with each other. Proof of this is shown below in the footage taken on the phone.

Video: cockroaches and bedbugs live together in an apartment

Features of development

Cockroach-like pests differ from other insects in that larvae and small individuals emerge from the ootheca. There is no pupal stage in this chain.

The life cycle includes several stages:

• A dense capsule is formed on the female’s belly, into which she lays eggs. Over time, the size of the leathery sac increases.
• The female sheds the ootheca after 14–28 days. Small white cockroaches are selected from the leathery sac. Their body length is 3–4 mm. Some species of longhorned beetles carry an ootheca throughout their entire life. Such cockroaches live longer without food and water.
• The transformation into an adult cockroach occurs in several stages (from 6 to 10 molts). During this period, the shade of the chitinous cover changes. This period takes 2–3 months in summer, 6–7 months in winter. The lifespan of the domestic barbel is 12 months or more.
• How many years arthropod pests live is influenced by external factors, the availability of food and water, etc. For example, insects live without air for several hours. A cockroach lives without a head for at least 7 days.

We suggest you read: How to tie shoelaces on sneakers

Factors influencing the life of cockroaches

Life expectancy is influenced by environmental conditions and how cockroaches live: temperature, amount of water and food.

The answer to the question of how long cockroaches live without food may surprise many, because they can easily survive for a long time without food:

• “red” individuals – 40-50 days;
• black – up to 70.

This is explained by the structure of the body. Insects are cold-blooded, so they do not need energy to warm their bodies, and if there is a lack of food, they simply wait for a more favorable moment to feed. Therefore, the period of how many days cockroaches live without food can be so long.

Cockroach and food

Interesting!

The only thing that can kill a cockroach during prolonged fasting is infection by mold or other microorganisms.

Temperature conditions are of great importance for life: optimally +20ºС and above, but they cannot withstand the cold: already at -1 ºС the parasites die, which is often used in the fight against cockroaches, using freezing of the room.

Cockroaches and low temperatures

Low temperatures are the main enemy of cockroaches. It is sub-zero temperatures that can completely destroy a colony of these almost unkillable insects. Prussians are cold-blooded insects and this is the decisive factor; ordinary ventilation can disrupt the development cycle of insects. At a temperature of -1°C, the number of colonies decreases sharply, and a temperature of -5°C will completely destroy all cockroaches.

The modern market offers many means and methods to combat them. All kinds of gels, powders (dust), traps, do not forget about the folk methods that have saved people from this parasitic insect for decades.

Conclusions from Tikhon: It’s not for nothing that they say that the last one left on earth will be a cockroach. His body and body structure allow him to survive in extreme situations, he can hold his breath and survive a dose of radiation exposure. But two main factors that can help fight them are cold and lack of moisture. And if we add modern insecticides, then they will not have the slightest chance of coexistence.

If you have experience dealing with this parasite, please share it in the comments below. Perhaps your advice will help someone make the right decision.

Happiness to you and your home.

Do cockroaches live where ants live?

Ants are also synanthropic pests, and their paths in the apartment often intersect with the habitat of cockroaches. As for food, these insects have largely the same tastes, and both are equally dependent on water. At the same time, cockroaches and ants in some cases live in a private house or in an apartment - together, and do not fight with each other.

However, this neighborhood cannot be called cloudless and peaceful either. Although cockroaches, like ants, are polyvorous, they do not attack living insects but feed on organic waste, including carrion and feces. Ants, in turn, abhor carrion and sewage, but they hunt insects that get in their way, including cockroaches. So, at times, isolated cockroaches become victims of ants, but there is no talk of severe species competition among these domestic pests.

Please rate the material

How important is water to them?

Water is the main source of life for cockroaches. If they can exist without food for a long time, then without water, like many living organisms, they can exist for a very short period of time. Without replenishing the body with moisture, Prussians can live no more than 6 - 8 days. Since they are heat-loving, water evaporates from their body through the chitinous shell, which leads to the drying out of the insect. In their homes, they can replenish water supplies from wet food, leaking taps, drops in the sink, condensation on pipes, and from the soil when watering flowers.

– Are cockroaches insects or animals? – If they live with a neighbor, they are insects, but if they live with you, then they are animals!

Proven remedies

Considering that the average lifespan of longhorned beetles is 6 months, their population in an apartment or country house is rapidly increasing. To prevent such an outcome, it is necessary to destroy arthropod pests.

Among the means used for the fight are:

• Insecticidal drugs. They are sold in agricultural and specialty stores. These drugs include aerosols, tablets, gels and powders. They differ in composition, properties and effectiveness.
• Boric acid. This component is used when preparing baits at home. Boric acid is mixed with egg yolk, boiled potatoes or sugar. Sometimes vegetable or baby oil is added to the mixture, which has an attractive aroma.
• Compositions that have a pungent odor. So, housewives use vinegar or essential oils. They are introduced into water, which is used to clean surfaces in the apartment.

The lifespan of cockroach-like insects depends on the conditions in the apartment and the availability of food and water. If you consider how long an insect lives without water or organic matter, it is easier to destroy it.

Do they cause harm to humans?

IMPORTANT! Red cockroaches are dangerous to humans: constantly in contact with garbage, household waste, dirt, they are carriers of pathogenic bacteria, as well as worm eggs.

Intestinal disorders, tuberculosis, helminthiasis are just a few of the diseases that Prussians can bring on their paws.

Scientists knew of several cases when these pests ate away the keratinized parts of the dermis on the face and hands of people, but did not cause any tangible harm to them. So we can safely say that Prussians do not bite.

Reproduction

It is important and interesting that it is enough for female representatives to mate with a male once in their life. Subsequently, the eggs are fertilized by seed material stored in a special section of her body. After some time, the female cockroach lays eggs in a dense bag of foamed protein substance formed for this purpose (the protein hardens, turning into reliable protection for future babies: such a capsule does not allow water and toxic substances to pass through, and is difficult to crush). For some time - a day or several weeks (depending on the type of individual) - the female carries this capsule within herself, dragging behind her the part that protrudes beyond the edges of the abdomen. This happens while the masonry is increasing. Then she dumps the container in a secluded place where there is enough moisture and warmth.

The development of larvae takes a short period - only a few weeks. As a result of this process, absolutely healthy individuals are born, adapted to life in the surrounding world. The insects are very prolific - one clutch can contain up to fifty larvae. Small insects, whitish in color and about 3 mm long, quickly scatter in search of food and to grow (a growing organism requires strength and energy). After some time, their skin hardens, turning into chitin. Before they fully mature, several molts will pass, and the cockroaches will acquire the color characteristic of their species.

The development process is directly related to environmental temperature. If it fluctuates within 30°C, then all molting takes place in 2 months, and if it is around 20°C, in six months.

Cockroaches are not viviparous insects, although this may be the impression of some of them. They don't have to give birth. There are species in which the eggs develop inside the female's body. An example of this is the Madagascar cockroach. The capsule with eggs remains inside the insect throughout its development, and only a few times a day a pregnant cockroach puts them outside for ventilation. The larvae have to be born from the egg also inside the mother’s body and quickly leave the brood chamber. An outside observer gets the impression that the cockroach is giving birth. As a rule, the birth process of cockroaches lasts from several minutes to several hours.

Life of a cockroach without a head

It has been experimentally proven that a cockroach without a head can survive up to 9 days. The head, separated from the body, moves its mustache for several hours. There are explanations for such a strange phenomenon:

• the head is not needed for breathing: the spiracles are located on the sides of the body;
• the circulatory system is not closed and without a head the cockroach does not have bleeding or a drop in pressure;
• in the segments of the body there are nerve clusters that continue to fulfill their role: the insect can stand, move, and feel touch.

If you cover the place where the head is cut off with dental wax, the body lives for several more weeks. Later it dies from infections or dehydration (cockroaches cannot drink without a head).

There is an assumption that after another war or disaster, the last organism that will survive on earth will be the cockroach. And this version is completely justified: the insect can withstand hunger, radiation, and lack of food. The only thing that is detrimental to it is the lack of moisture and cold weather. But there are species that are not afraid of such conditions. This is a living creature universally adapted to extreme conditions.

Description of the insect

It is perhaps difficult to find a person who does not know what an ordinary domestic cockroach looks like. Even if fate saved someone from personal acquaintance with these insects, then, probably, everyone in childhood read the fairy tale “The Cockroach” or watched a cartoon based on it.

So, what does an ordinary domestic cockroach look like and what is it like? First of all, a cockroach is an insect belonging to the order Cockroach. In addition to it, termites also belong to the same order, and in total there are more than 7570 species. Moreover, there are more than 4,640 species of real cockroaches alone.

The world's largest cockroaches live in Colombia and reach a length of 97 mm and a width of 45 mm. These giants crawl faster than all insects - at a speed of over 4 km/h.

Three hundred million years ago, cockroaches already lived on our planet. They crawled among the giant horsetails and mosses of the Carboniferous period, and now some of these unimaginably ancient creatures live alongside people.

During the day they hide in cracks, and at night they crawl out for food - bread crumbs, kitchen waste, not necessarily fresh. For lack of anything better, they can chew a dry rag, shoe polish, or drink ink. Their intestines, like those of their termite relatives, contain protozoa that help them digest this non-nutritive food.

Types of cockroaches

The most common “tenants” in human housing are the red cockroach (Prusak) and the black cockroach, the population of which had greatly thinned out by the beginning of the 21st century.

Red cockroach

Also known as Prusak. This insect received its second name because in Russia it was considered to come from Prussia, which is not at all true. In fact, the homeland of red cockroaches is not Germany or even Europe, but... southern Asia. It was from there that this insect came to European countries in the 18th century and, having chosen human dwellings as its habitat, began to actively reproduce, so much so that it soon supplanted its main “competitor” - the black cockroach.

The body length of an adult is from 1 to 1.6 cm. Both males and females of this species have very well developed wings, thanks to which cockroaches can glide, although they cannot truly fly.

The body of males is narrower than that of females, and the wings of males do not cover the last segments of the abdomen. The color of the red cockroach, strictly speaking, is not entirely red, but rather brownish in a variety of shades, sometimes they can even be almost black.

Prussians are omnivores: in addition to the “traditional” cockroach food - the remains of human food, they can eat paper, leather, textiles, wood glue, and will not even refuse ordinary soap if they do not come across any other food. But their most favorite delicacies are bread, pastries, as well as sugar and various sweets. The cockroach does not disdain meat or porridge, but he does not like fruit too much, although he eats them if there is nothing else available, and the freshness and quality of the fruit does not bother him too much.

Black beetle

Nowadays it is not such a frequent visitor to our homes, but in the past it was very common. Noticeably larger than the red cockroach: the length of an adult insect can be from 2 to 8 cm. The color is either black-brown or tar-brown with a pronounced metallic sheen. The males of this species have longer wings than the females, but black cockroaches cannot fly or even glide. But they run very fast. So quickly that before you have time to look back, there is no trace of him.

THIS IS INTERESTING! In Germany and the Czech Republic, black cockroaches are called “Swabians”, since they believe that these insects were brought from Swabia, an area in southern Germany.

For what reasons do they appear in a particular residential area?

There are several reasons:

• unsanitary conditions. Always dirty floors, unwashed dishes, cluttered corners, food residues lying around in different places (this could be spilled sugar or flour);
• things from trips. An insect can come to your home in a travel bag, having entered it from a hotel or train carriage;
• dysfunctional neighbors. It doesn’t matter which side the sluts are next to you (above, below, through the wall). Cockroaches will definitely get into your apartment from the ventilation hole or cracks in the walls and floor;
• faulty water and sewer pipes. Small damp places under the drop and warmth - this is a real cockroach paradise. As long as there is moisture nearby and the temperature in the apartment does not drop below 10 degrees, the Prussians will be ready to live with you forever.

We suggest you read: How to remove fleas from a cat at home

Stages of insect life in optimal conditions

How do these insects live? These are quite mobile creatures, they love warmth and moisture, and are nocturnal (they hide in a dark place during the day and crawl out at night in search of food). Winged birds can fly to the light at night. They feed on plant and animal remains. And, of course, they multiply quickly.

These are the hardiest insects: certain subspecies and individuals can go without food for a very long time! The body of the insect is oval and flat. The length of an adult cockroach ranges from 1.7-2 cm to 9.5 cm or more. The structure of the body allows it to hide in any crevice.

We suggest you read: How to clean a carpet from pet hair

Lifespan

How many years do these insects live? The lifespan of cockroaches depends on external conditions. If there is enough moisture, food and warmth, then an adult red locust can survive for 1 year. The lifespan of the black one is 2 years (the development of this species is slower), and the Madagascar one (in a terrarium) can live from 3 to 5 years, depending on care.

The life cycle of a cockroach can be divided into 3 stages of development: egg, larva, adult insect. The most important thing for this beetle is to be fruitful and multiply, giving life to new cockroaches. The female attracts the male with odorous substances secreted by special glands. Some individuals court females for a certain time, but the result is the same - fertilization.

Temperature influences the activity of barbels. Arthropod pests are attracted to warmth, which is why they move into apartments and country houses. Insects are active if the temperature varies between 2 and 28 degrees. It’s always warm in living quarters, which is why Prussians settle next to people.

To reduce the life expectancy of cockroaches, it is necessary to reduce the temperature in the apartment to -5 degrees. Within half an hour, the vital functions of the barbels slow down and stop completely. If the temperature drops to -10 - -15 degrees, then the death of the Prussians occurs much faster.

High temperature also has an impact on the life processes of arthropod pests. If you raise the temperature to 28–30 degrees, the barbel will begin to lose moisture, which is difficult for them to do without. Therefore, some housewives use boiling water to fight.

The red cockroach (Blattella germanica), or Russian cockroach, is an insect of a brownish-red color, with two dark stripes on the front of the back, about 10-13 mm long in adulthood.

The home locust belongs to the section of insects with incomplete transformation, i.e. to those in which development after hatching does not include a sedentary and non-feeding pupal stage.

Stages of development of red cockroaches:

1. Eggs. The female cockroach lays eggs in an elongated and slightly compressed capsule from the sides - the ooteca. Eggs are placed in two rows across the longitudinal axis of the capsule, the number of which ranges from 15 to 40 pieces. Each female German can lay from 3 to 7 ootheca during her life. The duration of egg maturation is 14-35 days.
2. Nymphs (larvae). From the eggs, larvae or nymphs are born, the bodies and limbs of which are almost the same as those of adults. However, unlike sexually mature insects, the larvae do not have wings, they are smaller in size and darker in color. As the nymphs grow, they molt 5 to 9 times and turn into full-fledged cockroaches, ready for further reproduction. This stage lasts about 2 months.
3. Imago (adults). The adult life span of Prussians can range from 20 to 30 weeks.

Thus, the full life cycle of the red cockroach from the moment the larva emerges from the egg until death from natural aging of the body is approximately 170 days (about 6 months).

Black cockroaches (Blatta orientalis) are a large species of domestic pest, 15-32 mm long. They have a brown-black body with a glossy, “varnished” surface. Insects go through the same stages of development as red locusts, but much more slowly.

The duration of the development and life cycle of cockroaches is different for each species and varies greatly depending on the temperature conditions under which they live. Whiskered "house robbers" are heat-loving insects and prefer to live in warm and moist shelters. During daylight hours, they hide from human eyes, going out in search of food at night.

Lifespan of cockroaches (Prussians) depending on ambient temperature:

• at 22-24 degrees - 6-9 months;
• at 26-30 - 3-5 months;
• 5 degrees is a critical temperature for insect life;
• at 0-5 degrees - both larvae and adults die within 30 minutes;
• at temperatures below 0, cockroaches die within 1-2 minutes.

A decrease in ambient temperature significantly lengthens the developmental stage of nymphs, since the larvae are less vulnerable to cold weather. In the cold season, the development stage of Prussian nymphs can last for 4-5 months.

The lifespan of black cockroaches under unfavorable conditions is also reduced and is about 2 years. However, cold is more destructive for this species. The death of individuals can be observed already when the temperature drops to 7-10 degrees.

There are known cases when, with the onset of cold weather, all adult individuals and larvae of cockroaches died, and the eggs overwintered safely in the shed swellings.

Domestic cockroach - habitats and habits

Many people are familiar with cockroaches firsthand. Insects can be seen both in a country house and in a city apartment. How long do domestic cockroaches live? They are able to live without food or water for a long time. Radiation exposure, which is fatal to humans, is harmless to cockroaches.

They easily tolerate a dose of radiation 15 times higher than lethal for humans. There are more than 4 thousand species of cockroaches in the world. The most common are black and red. Redheads are called Prussians. Insects are 10-15 mm long.

They have large wings and long antennae that help them navigate in space and communicate with other insects. The insect has developed legs on which it moves quickly. Lives in warm conditions, most often in human dwellings.

Black species - up to 5 cm long. The wings of females are short, those of males are long. 5 cm. Females are 2-3 cm long. They live in warmth, often next to humans. They survive without food for 40 days. And absolutely everything serves as food for them, even concrete and brick.

The main condition for life is the presence of water. That's why they settle closer to its sources. In an apartment, such places are the bathroom and kitchen. When water is found, insects begin to look for food. The digestive system is designed in such a way that it digests a wide variety of organic foods.

A common property of representatives of this family is the incomplete cycle of their biological development. They do not have the stage of transformation of larvae into pupae.

Females carry fertilized eggs on their stomachs in a special container called an ootheca. The eggs grow over time, the ootheca swells and becomes heavier. After 2, maximum 4, weeks, the offspring are shed in a warm place with sufficient humidity. Nymphs hatch from the ootheca. These are small (up to 2-3 mm) white cockroaches.

The nymphs gradually turn black and their shell hardens. Several moults pass before the nymph turns into an adult cockroach. For their habitat, insects usually prefer secluded corners in hard-to-reach places. In their corners they live in fairly large groups.

During the day, they try not to crawl out of their burrows, since their mode of life is nocturnal. At night and early in the morning, when everyone in the house is asleep, they manage to eat crumbs, small pieces of food that they find on the floor or on the kitchen table.

In daylight, they appear only in cases where their burrows do not contain all the individuals. Appearance during the day is a signal to take measures to destroy insects. To more effectively fight cockroaches, you need to know where they live. Insects to look for:

1. Under the refrigerator.
2. Behind the refrigerator.
3. od the sink.
4. Under the bathroom.
5. Behind heating appliances and pipes.
6. Under the baseboards.
7. Behind the kitchen cabinets.
8. In cabinet door hanging mechanisms.
9. In trash cans.

These are their most favorite places of settlement. They can be easily identified by their smell and by the black spots of feces remaining in places where insects actively live.

They feed mainly on foods high in organic matter:

• Sweets and sugar.
• Beer.
• Bread crumbs and flour products.
• Toilet paper and napkins.
• Meat.
• Wallpaper and glue.
• Spoiled, rotting products.
• Stockings, socks, underwear.
• Books, magazines, newspapers.

Life span and survivability

The red cockroach turns from a nymph into an adult in the summer at a temperature of about 30C after 2 months. If the temperature is 20C, this transformation takes up to 6 months. The red cockroach lives in a house or apartment for 9-10 months. Of these, adults live for 20-30 weeks, the rest of the time the larvae develop.

The black cockroach lives less than the red cockroach by a couple of months. Without food and drink, the life expectancy of cockroaches decreases. Without food, the red cockroach lives about 50 days. The lifespan of a black cockroach without food can be 70 days. This is due to the fact that domestic cockroaches are cold-blooded creatures.

They do not waste energy maintaining a constant body temperature. If there is no food, they can simply hide and wait for food to appear.

The vitality of cockroaches drops sharply along with a decrease in ambient temperature. Prussians begin to die already at a temperature of -1C. Cold is a good method of dealing with these creatures. Water is the most important thing in the life of cockroaches. Without it, viability lasts up to 7 days.

Moisture intensively evaporates from the surface of the shell, and the insects dry out and die. Prussians are more willing to eat moistened food or its waste. It is easier to digest in the body and contains enough moisture. American scientists, after conducting a series of experiments, were able to prove that a headless cockroach continues to live (up to 9 days).

The fact is that their circulatory system is not closed. The respiratory process does not occur with the help of the head, but with the help of holes, spiracles on the body and small tracheas.

The brain does not take part in breathing. It is not particularly needed for life, since in all parts of the body there are ganglia - nerve nodes. They are fully responsible for all reflexes. The insect can move its legs, stand up and move.

Effect of temperature on insects

The activity of cold-blooded insects depends on temperature. Cockroaches love warmth. The optimal temperature for them is from +2 to +28C. It is maintained at this level in residential premises. At 0C, all vital functions of insects slow down, including reproduction processes.

At temperatures from -5 to -10C, individual insects die in 30-40 minutes. With a subsequent decrease in air temperature, cockroaches die faster. High ambient temperatures are harmful. In heat above 28C, cockroaches lose a large amount of moisture, which is very necessary.

When it reaches 50C, death occurs within a few hours.

This can be used in the fight against hated neighbors in the kitchen. It is worth remembering that cockroaches are afraid of boiling water. Boiling water is simply poured little by little into the cracks where pests nest.