Small cockroaches: what they look like, how to deal with them. Red cockroach

Quite often, small cockroaches appear in the kitchen. This indicates that the female has already laid eggs and new offspring have appeared from them. You need to deal with them in the same way as with large individuals.

Over the past 50 years, a huge number of all kinds of tools have been developed to combat these nasty insects. To say goodbye to uninvited guests forever, it is necessary to periodically carry out a whole range of sanitary measures aimed at improving the condition of the entire apartment.

How do they look

There is a misconception that small cockroaches are the cubs of large red Prusaks. In fact, this is a separate species of domestic parasites, which is characterized by the small size of adults or adults.

So what does a small cockroach look like? Insects have a flat, rounded body. At the same time, the back of the body is not covered with wings, since they are not sufficiently developed. The color of the parasite ranges from light to dark shades of brown.

Otherwise, small cockroaches do not have any differences from other representatives of this branch of insects, they have six legs, equipped with thorns, suction cups for ease of movement on vertical surfaces. Any organic matter, for example, food debris, rotten plants, can serve as a food source for these cockroaches, their larvae. In the absence of such, they can eat household chemicals, soap, paper. Against the background of a lack of food, a cockroach can do without it for a long time.

Nutrition and lifestyle

Large ginger cockroaches are omnivorous creatures. It does not matter for them whether the product is edible for a person - they gladly absorb both bread crumbs and wood, even not completely washed tiles in the kitchen will feed them for a long time. Even electrical wiring will be tasty for them, not to mention various sweets.

You can find these insects everywhere, they will penetrate any crevice, crawl into any kitchen, where the slightest mess starts. Blattella germanica can often be seen on farms, in the field, wherever it is warm and there is food and water. You will find them in the bathroom - soapy water is a real feast for them. He will be comfortable in the bedroom as well - the remains of the epidermis, which you do not even notice, are also full-fledged food for these pests.

These insects are mostly nocturnal. He is practically invulnerable to his enemies - his wing flaps are very strong and solid, it is almost impossible to catch him - he is able to change the direction of movement up to 25 times per second. They settle mainly in narrow crevices in which they feel safe.

A red cockroach can go without food for more than a month, but it dies very quickly without water - in just 2-3 days. It doesn't have to be exactly water, a slice of apple will fully satisfy his need for moisture.

These insects easily travel long enough distances - if there are containers with garbage near a residential building, there is no doubt that there is also a nest with cockroaches near them. And that you can accidentally bring them into your home.

The cockroach lives on average 6-8 months. During her life, his female can produce about a thousand eggs.

Views

In apartments, several main species can be found, which include small cockroaches.It is black, red and also a small brown cockroach. A characteristic feature of the latter is localization in basements and sewers.

In apartment buildings, they rarely rise above the fifth floor, but they can cause a lot of trouble for the residents of the first. At the same time, small representatives of the cockroach family can quite peacefully get along with colonies of larger red and black ones.

Name

The most common "domestic" cockroaches in our country are black and red. These are different types of insects, they do not interbreed with each other. The red cockroach in Russia is unofficially called "Prussian" - it is believed that they were brought to us from Prussia, since their spread coincided with the beginning of the Napoleonic wars. The Germans and French, on the contrary, consider Russia his homeland, and call him "Russian." In fact, his homeland is South Asia, from there in the middle of the 17th century the Prusak cockroach moved to Europe and America.

And its official name is Blattella germanica. This cockroach species is the least thermophilic among all.

How to get rid of small cockroaches

If small cockroaches appear in the apartment, you should immediately take measures aimed at their destruction. It is best to choose an insecticidal agent intended for the treatment of the room. The toxic substances entering them quickly destroy parasites, their larvae, eggs.

When carrying out processing, it is important to observe precautions, since there is a possibility of poisoning with poisonous products.

Video

How to get rid of cockroaches?

Chemicals

To get rid of small cockroaches in an apartment, it is recommended to use any insecticidal agent, which contains poisonous substances that have a detrimental effect on parasites. On the modern market, there are a lot of such funds.

The most popular are the following:

Traps. The easiest, safest way to eliminate parasites. There are several types of traps, for example, glue, electrical, toxic. Their essence, regardless of the type, is simple. There is a bait inside the device. Penetrating into the trap, the pest sticks to its walls or is destroyed by a small discharge of electric current. The method is safe for people and pets.
Powders, dusts, crayons. These products are effective in killing a small number of insects. They can be used to prevent contamination of the apartment. The selected substance should be applied in the areas of localization of parasites. You can, for example, process the ventilation grill, the space behind the furniture. A significant disadvantage is the absence of a negative impact on the larvae and eggs of parasites.
Gels. One of the most effective cockroach control products. Gels are applied in small portions to places where parasites accumulate, quickly destroying even a large population.
Aerosols. Aerosols can quickly kill adult parasites, but they do not negatively affect eggs. To remove pests, it is important to re-treat the premises two weeks after completing the first.
Ultrasonic scarers. This is the most effective, completely safe device that will help remove parasites and prevent their reappearance. The repeller makes an extremely unpleasant sound for pests, which forces them to go far around the room. The range of most devices of this type is at least two hundred meters, respectively, they can be used to protect several apartments in one house.

To prevent the reappearance of parasites, it is recommended to leave traps in the public domain.

Folk remedies

When a small number of parasites appear, you can use safe folk remedies, for example:

Alabaster.To prepare a mixture that is destructive for small cockroaches, you should thoroughly mix alabaster and any flour in similar proportions. Spread the resulting powder in the nooks and crannies of the apartment. After this mixture enters the insect's body, the intestines of the parasite literally stick together, the result of which is its death.
Boric acid. It is recommended to mix the powder of the specified substance with pre-boiled, crushed chicken egg yolk. If the mass is not plastic enough, you can add a little water. When the mixture acquires the consistency of dough, small balls should be made from it, which are laid out in secluded places. This method will allow you to quickly get rid of even a large number of parasites.
The method of chilling or cooling the room. Cockroaches do not tolerate low temperatures. You can get rid of them by opening the windows, turning off the heating, and then leaving the room for a couple of days. It is recommended to use this method with caution, as there is a possibility of damage to the radiators.

It is important to know that the use of the above methods will not allow you to get rid of a large number of mustachioed pests.

Why are they dangerous?

A small cockroach, despite its small size, can cause a lot of trouble. It is important to know that domestic small cockroaches are carriers of dangerous diseases of infectious etiology, various helminthiases. Since they enter the apartment after traveling through the sewer or basement, the likelihood of contracting bacterial or viral diseases is high.

If only one parasite, which is a fertilized female, has crept into the apartment, after a while many small cockroaches will appear in the dwelling, these insects have a unique ability to reproduce quickly, to survive in extreme conditions.

Accordingly, it is required to take the necessary measures immediately after the appearance of parasites in the house.

What do cockroaches eat when there is no food in the apartment?

Despite the fact that humans are omnivores, cockroaches find many other foods attractive food sources that we never thought of eating. For example, when you think of adding a starchy element to food, potatoes, bread, or pasta come to mind. As for cockroaches, the food starches group includes book bindings, paper, wallpaper, and even the glue on the back of postage stamps.

As a protein, cockroaches consider dead insects, animal skin (for example, the soft lining of the skin), and even human hair and nails as complete food sources. They will also eat their offspring if food becomes scarce. Yes, cockroaches eat each other - cannibalism in their environment is normal. Prusaks are not predatory insects, but they can feed on bedbug eggs, the remains of other insects. As you know, cockroaches bite people, although this happens extremely rarely, and only when the infection reaches catastrophic levels, and there is not enough other food in the house.

Cockroaches are more likely to eat calluses, eyelashes, dead skin scales and nails, rather than living tissue. This is because the cockroach's jaws are rather weak. Their side-moving lower jaws are great for carrying and chewing on bits of their typical food, but they find it difficult to pierce human skin. They find it easier to get by with the keratin and protein found in our nails and hair.