On the occasion of a birthday, anniversary, or some other significant date or event, a person is often wished Siberian health, Caucasian longevity...
In today's difficult times, it would be quite appropriate to wish each of us the vitality of a cockroach, although this sounds rather rude and is at odds with our ethical and aesthetic ideas.
Experts say that the cockroach is one of the most tenacious creatures on earth. Moreover, it is also one of the most ancient. The history of the cockroach community goes back more than 300 million years. This is much more than the history of human existence on earth.
Lifespan of different types of cockroaches
There are more than 4,000 species of cockroaches in nature, but in our country, in our daily life, people usually encounter only three of them - red, black and American. There is a lot in common between these species, however, there are also certain differences, including the life expectancy of each of them.
Long-term scientific observations of these insects have made it possible to clearly determine the possible maximum and average life expectancy of various species, but all this data is relevant only if the cockroaches are in an environment favorable to them.
Can they fly?
It's no secret that pet cockroaches have wings, but can they fly? Nature gave these insects wings, but do all species use them?
Representatives of those species whose habitat is surrounded by natural conditions are capable of flying. This applies to tropical cockroaches. But Prussians or other types of cockroaches that live indoors are not adapted to flight.
Although they can rise slightly into the air with the help of their wings, but only during the breeding season.
The best flyer among all types of cockroaches is the Lapland cockroach, which migrated from America to European countries. It is similar to the red Prussians familiar to our region and lives only in the wild. The “diet” of this specimen consists of vegetation and fish.
Life expectancy of a red cockroach (Grussian)
The life of the red cockroach, or Prusak, as it is called in Russia, believing that this insect was brought from Prussia, consists of several stages: an egg hidden in a capsule (ootheca) - a nymph - an adult.
Reproduction
This entire transformation process takes about a hundred days, but its duration can depend on many factors: humidity, temperature, nutrition and others.
On a note! Interestingly, one mating is enough for the female to provide herself with seed material for a long period, and sometimes until the end of her cockroach life.
Reproduction occurs throughout the year. During her life, a female is capable of laying 250-300 eggs, bearing up to 40 eggs in special capsules under the abdomen (ootheca) during one pregnancy.
For newly hatched cockroaches, they came up with a beautiful name - nymphs (in ancient Greek mythology - girl deities personifying the elemental forces of nature). In fact, these larvae are white, which quite quickly, after the first molt, turns into the usual brown. Before becoming an adult - an imago, the nymph molts about 6 times, each time changing its white clothes to a brown uniform.
The exoskeleton of the nymph hardens after 10-11 hours, and it turns into a small, still wingless cockroach, very similar to many other insects. The only thing that gives it away is the special appendages at the back, the so-called cerci. Young cockroaches look quite plump and dense.
The lifespan of a red cockroach is about a year - 10...12 months. Approximately half of this period occurs in the adult stage. Under optimal conditions for the existence of the population, 75% of the total number are nymphs, and 25% are adults.
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.
Lifespan of a black cockroach
By definition, this cockroach is black in color with a clearly visible glossy sheen. The length of the male is 25 mm, the female is up to 32 mm.
On a note! Unlike their red relatives, black cockroaches move only on a horizontal surface; movement in the vertical direction is inaccessible to them.
Another difference: black cockroaches live mainly in the natural environment and can occupy some voids in basements, storm drains, and sewers.
Their life cycle is similar to that of the Prussians. It directly depends on seasonality and climate. In the warm season, the period from egg to adult is approximately 200 days, in the cold season – up to 800 days.
How long a black cockroach lives depends largely on environmental conditions, but on average, male black cockroaches that have reached sexual maturity live 110-160 days, females - 35-180 days.
During this time, the female lays about 8 capsules (oothecas) with eggs - 15-16 pieces each. About 30 hours after the capsule is formed, it drops it somewhere in a secluded place, where the nymphs appear.
Lifespan of an American cockroach
The American cockroach lives both near humans and in the natural environment. It is not common in Russia. In residential areas it inhabits basements, attics, and loves wet areas. The American cockroach is quite large - up to 50 mm, has an expressive mahogany color with a bright yellow stripe. The preferred method of movement is fast running.
American look
Its life cycle consists of the same stages as other species. The duration of metamorphosis may vary depending on conditions. Low temperatures and lack of nutrition can significantly delay the development of eggs and nymphs of these insects. The whole process can last from six months to a year or even more.
Under favorable circumstances, “Americans” can live quite a long time - up to two years.
The influence of external factors on the lifespan of cockroaches
Food
Being cold-blooded creatures, cockroaches spend almost no energy maintaining body temperature. This allows them to endure hunger for quite a long time. However, the lack of food can have a serious impact on their lifestyle and its duration. They begin to actively eat their own fellow tribesmen and, on occasion, bite people, supporting themselves with pieces of bitten off human skin.
On a note! Unlike Prussians, black cockroaches never eat their own kind, risking the existence of the entire population. Their diet may include garbage and organic waste.
Water
Cockroaches drink water quite intensively and it is the basis for the existence of the entire cockroach community. Digestion, thermoregulation, blood circulation of these insects and, ultimately, their lifespan depend on the amount of water.
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.
Life expectancy of domestic cockroaches without food and water
How long cockroaches live without food depends on the type of population:
- Even without food, red cockroaches can survive at home for more than a month.
- Black cockroaches can live up to two months without food. This is explained by the fact that all life processes in this species proceed much more slowly. Accordingly, much less nutrients are required.
- The situation is approximately the same with the American cockroach.
Black insects depend on water more than other species. According to experts, the black cockroach can live without water for a maximum of a week.
Air temperature for any type of cockroach is “our everything.” So, if the air does not warm up above +150C, the larvae will never move to the next stage of their development and will remain at the nymph stage.
For normal functioning of the population, a temperature of +20 to +300C is required. At zero temperature, cockroaches hibernate, at -50C the death of the insect occurs within half an hour, at -100C both the cockroaches themselves and their eggs die.
All the talk that cockroaches can live in the cold for several days is completely groundless.
Too high temperatures (+500C) are also critical for these insects. This leads to dehydration and death of the entire population.
On a note! Black cockroaches are more resistant to low temperatures than red ones.
Black beetle
In the south they often live right on the street. But if the air temperature drops below +150C, they stop reproducing.
Popular Pest Control Products
You can fight these red and black pests with cold, heat and many other means:
- Boric acid
- Disinfectants
- Traditional methods.
Boric acid has long been used as a means to combat cockroaches. It shows very good results in practice. Boric acid powder is used to make insect bait. Pests die after testing the composition and infect their fellows. For people living indoors, boric acid is absolutely safe.
Disinfectants include preparations in the form of gels, pencils and aerosols. When used correctly, they can destroy entire colonies of pests. Their disadvantage is that they are harmful to human health. Therefore, before using these products, you need to hide all food and utensils.
Folk methods of control include the use of essential oils of various plants. Cockroaches absolutely cannot stand the smell of cedar and eucalyptus oils, as well as red elderberry oil. The smells of fresh anise and mint repel them.
Tips and tricks
Cockroaches can be found under the refrigerator and under the sink, under the baseboard and behind heating pipes. They most often settle near water sources. These insects cannot live without water for more than a week. Therefore, to combat them, you can block their access to water. Their number is growing every day. If one insect appears, it may not be detected in time, since it is nocturnal. In a year there will be a huge number of them. Many people are familiar with this situation.
Cockroaches can carry bacteria that are dangerous to humans and contaminate food, spoil things and cause allergic reactions. Therefore, to remove them, you need to ventilate the room more often, take out the trash, and hide food in bags. You can dilute geranium. Its smell repels cockroaches.
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Gender of cockroaches and life expectancy
As is the case with the vast majority of living things, including humans, female cockroaches have a longer lifespan compared to male cockroaches. After all, it is the female half of any population that is primarily responsible for preserving the species.
Thus, the American cockroach, which is the longest-living representative of synanthropic cockroaches, has a lifespan of up to 360 days for adult males, and up to 700 days for females. Centenarians are known, mainly females, who have lived safely to more than three years.
How to understand that an “infiltrator” has entered the house
Just because you have not encountered pests directly does not mean that they are not in the house. Signs of the presence of cockroaches in an apartment are as follows:
- insect excrement - black spots on wallpaper, furniture, dishes;
- unpleasant odor - the appearance of an “aroma” that is not associated with the activity of domestic animals or spoilage of food;
- eggs - laying eggs in secluded corners;
- extraneous noise - faint rustling and rustling sounds at night;
- the remains are empty chitinous shells on the floor and in the cabinets.
Life without a head
The answer to the question “Does a cockroach live without a head?” for all its strangeness, it nevertheless sounds affirmative. After decapitation, both the body of the insect and the head itself continue to live for several hours and even days. Moreover, death occurs mainly from dehydration, since it is impossible to drink without a head.
The ability to live without a head is explained by the specific structure and functioning of the insect’s internal organs. The fact is that the cockroach's head is not involved in the breathing process. It breathes with special spiracles located throughout its body.
The openness of the circulatory system allows you to avoid a critical drop in blood pressure and severe bleeding. The special structure of the nervous system allows the body to function even without communication with the brain. Thus, the loss of a head is the loss of just one part of the body.
In a laboratory setting, cockroaches can continue to live headless for several weeks.
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.
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