Today, perhaps, you will never meet a person who has not seen or at least heard nothing about cockroaches. You can meet these insects in different places: in your home, in the apartment of friends or acquaintances, in dining rooms and other rooms. The main thing is that there is free access to food there. True, these red, mustachioed creatures do not evoke any other feelings in people except disgust. And each of them wants to quickly find out how to get rid of red cockroaches. This article will help solve the problem.
Red cockroaches in the apartment, where did they come from?
It is not so easy to get rid of cockroaches that have settled in an apartment. Therefore, it is very important to know in what ways they can get there in order to promptly take the necessary measures to prevent the emergence of an undesirable neighborhood.
So, these insects can enter the home through:
- Ventilation;
- Attic;
- Joints between floor slabs;
- Basement;
- Entrance;
- Gaps in the floor or under baseboards;
- Risers;
- Electrical or telephone wires;
- Neighboring apartments;
- Packages in which products were brought from the market.
It is also necessary to ensure that household members or guests who enter the house do not inadvertently bring a cockroach with them in their shoes, bag or bag.
An important point in getting rid of red cockroaches is the proper environment in the apartment, that is, maintaining order. Without this, it will not be possible to get rid of insects forever.
Why is it difficult to get rid of red cockroaches?
There are several different reasons that explain the difficulty of getting rid of cockroaches:
What danger do these pests pose to human health?
Red cockroaches are completely picky in food, because they eat both leftovers from the human table and leather from clothing, fabric, shoes, book bindings, paper, soap, and can even gnaw through wires from electrical appliances, causing a short circuit.
Since red cockroaches most often live in trash cans or cracks in the floor, they collect a large number of microbes on their bodies.
And upon contact with the surface of the dining table or food, insects quickly spread various diseases, which include:
In addition, a cockroach can carry worm eggs on its legs, and the chitinous covering that insects shed during molting can cause allergies in apartment residents.
It’s rare, but it still happens that a cockroach mistakes a person’s ear canal for a reliable shelter and crawls there when he’s sleeping. And in this case it will no longer be possible to do without a doctor.
Body structure
From an evolutionary point of view, the body structure of cockroaches can be called perfect for its lifestyle. This is confirmed by the fact that over millions of years, cockroaches have remained virtually unchanged. The insect's body consists of a rather large triangular head with a pair of compound eyes, a gnawing mouthpart covered by a shield, and long mustache, chest and abdomen. Despite the fact that cockroaches do not fly, they have wings that are hidden under dense elytra.
Three pairs of legs differ in length and main functions. So the first pair (the shortest) is a kind of brake. The second is responsible for maneuverability, since the paws can move in different directions. The third pair is longer than the others and plays a major role in moving and jumping.
Cockroaches have an open circulatory system, that is, blood circulates freely throughout the body, washing the internal organs. The respiratory system is separate. Air enters through holes located on the sides of the abdomen and disperses through the tracheal system. The digestive system consists of the crop, stomach and intestines. In the body cavity of the red cockroach there are Malpighian tubes, which are excretory organs. They collect toxins from throughout the body, which are then eliminated.
Interestingly, red cockroaches do not have an excretory organ such as the urethra, so both urine and feces are excreted through the anus.
How do red cockroaches reproduce?
Red cockroaches reproduce much faster than black and Madagascar cockroaches. They are insects with incomplete transformation, so their own copies appear from cockroach eggs, only very small and without wings. This stage corresponds to the stage of larvae of butterflies and beetles and is called a nymph.
Over a couple of months of development, nymphs molt 6 times. They grow with each molt until they become adults with wings.
Currently reading: How to get rid of Prussians - the most effective methods of control
The development of cockroach eggs lasts from 2 to 4 weeks, and it occurs in the ooteca (a kind of packaging), which the female drags at the end of the abdomen before the larvae hatch. At the most crucial moment, the ootheca is deposited, and from there appears from 20 to 25 transparent white larvae.
Only a few hours pass and the larvae become darker, and on the back of their heads a distinctive feature of red cockroaches appears - a pair of red spots.
The larvae eat the same things as adult cockroaches.
The lifespan of a female is 10 months, and during this time she manages to give birth to 250 new cockroaches. And taking into account the fact that each nymph turns into an adult insect after a couple of months and can produce new individuals, the number of descendants of each female by the end of her life will number in the thousands.
What is incomplete metamorphosis of an insect?
Metamorphosis or partial metamorphosis of an insect is a biological process and type of development of baby insects.
Red cockroaches are insects of incomplete metamorphosis. After the larva of this insect emerges from the ooteca, it looks like a smaller adult. In addition to its size, the larva differs from an adult cockroach in that it does not yet have wings. The larvae develop and grow, molt, and after a certain number of molts they begin to develop wings.
Such development, when an insect does not go through the various stages of development of the baby, is called incomplete metamorphosis of insects. From its very birth, an insect of incomplete transformation is mobile, active and leads a full life. This makes cockroach larvae less vulnerable and promotes their rapid reproduction.
Is it possible to get rid of cockroaches forever?
Eliminating the cause of cockroaches in your home does not mean defeating them. In order to get rid of cockroaches, and even forever, you will have to try very hard. Therefore, having heard from someone that no problems will arise in the process of fighting insects, since the modern market offers a lot of different chemicals, you should not relax and believe. Most likely, the one who said this has not himself encountered these mustachioed uninvited guests within the walls of his home.
How to remove red cockroaches from an apartment at home?
As mentioned above, getting rid of cockroaches forever is quite difficult. A one-time use of a special product, of course, will help drive insects out of the apartment, but only for a while. And then they can go back there again. To avoid this, you will have to improve the sanitary condition of the home, as well as the surrounding areas.
To remove red cockroaches from an apartment at home, the following methods are used:
Cleanliness and order in the apartment will repel mustachioed insects for a long time, but we are not talking about one-time cleaning, but about putting things in order on a regular basis in order to create conditions in which cockroaches simply cannot survive.
Ideal conditions for the life of a cockroach.
So, in what conditions does the red cockroach live most comfortably?
- If you rarely empty your trash can and it doesn't have a sealed lid, you're giving cockroaches unlimited access to food. We advise you to either take out the trash as often as possible, or buy a sealed bucket that makes it difficult for insects to get to the waste.
- Wash dishes and wipe up crumbs from the table immediately after eating. This way you can also reduce the amount of food available to the cockroach.
- Clean with a vacuum cleaner as often as possible. This way you can remove all possible sources of food from the floor.
- If you have a pet and its food dishes are always full, then this may also attract the Prussian.
- Cockroaches need water. The source of water may be, for example, from leaking pipes. If you cannot cope with cockroaches at home for a long time, then you should pay attention to this aspect.
In general, the ideal conditions for a red cockroach to live in an apartment are quite simple: the presence of secluded corners where offspring can be raised without fear, access to food and water, and a minimum amount of light.
Cockroaches are very tenacious and quickly adapt to almost any conditions, and can also develop immunity to the means that people use to poison insects. All these factors together can delay pest control for many months.
Prusak, let us remind you, is incredibly common. Why? Because, among other things, it also reproduces extremely quickly. Further in this article we will talk about how long the redhead lives and how this insect reproduces.
Removing red cockroaches from the kitchen
Before you begin removing insects from the kitchen, you will need to estimate how many colonies have settled in the room. If one settlement is discovered, then a one-time processing will be quite enough, but if there are more of them, then you will have to prepare for a long war.
You can purchase an insecticide to kill cockroaches at the sanitary-epidemiological service or a specialized store, you just need to choose it correctly. Use it to treat all the corners in the kitchen.
Poisonous agents are commercially available in the following forms:
If the insect population is insignificant, then a trap with bait inside and an adhesive backing can cope with them. Traps are also electric, like repellers, but they require a constant power source.
Proven and budget-friendly methods for combating barbels are folk remedies. As a rule, you can get rid of cockroaches with their help in just a couple of weeks.
Which of the means will be the most suitable and effective will be clarified further.
Remedies for red cockroaches in the apartment
Modern industry offers a wide range of products for getting rid of cockroaches. If folk remedies are herbal and repel insects with a pungent odor, then chemical ones are much more effective, but also more toxic compared to folk remedies.
Chemicals
Many people believe that the best results in the fight against red cockroaches are provided by chemical rather than folk remedies.
Currently reading: How to get rid of cockroaches in your house forever using spells
These include:
In no case should we forget that any chemical is harmful to human health. To ensure that the fight against cockroaches is as safe and effective as possible, you must carefully read the instructions for the selected insecticide.
Repellers and traps
A repeller is a special device powered by an electrical network. When the device is turned on, it begins to spread electromagnetic waves, which have a detrimental effect on the nervous system of cockroaches. They will either run away or die. This product is one of the most humane in the fight against insects, and it can be a good addition to another product.
Traps can also be used as an aid. With their help, you can overcome a large number of cockroaches, and also identify them if only one individual caught your eye.
You can purchase a trap in a store, choosing an adhesive, electric (effective, but not destroying cockroach nests) or a model whose poison is transmitted to insects upon contact with each other.
Traps are only good for controlling small populations of cockroaches. They are not suitable for exterminating large populations.
Popular questions
In order for the fight against insects to be more successful, it is necessary to know what these parasites look like and what the characteristics of their life activities are.
Below are answers to questions about what cockroaches are afraid of, what attracts these insects, and many others.
What they look like
Probably, the answer to the question of what red cockroaches look like is known to everyone. These are relatively small insects, the size of which does not exceed one and a half centimeters. Color can vary from dark yellow to brown. The wings are fully developed, but the ability to fly is absent.
However, when falling, the insect actively moves its wings, which allows it to glide.
Males differ in body structure - it is narrower, longer than that of females, in addition, the last segment is not covered by wings. Females have a more rounded body, which is completely covered by wings.
During the breeding season, females wear an ootheca, which significantly protrudes beyond the wings and abdomen.
How do they reproduce?
Red cockroaches reproduce at an incredible rate; one adult female can reproduce more than three hundred individuals throughout her life. After reaching sexual maturity, that is, the adult stage, the insect lays eggs, reliably protected by a special capsule called ootheca.
The female carries this capsule under her abdomen for two to four weeks, that is, until the larvae hatch. A young cockroach that is born reaches maturity within two to three months; this period may vary slightly depending on environmental conditions.
What do they eat?
Red cockroaches are absolutely unpretentious when choosing food sources.
Unfortunately, even absolute cleanliness in the room will not completely get rid of insects.
Not only food familiar to humans can serve as food for red parasites, but also leaves of some plants, paper, household chemicals, and even particles of skin, human hair, and animals.
In the absence of food, a Prussian can feel quite well and live up to several months.
But the lack of sources of moisture is disastrous for red insects.
How long do red cockroaches live?
The lifespan of the red cockroach can vary somewhat depending on the environmental conditions. Under favorable conditions, optimal temperature, sufficient water and food, an adult insect can live for more than a year.
If the temperature in the apartment is constantly too high and the air is excessively dry, this period is significantly reduced.
What are they afraid of?
Awareness of the factors that red cockroaches are afraid of will help prevent the appearance of these unpleasant insects in the apartment. Parasites, for example, cannot tolerate strong odors, which include the aroma of pine needles, wormwood, citrus fruits, mint, and lavender.
To protect your apartment from insect infestation, it is enough to spread a small amount of herbs around the perimeter of your home. Aroma oils can be used together.
Another negative factor for red cockroaches is the lack of food sources and moisture.
Timely cleaning and maintaining the cleanliness of the room will help prevent the appearance of not only cockroaches, but also a number of other unpleasant insects, conventionally classified as parasitic.
How to get rid of red cockroaches in a private house?
Red cockroaches prefer to live in apartments rather than private houses, where there is no sewerage system, running water, and they are heated using a stove. But today, most private houses and summer cottages already have the benefits of civilization, so mustachioed insects happily settle down in them. As for the methods of getting rid of cockroaches in private homes, they are similar to the methods of dealing with them in apartments. The main thing is not to use the same insecticide repeatedly, so as not to contribute to the development of addiction in insects.
Ultrasonic repellers against cockroaches.
How to remove cockroaches using ultrasonic repellers? Ultrasound repels insects from the room, because living in this place becomes extremely uncomfortable for them.
In addition, there are no risks to the health of humans and pets, because no poisons are used. But, at the same time, not every repeller is truly effective; you need to choose only certain brands with a certain power. The strong power of the repeller can negatively affect a person’s sleep and cause headaches. In our opinion, ultrasonic repellers are not the best remedy for annoying Prussians.
So, now you know quite a lot about the red cockroach:
- how does it get into a person’s home;
- how it reproduces;
- what does it eat;
- what methods of disposal exist;
- where the cockroach most often lives within the apartment;
- why are these insects so tenacious?
- who eats red cockroaches;
- who is the Prusak nymph;
- how to prevent the appearance of cockroaches at home;
- how the red cockroach reproduces and what is the life cycle;
- How many cockroaches hatch from just one red cockroach egg.
We are confident that by applying this knowledge, you can successfully win the fight against cockroaches in your apartment! We wish you good luck on this difficult path!
Calculator
Folk remedies for red cockroaches
Before you take on a highly toxic chemical to remove cockroaches from your home, you can try to do this using folk remedies, especially since there are quite a lot of them:
Currently reading: Making a cockroach trap with your own hands
Folk remedies have the advantage of being non-toxic and quite accessible, so you don’t need to neglect them.
Prevention of cockroaches
When red cockroaches appear in an apartment, it is recommended to immediately take the necessary measures to eliminate them. First, you should carry out wet cleaning, and then remove all food sources for these insects.
Most often, cockroaches live in the kitchen and bathroom, so preventive measures will be special.
So, in the kitchen you will need:
In the bathroom you will need:
Harm to humans
Living with Prussians poses a danger to people, despite the fact that the insects are not poisonous and do not have predatory instincts. Red cockroaches are constantly puzzled to find food. In search of food, they quickly move from one room to another, along the way running through sewer pipes, garbage chutes, ventilation shafts, basements and attics.
The colony
An insect's body accumulates a huge amount of dirt and germs, which it leaves on everything it touches. This could include uncleaned food, dishes, door and window handles, switches, and countertops. Consequently, all products that a cockroach has run over must be washed or thrown away, and by touching any surface, you can catch the infection it brought.
In addition to dirt, Prussians carry eggs of worms and pathogens of serious diseases, including:
- salmonellosis;
- dysentery;
- meningitis;
- tuberculosis;
- tetanus;
- diphtheria;
- hepatitis.
Remains of chitinous cover and waste products of cockroaches are mixed with dust and, if they get on the skin or in the respiratory tract of a person, they can trigger allergies.
Reviews
Dear readers, you can leave your review on how to get rid of red cockroaches in the comments; your opinion will be useful to other users of the site!
Christina
There have never been cockroaches in our apartment. But with the opening of a grocery store below us, everything changed. These nasty insects came in droves to both us and our neighbors on the floor. Neither crayons, nor sprays, nor traps, nor gels helped. The cockroaches steadfastly survived all the trials of fate. When they were completely desperate to get rid of them, they called specialists from the insect control service. For now we have moved to a rented apartment. A few days later we returned to our home and did a general cleaning, but we were well aware that a little time would pass and the cockroaches would crawl back to us again. Therefore, we decided to sell our apartment and move to another place. Since then we haven't seen any more cockroaches.
Valeria
In our house, in the apartment above, there lived a granny who carried various rubbish from the trash to her home. What didn’t she have there! Unfortunately, there were also red cockroaches, which spread everywhere from her. At that moment we learned what it was like to live next door to disgusting mustachioed creatures. We rushed to the store and stocked up on all sorts of means to remove them. After treating the premises, our cat got sick and my grandmother almost suffocated. And she remembered one folk remedy that her grandmother told her about. To prepare it you will need a boiled chicken egg, boric acid and a little water. Boil the egg, peel and grind to a paste. Pour in a small amount of water and add a couple of bags of boric acid. Mix well, form more small lumps from the mixture, place them on bottle caps and place them in insect habitats. And when a month has passed, it will be possible to replace the poison with a new one. The main thing is that children and pets do not get to it.
