profile
Cockroaches
are one of the worlds most successful survivors and scavengers,
they eat almost anything. Some of the approximate 3,000
species of cockroach are pests and are carriers of disease
affecting humans.
biology
Cockroaches
avoid light, prefer warm, moist situations close to a
food source. All cockroaches have flat bodies, enabling
them to hide in cracks and crevices. Legs are almost even
and the antennae are long.
The
noticeable difference between cockroach nymphs and adults,
apart from size, is the lack of wings in the young. Although
the adults have wings, in most circumstances, they still
prefer to run rather than fly. At the end of each growth
stage the outer shell or cuticle splits and the almost
white new stage emerges.
It
darkens in a few hours to again blend in with the other
cockroaches. Eggs are carried by the female in a capsule.
Hatching nymphs grow through a series of 5-12 moults.
The larger species become adults in 9-12 months. The German
cockroach can mature in 2-3 months and with up to 40 eggs
in a capsule the "family" could number 20,000 in a year.
species
There
are approximately five species of cockroach that are considered
major pests.
Find
out which ones >>
associated
diseases
Cockroaches indiscriminate feeding in such areas as sewers, drains and garbage areas brings them in contact with disease organisms such as salmonella and others associated with dysentry, typhoid, hepatitis and tuberculosis. Cockroaches are known also to produce allergic reactions in humans and in some instances severe asthma attacks.
|
