What do cockroaches eat: what diet to make at home?

Cockroaches - an extensive detachment, uniting more than 4600 species. Most of the insects are inhabitants of the forest litter. Under natural conditions, they feed on plant debris, animal feces and other available organics. Several species chose to live next to a person. They find everything they need in their homes. What do cockroaches eat in human homes? Omnivores, they feed on any crumbs and litter. In the absence of an alternative, they gnaw soap, hair, leather furniture, cardboard.

The structure of the oral apparatus

Cockroaches have a gnawing mouth apparatus. It is intended for tearing and grinding solid food. Using the tactile organs (upper lip and maxillus), the insect finds suitable food. To tear off the pieces, the upper jaws (mandibles), consisting of chitin plates with teeth, are used. No matter what the cockroaches eat, they rub any food with their jaws and moisten it with salivary glands. Further food is pushed into the throat. The digestion process is slow, one meal per day is enough for cockroaches.

Natural food

The main part of insects in vivo eats leaf litter, rotten fruit that fell to the ground. The percentage of omnivorous cockroaches is less. They, along with plant foods, absorb dead animals and small insects. Arthropods play the role of scavengers in the ecological system. They utilize plant debris, carrion, feces.

The diet of home cockroaches

An uninvited neighbor in an apartment building most often turns out to be a red cockroach or Prusak. Representatives of the species are small, the length of the body does not exceed 13 mm. The body is oval, the head is elongated. Coloring is yellowish coffee. Adults have wings. Larvae are dark, wingless. The colony is dominated by offspring of various ages. Shy insects, avoid the light. In the afternoon they hide in secluded places. You can find them by turning on the lights in the kitchen at night.

The second most common species is a black cockroach. Large insects, males up to 26 mm, females up to 30 mm. Among adults, sexual dimorphism is pronounced. Male elongated, painted in brown or red-brown. Females are flatter, black and shiny. Their wings are reduced, they are a pair of short leathery elytra.

Synanthropic species have in their diet products that wild relatives do not know about. Domestic insects are active at night, favorite places for feeding: bins, a sink with dirty dishes, crumbs behind the stove and on the floor. At the porches they gather near the garbage chute. What do cockroaches eat at home?

The list of products is extensive:

• pasta;
• bread;
• vegetables and fruits;
• cereals and porridge;
• meat and sausages;
• the remains of any dishes (soup, mashed potatoes, salad):
• flour and starch;
• spice.

Pests gnaw paper, often eat leather products, damage books. To satisfy hunger, creams, lotions, wallpaper and wood glue are suitable. Potted plants are at risk, because insects willingly consume greens. Black cockroaches are prone to cannibalism.In difficult conditions, they attack the larvae, eat discarded capsules with eggs.

How much do cockroaches eat

The result of scientists observing cockroaches was information about the amount of food they absorbed. The daily volume is 20-50 mg. During the year, the insect destroys 9.6 kg of dry products. It is characteristic that females eat 2 times more males. Gluttony of females is associated with the function of procreation. Females lay eggs, hatched ooteks.

Mistresses are trying to protect food and prepared dishes from spoilage. Using plastic bags to store them does not stop pests. Strong jaws gnaw through plastic quickly. You can reliably hide food in durable plastic containers with a lid. Packages with clippings of vegetables and other garbage are a real bait for pests. Soaking leftovers are their favorite food. Garbage should be carried out in the evening, before the parasites go on a night hunt.

Information. Insects are extremely hardy, without food they can do from 20 to 60 days. Larvae are capable of starving longer than adults. Insects have a slow metabolism, there is no need to spend energy on a stable body temperature.

If pests survive a shortage of food for a long time, then without water they will not last longer than 5-10 days, depending on temperature and humidity. Fluid in the body is necessary for heat transfer. Regular evaporation of moisture leads to drying out of the body. Overlapping leaks, wiping dry shells, blocking access to moisture will help reduce the number of colonies.

Information. Given the scarcity of feed resources, insects are taking desperate measures. They attack people. Cases of nibbling of the epidermis in the lips, nails, elbows, eyelids, neck have been recorded. Pests are attracted by the smell of human secretions - sweat, saliva. Cockroaches provoke bites on food left on the face or hands.

Food preferences

One way to control pests is to make poison baits. To increase the effectiveness of the method, you need to know what kind of food cockroaches love. They are real sweet tooth, never miss pastries, jam, honey. One of the addictions of pests is beer. A malt drink is often used in makeshift traps from plastic bottles or cans. The bait is poured onto the bottom of the tank, and the walls are lubricated with Vaseline on the inside. Insects, once in a jar, can not get out.

A piece of biscuit will be an excellent bait for a glue trap. To make it, you need a solid base, double-sided tape or special glue. Insects attracted by odor adhere and remain trapped. Pest love boiled eggs. This product has become the backbone of the popular poisoned bait. The yolk is mixed with boric acid and laid out in places of movement of insects. An antiseptic, when ingested, corrodes internal organs.

Cockroach nutrition in the terrarium

Exotic lovers start tropical cockroaches as pets. Insects are kept in plastic or glass terrariums. The diet of arthropods in captivity is trying to bring closer to the natural. They are fed with fruits, vegetables, herbs. Juicy foods (oranges, apples, pumpkin, pear) partially satisfy the need for water. Constantly bran or oatmeal are in the feeder. Once a week, insects get protein food: boiled eggs, meat, cottage cheese, dried daphnia, food for cats and dogs.

Cockroaches have a high protein content, which is why gluttonous insects themselves become a forage object. They are grown for reptiles, spiders, birds, hedgehogs. It is not necessary to buy large insects. Use ordinary Prussians and American cockroaches, which are synanthropes. Residents of Asian countries consider insect dishes tasty and healthy.