The distribution of cockroaches in the apartment causes tenants an increased disgust. In addition, the growth of the insect population makes homeowners worry about their own health. Sometimes you may notice that white cockroaches appeared in the house. Let's see what insects are, how to deal with them and whether they belong to a separate species.
White cockroaches in the apartment - what is it?
It is immediately worth noting that insects with a translucent body structure are not a new, independent species. So why are white cockroaches? The appearance of a colorless pigment occurs during the molting period of a cockroach. At this time, individuals discard the old chitinous shell, which makes them rather unusual in appearance.
White cockroaches are quite rare. And there are several reasons for this. First of all, the chitin cover remains whitish for a fairly short time. During the day, a colored pigment is actively produced, which returns the cockroach to its previous color.
In the process of molting, insects are extremely vulnerable to external influences. Therefore, small white cockroaches are hiding in the bathroom, crawling into household appliances, hiding in other secluded places.
Successful completion of the molting process turns a young individual into an adult. At first, the pigment can give a cockroach a light brown color. In this case, the insect body remains translucent. Soon, the pigment accumulates, and small white cockroaches take on the familiar look.
Differences from regular insects
White cockroaches are quite voracious during molting, because they need a plentiful supply of nutrients to form a new chitinous membrane. Therefore, they can be seen in large quantities at night in the kitchen, near the bin, in other places where there is access to food.
To destroy such insects is much easier. The lack of a strong outer shell makes white cockroaches vulnerable to aggressive chemicals. Therefore, the use of insecticides during their appearance is an extremely effective solution.
What harm do white cockroaches do?
Like insects that have the usual brown color, colorless individuals act as carriers of infections, which can lead to the development of intestinal diseases. White cockroaches on the body contain an abundance of small villi, where a myriad of bacteria, helminth eggs, and spores of pathogenic fungi settle. Traveling through sewers and garbage chutes, small pests collect pathogens of cocci, colitis, enteritis on their surface. These infections can affect the human body when consuming food that the insect has come into contact with.
How do cockroaches appear in a house?
You can meet white cockroaches in the apartment during the period of active reproduction of insects. Subject to sanitation, they can get into housing from neighbors, as well as along with things taken from friends and relatives.
Even pest control does not always allow you to say goodbye to small pests. The fact is that during the movement of cockroaches leave a stable chemical mark on the way to secluded places, feeding areas. The latter acts as an excellent reference point for individuals from newly formed colonies. If the premises have favorable conditions for nutrition and reproduction, insects are able to populate them for a sufficiently long period.
How to avoid the reappearance of cockroaches?
To avoid the next appearance of pests in the apartment, after their destruction, the following recommendations should be observed:
- thoroughly remove food residues from the table, floor;
- emptying the bin regularly;
- hide food from the table;
- not to allow an increase in the humidity level in the apartment, timely repairing plumbing, blocking taps and eliminating leaks in pipes;
- try to close up cracks in the house, which can become a suitable loophole for insects from neighboring apartments.
Pest Control Methods
White cockroaches are destroyed thanks to the use of the same methods that are relevant in the fight against ordinary individuals. If, after using previously tested, effective agents, molting insects have not disappeared, and their color has changed to a darker one, it is worth replacing the chemical.
Quite often, cockroach families mutate while in the apartment for a long time. Thus, insects acquire increased resistance to the effects of active substances in insecticides.
Before bullying insects, it is worthwhile to shut off water in the apartment, wipe dry wet surfaces, since even with one drop of water the pest can last several days.
The most effective solution in the fight against cockroaches is to call pest control. It is advisable to carry out complex processing of the apartment. In this case, you will have to leave her for a while. If white cockroaches run away from their neighbors, it is worth agreeing with the latter about the simultaneous processing of premises.
In the fight against insects, a boric acid-based agent has proven itself pretty well. To prepare the poison, the chemical reagent must be mixed with flour or a boiled egg. It is recommended to lay out the poison bait in areas where cockroaches accumulate, in areas that are potential feeding places for insects.
As for the use of chemical aerosols, poisoned crayons and lures, and other prefabricated products, first of all, it is worth paying attention to products from verified manufacturers, the effectiveness of which has been confirmed by consumers.
How to drive white cockroaches out of household electrical appliances?
As noted earlier, during molting, pests like to hide in household appliances. Quite often, such insects choose TVs, microwave ovens, toasters as habitats. Here, cockroaches can calmly survive an unfavorable period until a new, more durable shell is formed.
To remove insects from electrical appliances, it is enough to expose the latter to severe frost. As an option, the microwave oven can be put on a strong heating. In this case, the cockroaches will not be destroyed, but they will certainly run away.
If we talk about removing pests from televisions, computers and laptops, where they feel extremely comfortable, in this case, you should resort to disassembling the devices and thoroughly cleaning them. The use of chemical insecticides and folk remedies in such situations is not recommended.
Misconceptions about White Cockroaches
Are there white albino cockroaches? Is it worth it to fear such insects more than conventional ones? We will try to answer these and other questions:
- The white cockroach does not preserve the translucent structure of the body and a pale shade for life. Acquisition of a familiar look is fast enough.
- White individuals are no more dangerous than ordinary cockroaches. Moreover, such insects prefer to hide in secluded places during the daytime, since the gentle bodily membrane makes them extremely vulnerable to external influences.
- A common opinion is that white cockroaches are sources of radioactive radiation, as they arose as a result of its exposure. This myth also has no foundation, since mutant insects do not exist, which is confirmed by scientists.
Finally
As you can see, the appearance of white cockroaches is not a special cause for concern. Eliminating the threat posed is quite simple by using proven methods. At the same time, strict observance of sanitation is the main weapon in the fight against such pests. Maintaining cleanliness in the house and regularly carrying out preventive measures, you can make cockroaches bypass housing.