In February, residents of apartment buildings in Russia can expect an invasion of cockroaches. Svetlana Roslavtseva, head of the laboratory of the Institute of Disinfectology of Rospotrebnadzor, spoke about this. Izvestia has found out why cockroaches are dangerous, what to do with the wardrobe after total disinfection, and which of them is the most tenacious.
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A plague on both your houses
Cockroaches carry infections that are dangerous not only to humans, but also to pets.
“Cockroaches carry anything that can be carried by contact. Starting from Escherichia coli, ending with plague bacteria, anthrax, tularemia. Not only infectious, but also invasive diseases – helminth eggs, quite stick to them, ”- Roman Khryapin, a biologist at the Moscow City Center for Disinfection, told Izvestia.
In allergy sufferers, the appearance of cockroaches in an apartment over time can lead to an exacerbation of an allergic reaction. Cockroaches molt in the process of life. The chitin skins they throw off accumulate in dusty corners under cabinets and beds, break into smaller particles and, together with the dust, are inhaled by people.
At the same time, even the most formidable pathogens of human diseases are not dangerous for the cockroaches themselves, too different physiology. However, this is also true in the opposite direction. Poisons, from which cockroaches inevitably die, for example, pyrethroids or organophosphorus, often cause only minor harm to human health, said Roman Khryapin.
Americans love the bath
In a residential apartment, the kitchen is the most common place for cockroaches. Here you can find crumbs and other food debris. In fact, cockroaches eat the same food as humans, the biologist noted.
Cockroaches rarely go beyond the kitchen and bathroom, because it is easiest to get their food there.
But cockroaches not only love food and water, but also heat. Bathhouses are especially fond of American and black cockroaches. Even more than food production.
In addition to the kitchen, cockroaches can be easily found in food production, from private bakeries to large meat processing plants.
Cockroach
It is impossible to cope with the invasion of uninvited tenants for a long time without basic hygiene.
“In normal clean apartments, cockroaches are rare. We remove all remnants of food, leave nothing. From under the tables, from under the cabinets, we sweep all the crumbs, all the leftovers. Do not leave bread wrapped in a plastic bag in an easily accessible place, they can penetrate there, ”said Roman Khryapin.
You don’t need to worry about the food in the refrigerator. And not only because the refrigerating chamber is hermetically sealed. The cold will neutralize the cockroach.
“In the refrigerator, cockroaches will be inactive, because at a temperature of plus 4-5 degrees, they fall into a slight torpor, cease to be active. The refrigerator is vitally unsuitable for them. They can exist there for some time in a half-asleep state, but they are unable to live actively, and even more so to reproduce, ”said a specialist at the Moscow City Center for Disinfection.
Roman Khryapin calls boric acid a reliable tool in the fight against cockroaches. According to him, it also works on the most resistant populations, which neighbors have already poisoned with chemicals, after which the insects have developed immunity to many poisons.
“To her (boric acid – Ed.), No one has yet developed resistance to it. Its principle of action is more chemical-physical than chemical. The cockroach dies due to the burning of the digestive system with acid. It does not affect the nervous system, like the overwhelming majority of recognized insecticides, ”the biologist emphasized.
At the same time, its effect will be limited, simply because food baits act locally, unlike the chemicals that are sprayed on large areas. By the way, after the global disinfection of the wardrobe, you will not have to throw it away. It will be enough to wash or ventilate the clothes.
Super cockroach
In recent years, entire populations of cockroaches have emerged, with increased resistance to poisons and chemicals, the biologist notes. This happened due to the fault of non-professional exterminators who violate the rules for processing premises.
“For red cockroaches in the Moscow region and in Moscow, the percentage of the resistant population is very high. Some develop not only insecticidal resistance, but also intestinal resistance. That is, resistance not only to insecticides, which are applied by spraying, but also to poisonous poisonous baits, ”concluded Khryapin.
If you cannot cope yourself, you can catch at least ten live individuals and send them to the Institute of Disinfection of Rospotrebnadzor or the Moscow City Disinfection Center. In laboratory conditions, experts will experimentally find out which insecticides are best for poisoning this population.