Why is it so difficult to kill the “invincible” cockroach? Let’s see the battle between humans and cockroaches →

Cockroaches, scientifically known as Blatta, are a magical species that are widely active in thousands of households. In my country, there are not only the German cockroaches with "delicate physique", but also the American cockroaches that are said to scare northern men into "faint faces" - the soaring American cockroaches. They are both cockroaches, why are there such big differences? Do cockroaches also have regional differences? Let's talk about it today.

01 The cockroach is everywhere

Speaking of cockroaches, I believe many people will think of its classic nickname "Xiao Qiang". Indeed, just like this nickname, cockroaches are extremely tenacious and can live in many difficult environments, and can even rely on sawdust as food, so cockroaches are distributed in all continents except Antarctica. As a member of the arthropods, cockroaches, like many arthropods, do not have a nervous system, so even if a part of their body is pinched off, they can still survive. This is also the reason why cockroaches are often difficult to kill directly by physical means.

Some people may think that cockroaches are annoying. In fact, cockroaches not only bring us discomfort, but are also one of the world's health pests. They can carry a variety of bacteria, viruses and parasite eggs, leading to the spread of diseases. Their secretions or dead insects can also cause serious allergies [1].

Therefore, killing cockroaches not only keeps the environment clean, but is also responsible for health. However, killing cockroaches also has objective difficulties.

02 Regional differences in cockroaches affect drug efficacy

In order to kill cockroaches, countries around the world are developing various methods to eliminate cockroaches, such as various cockroach drugs. However, many people have also found some problems, that is, some drugs work well in other places, but it is difficult to work in China, making the cockroach problem difficult to eradicate.

Take Germany, for example, where cockroaches are a serious problem. Germany was a country that was severely affected by cockroaches in the early days, so the cockroach species at that time was also called German cockroaches (Blattella germanica, in fact, Germany was also a victim, and German cockroaches did not originate in Germany). The cockroaches that are rampant in Germany are German cockroaches, so Germany has effective drugs specifically for the corresponding cockroaches.

However, this situation is somewhat different from the cockroach infestation faced by China. In fact, an important factor is the influence of regional climate differences. Germany and most areas of my country are not on the same latitude. Germany is a high-latitude country. The southernmost part of Germany (N47°15) is farther north than Harbin (N45°45) in my country. The climate type in Germany is also significantly different from that in my country.

In addition, there are differences in living conditions, family hygiene conditions and national home health awareness in different regions. For example, there is a high correlation between cockroaches and kitchen waste disposal in my country, and a widespread method of kitchen waste disposal has not yet been formed in the country. Due to various reasons, the promotion of garbage classification also faces many obstacles. As a result, kitchen waste is not sorted and piled up. These situations are very different from Germany.

In addition, the difference in cockroach protection awareness has led to certain differences in cockroach species. For example, in the distribution of cockroaches in my country, the German cockroach of the genus Blatta is more common in the north, and the proportion of the genus Periplaneta is relatively low; in the south, although all kinds of cockroaches can be found, the proportion of the genus Periplaneta is high.

This difference in cockroach species, coupled with the cockroach's strong adaptability, results in different effects of the same drug in different regions.

Therefore, to deal with the cockroach problem in China, we still need to implement a specific approach to specific problems, specifically targeting the characteristics of the cockroaches that are rampant in China, and developing corresponding methods of killing cockroaches in combination with the living habits and living environment of the Chinese people.

03 Solutions for Chinese families

The differences between cockroaches in different regions can be described as oranges grown in the south of the Huai River are oranges, while oranges grown in the north of the Huai River are bitter oranges. These differences in population and biological characteristics also lead to different specific requirements for killing cockroaches [2].

As mentioned above, the cockroaches in my country are not just the German cockroach, but also the American cockroach. The two cockroaches belong to the same family, Blattaria, but they are different species, and there are obvious differences between the two. For example, in terms of morphology, the American cockroach is significantly larger than the German cockroach, and the former is about 3-5 times the size of the latter; in terms of color, the former is light reddish brown, while the latter is light brown. In addition, their hatching and growth cycles are also different, and their environmental requirements are different. In this case, it is difficult to kill the two with the same drug. Therefore, in view of the cockroach situation in China, it is necessary to use drugs for both cockroaches at the same time [3].

(American cockroaches and German cockroaches react differently to the insecticide Fipronil)

Cockroaches are worthy of their nickname, and may be more difficult to conquer than mosquitoes. For Chinese people, choosing cockroach medicine suitable for domestic use will be more effective. In daily life, pay attention to the cleanliness and hygiene of the family, especially the treatment of kitchen waste, and eliminate the breeding conditions of cockroaches, so as to fundamentally eliminate cockroaches in the family.

[1] Huang Yanhong, Zhang Fan, Fu Rongshu, Liu Shuzhen, Huo Xinbei. Isolation and antifungal activity analysis of intestinal flora from German cockroach [J]. Chinese Journal of Public Health, 2011, 27(01): 78-79.

[2] Zhao Lixian, Wang Ping, Zhao Shuming, Liu Minghua. Investigation on the current situation of cockroach infestation and control measures[J]. Chinese Journal of Hygiene and Insecticides and Equipment, 2007(05):352-354.

[3]Kaakeh, Walid, Byron L. Reid, and Gary W. Bennett. "Toxicity of fipronil to German and American cockroaches." Entomologia Experimentalis et Applica 84.3 (1997): 229-237.