Oriental cockroach (Blatta Orientalis)

• Kingdom: Animals (Animalia)
• Phylum: Chordates (Chordata)
• Class: Insects (Insecta)
• Order: Cockroaches (Blattodea)
• Family: (Blattidae)
• Genus: (Blatta)
• Species: Oriental cockroach (Blatta orientalis)

Size:

• Male head-body length: ~25 mm
• Female head-body length: ~32mm

Look:

• Color: Evenly dyed dark brown

Life cycle:

• Reproduction: After 10-18 months, an Oriental cockroach is fully developed and ready to produce offspring.
• Ootheca development time: 42 - 70 days
• Egg laying: ~15 nymphs per ootheca (egg case), 8 oothecae per cockroach lifetime
• Lifespan: 150 days

Habitat:

• The Oriental cockroach prefers high temperatures but can also survive temperatures as low as -10°C. They are most often found behind furniture, in cavities, or in basements, near heating pipes and hot water lines. The Oriental cockroach is a common infestation in restaurants, kitchens, hotels, and hospitals. It produces three different pheromones:
• Sex pheromone: In females ready to mate, for reproduction.
• Aggregation pheromone: Present in the feces of the Oriental cockroach for signaling shared hiding places.
• Dispersion pheromone: antagonist of the aggregation pheromone, leads to the spread of a population if there are too many individuals.

Nutrition:

• Omnivore: This makes the Oriental cockroach an adaptable pest.

Behave:

• Social: Lives in groups.
• Nocturnal: The Oriental cockroach is strictly nocturnal and spends most of the day in hiding. Despite an infestation, sightings are very rare; a large population could develop without anyone noticing.

Driven:

• Damage: Can contaminate supplies and living spaces through the transport of bacteria, germs, fungi, and viruses.
• Allergy: The Oriental cockroach can be a cause of allergies such as asthma and hay fever in infants, children, and adolescents. Children who grow up in a contaminated environment are more likely to develop asthma or hay fever.

Disease transmission:

• It carries various bacteria, fungi, protozoa, and viruses. Furthermore, the likelihood of children developing allergies increases if they grow up in a contaminated area.

Food:

• Store food and drinks safely and check storage rooms regularly.
• Dispose of food scraps and waste in sealable containers.

Hygiene:

• Do not leave open garbage cans or bags.
• Regular cleaning of surfaces and rooms.

House and garden:

• Set up monitoring.
• Consult a pest control expert for comprehensive advice.
• Seal cracks and crevices leading to the sewer system.

Behave:

• Use traps and baits only in consultation with pest control professionals. Do not handle the animals directly without protective measures.

Garden maintenance:

• Regularly collect fallen fruit in the garden.
• Store compost heaps far away from the building.