Underestimated food or who eats cockroaches?

Millions of years of cockroaches occupy a significant place in the Earth’s ecosystem. As residents of the forest litter, they are engaged in the disposal of plant debris, enriching the soil with nitrogen. Loss of insects will affect the state of forests, the number of trees will decrease. Deterioration of living conditions will lead to the death of many species. Arthropods are part of the food chain. Among those who eat cockroaches are many birds, reptiles of small animals. A decrease in natural resources includes this group as well.

What country do cockroaches eat in?

Cockroaches are the oldest representatives of newwing. During evolution, they lost their ovipositor and powerful wings. Otherwise, their image remained unchanged. Scientists believe that ancient people often included arthropods in their diet. Large insects were rather slow, not aggressive and nutritious. Pets drove them out of the human table, but not everywhere. In countries with poor nutritional resources and underdevelopment, affordable protein products have not been forgotten.

While representatives of Western civilization grin squeamishly at the sight of cockroaches, Asians found them excellent use. They supplemented their diet with a healthy dietary product. Insects contain protein, but do not have fat. Arthropod dishes are very popular in Thailand. Roasted cockroaches are sold in the markets, small ones are poured into paper bags and eaten like seeds. Large individuals are served on wooden skewers. The traditional recipe is frying in vegetable oil with garlic. Before cooking insects for 20-30 minutes are placed in the freezer so that they lose activity.

Cockroaches are eaten in Cambodia and Vietnam, some countries in South America. Insect meat is also sold in canned form. In China, they are grown on special farms. This industry is constantly expanding. Farm products are in demand as a cheap protein substitute for cooking traditional Chinese cuisine. Individuals grown in special conditions are completely safe, have no diseases and parasites. At the same time, arthropods utilize the food remains of large cities. The bulk of insects is sold to feed pigs that are forbidden to feed with kitchen waste.

What animal eats cockroaches

Under natural conditions, the enemies of cockroaches are insectivorous birds and animals. It is not for nothing that arthropods lead a secretive lifestyle and hide in the daytime in reliable shelters. They are fed:

• turtles;
• snakes
• lizards;
• iguanas;
• hedgehogs;
• rodents;
• some breeds of monkeys;
• birds.

Among reptiles, lizards prey most on arthropods. Mobile carnivorous creatures easily catch insects. Cockroaches are defenseless against predators; they have no poison or sting. The insects are saved by agility, caution, the ability to hide in the slightest gap. Birds also catch arthropods for themselves and chicks. For a day they need an amount of food equal to their own weight. Among insectivorous birds, it is worth noting sparrows, zanyanok, finches.

Insects are dangerous to each other.

Large predatory insects, mantis, prey on cockroaches.They can wait for hours patiently waiting for the victim, and when she approaches, they quickly grab hold of the forelimbs. Spiders will not refuse a prey in the form of a cockroach. But not all species are active enough to pursue a chase. Many spiders eat arthropods if they inadvertently fall into the web. Otherwise, saltpugs or phalanxes act, many species are mobile nocturnal predators. They are happy to catch cockroaches.

Interestingly, the wasp was the most dangerous enemy of insects. In the tropical regions of Asia and Africa, a parasitoid digging emerald wasp lives, with two blows turning the victim into a limp zombie. The poison blocks the chemical processes of the brain. Arthropods voluntarily follow it into the hole, where eggs are laid in their abdomen. The cockroach remains a living incubator, then the appearing larvae eat it from the inside.

Another parasite, the equestrian of the eulophida family, lays eggs in the artery of the arthropod. Its larvae eat cockroach embryos, emptying the chitin capsule. After their death, the Prussians do not disappear in vain, they become food for ants.

Interesting fact. In the Royal Botanic Gardens of London, East Asian cockroaches have proliferated excessively. The use of insecticides in the greenhouse was impossible, so scientists used the biological method. Young aquatic agamas, which are insectivorous reptiles, were settled in the garden. Lizards have established control over the number of arthropods.

Enemies of the Domestic Prusaks

The fight with the Prussians in the apartment is with varying success. After treating the premises with insecticides, the pests disappear, but after a while they appear again. Insects come from infected apartments, a porch or a basement. Frequent use of chemicals leads to addiction, the poison ceases to affect arthropods. We have to look for new insecticides, resort to folk recipes. Any chemical preparation negatively affects the health of the residents of the house, and the presence of allergy sufferers completely excludes the treatment of the premises with insecticides.

There is a mechanical method of extermination - the installation of traps of various designs. Adaptations are effective, but they will not destroy the entire colony. To use the biological method of pest control, you need to know which animal eats cockroaches in the apartment. Hens, frogs, rats will not refuse to eat insects. But getting them in the apartment is problematic. Some residents, desperate in the fight against pests, settle houses of lizards. For example, geckos. This is a family of small reptiles that can move on a vertical surface. Agile lizards are active at night, at the same time as pests. Most species are brought from the tropics, so they like warmth. The sizes of geckos are from 6 to 35 cm.

Another enemy of the Prussians is the hedgehog, a small mammal is more common in temperate latitudes. The basis of its nutrition is insects. The small predator is active in the dark, and relies on its sense of smell and hearing when hunting. Hedgehogs are easily tamed and adapt to life in an apartment. They often become pets. You should prepare for the night noise, because during the hunt the hedgehog will touch various objects and stomp its paws.

Domestic cats and small dogs prey on arthropods. But the capture of prey takes place in the form of a game, they do not consider cockroaches as a constant source of food. Pets should not be counted as pest exterminators. It’s best to forbid them to hunt. Insects can be poisoned, with poison in the body, they live for 7-8 days. Eaten individuals cause domestic animal poisoning.

Spiders are the natural enemies of the Prussians. If the pest gets entangled in the web, its fate is a foregone conclusion. The predator injects a special gastric secretion into the body of the victim, then sucks out the jelly-like substance. From arthropods, only dried chitinous cover remains.

Information.Sparrows or swallows are not kept in the apartment for extermination of cockroaches, but it is quite possible in the stairwell. Birds will destroy insects near the chute.

Arthropod Terrarium Consumers

The content of exotic insects and reptiles has become very popular. Different types of cockroaches are used to feed predatory pets. They are loved by tarantulas, spotted eublefars, snakes, agamas, chameleons, turtles and frogs. You can buy food at the pet store or grow it yourself. If there are few pets, then it is easier to acquire insects as necessary, but for a large number of such an approach is not economically justified.

Information. Some types of food cockroaches cause allergies with individual intolerance.

Fodder objects become any kind of cockroach. But the most popular are ash (marble), Turkmen, American and Madagascar. Arthropods have a relatively soft chitinous cover, a high content of protein and minerals in meat. They multiply rapidly; about a dozen heterosexual individuals are required to start a colony. The living conditions are simple, and cardboard egg trays are recommended as a comfortable and affordable litter.

Terrariums with heating are installed to keep feed insects. In containers moderate or high humidity is maintained. In food, arthropods are non-selective, absorb any vegetables and fruits, grass, oatmeal, bran. Small species are good for young reptiles and amphibians, large individuals are given to adult pets.

Scientists consider the nutritional potential of rams to be underestimated. They can become a complete feed resource. In countries where there is not enough food due to overpopulation, insects will help people get rid of hunger. Powder made from arthropods is already a popular food supplement for farm animals and fish. The production of fodder protein for cattle from cockroaches is also being considered in European countries. For reptiles living in natural conditions, insects are a source of good nutrition.