Author: V_V_V
10 January 2022 15:29
Tags: brrrrrrrr house insects
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Do you know all your neighbors? Sure? Some of them are so small that you simply can’t see them. Insects live in almost every home. This is a fact: even if you don’t see them, this almost always means that the “roommates” are simply hiding very successfully. In some cases, insects in an apartment are absolutely harmless, but some of their species pose a serious danger not only to food and things, but also to the person himself. In general, get acquainted!
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For thousands of years, people have sought shelter, starting with the first cave, then building shelters from tree branches and leaves, and making tents from animal skins. As time passed and additional tools were developed, humanity began to build houses from strong wood and stone, and houses appeared. And always, from the very first home, various insects lived next to a person. Today we see them as uninvited guests and prefer to live without them. But if you think about it, they were before us, and they will be after us. For your consideration, here is a list of 15 small creatures with whom you may share your home. They are also called synanthropes (non-domesticated plants and microorganisms whose lifestyle is associated with humans and their homes, for example, cockroaches, house flies, house mice, bed bugs).
Spiders
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Spiders are probably one of the most common creatures with which we share our homes, and some of these arachnids will appear on this list more than once. There is a great variety of spiders in nature, more than 45,000 different species. Overall, modern spiders have spread throughout the world over the past 200 million years, which is largely responsible for their wide distribution and diversity. The spider does not do anything bad in the house, sometimes it even does good - it catches flies. Our ancestors had a huge number of signs associated with spiders, mostly positive. They say spiders are harbingers of good things to come. But, probably, if you trust signs too much, you will be completely covered in cobwebs.
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Mantis
As pets, praying mantises are fun to watch. There will be no difficulty in feeding, since they are aggressive and quickly snatch the offered food from the tweezers. It is well known that a female can eat a male during copulation. However, this does not always happen, especially if the female was well fed before mating.
Perhaps a more appropriate name for these insects would be “predatory mantis.” These guys are ruthless when it comes to food. The lifespan of a praying mantis is about 6 months, with many living much shorter. This is explained as a natural form of population control, as the female mantis lays between 100 and 400 eggs at a time.
Ground beetles
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Just like spiders, beetles are very ancient and well-adapted creatures for survival. There are more than 40,000 species of ground beetles alone in the world, and these insects come to our homes uninvited. The most common is the bread ground beetle. They usually cause damage to crops in fields, but are increasingly found in ordinary apartments. The bread ground beetle crawls into the apartment only if it likes the living conditions. As soon as the insect gets into the house, when darkness falls, it goes to look for food (crumbs, food left on the table, cereals). Ground beetles interfere with sleep, rustle, fall from the ceiling onto the bed or directly onto you. And if they have found food, then the next step will be their reproduction. So, if a ground beetle appears in the house, you need to take immediate action.
Mealworms
If you are looking for the perfect pet that does not require special care, then the worm is just for you. Some American psychologists say mealworms provide more sensory activity for children. Holding a bunch of writhing and swaying mealworms in your hands, you will feel something between your fingers that you have never felt before.
When kept at home, mealworms only need a bed of oats and a couple of pieces of fresh vegetables to be happy. They will get water from vegetables and eat oats, and all their owner needs to do is change the oat bed every week.
Crickets
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The wise cricket who gave advice to Pinocchio probably looked something different. And ordinary crickets are creepy insects, sometimes of enormous size. A folk sign says that if there is a cricket in the house, then this is a sign of happiness and prosperity. But people who have been visited by this “happiness” in large numbers do not share this point of view and are looking for ways to get rid of them. About 2.3 thousand species of these insects are known in the world, of which only about 50 are found in Russia. Most of them live in subtropical and tropical countries. Our most famous species are the field cricket and the house cricket. The house cricket in the southern part of the country lives both in apartments and in nature. In the central and northern regions, it lives only in houses near people, and gives preference to old, warm rooms with high humidity. These insects live and breed well in warm basements flooded with water. Sometimes crickets can spoil food and even things in the apartment, just like moths. Therefore, although popular wisdom advises against offending them, it is better to remove the crickets. Unless, of course, you like the “night concerts” that crickets usually organize.
Black swallowtail
Swallowtail is a beautiful graceful butterfly. In Russia, bright yellow individuals with black spots and veins on the wings are more common, and in the USA and Canada the so-called black swallowtails are common. They are, accordingly, black with yellow spots.
These butterflies lay their eggs on the leaves of parsley, dill and fennel. If you want to watch the amazing metamorphoses of swallowtail, pick the plant with its clutch and place it in a small pot. In a week, green caterpillars with black and yellow transverse stripes will appear. The bright color of the insect can attract a cat or other pet, so it is better to cover the pot with the caterpillars with gauze: this way, curious paws will not get to future butterflies. In another 2–3 weeks, the caterpillars will pupate, and soon a handsome swallowtail will fly out of the pot.
Book louse
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If you hear the word “louse,” the first thing that probably comes to mind is the little reptiles that jump from head to head and feed on your blood, making your head itchy unbearably. These tiny creatures are their relatives, but live in books. They don’t read books, they don’t even have eyes! The book louse or book louse (Troctes divinatorius) is a small parasite that, with a large brood, causes irreparable damage to libraries, herbarium or insect collections, and in some conditions, to stocks of grain and other dry products. It feeds on organic remains of plant and animal origin. In houses he lives in dust and in the bindings of books. May damage zoological collections and bindings of ancient books containing paste. Clusters of book lice make faint ticking sounds that cannot be confused with anything. These insects do not have a detrimental effect on human health, but their presence can have a detrimental effect on valuable things: books, archival documents; on food stocks. The main preventive measure can be considered basic cleanliness, dryness and fresh air, in other words, timely cleaning.
What aspiring entamologists need to know
Breeding insects at home should begin with consultation with a specialist in this field. If this is not possible, then for the information necessary for keeping insects, you should turn to specialized forums and portals on the Internet. After all, without having information, it is difficult to create conditions favorable for their growth and development. To prevent breeding from ending in disappointment, breeders should familiarize themselves with the types of air heaters, types of feed and other issues, knowledge of which is necessary to ensure the comfort of their pets.
Butterflies
These are the most beautiful and amazing flying creatures that you can admire endlessly, but to grow them you need to know the following:
- It is not recommended to keep an imago (adult) in captivity. It is almost impossible to recreate the same conditions in which she lived, so her life will be short-lived;
- It’s better to start by raising a caterpillar or purchasing an egg;
- At first it is better to keep the individual in an insectarium, later transfer it to an enclosure surrounded by a net;
- Butterflies are demanding when it comes to living conditions, so first read the relevant literature or get recommendations from experienced entamologists.
Photo of butterfly
Cockroaches
When starting, for example, to grow hissing Madagascar cockroaches (photo below), you need to know that they are “long-livers” - they can exist for more than two years, reaching a length of up to 10 centimeters. Remember that their activity begins after dark. This must be taken into account when arranging the insectarium.
Beetles
There are different types of beetles, for example, the rhinoceros beetle (photo below), only about 360 thousand have been studied. To recreate the conditions of a natural habitat at home, it is recommended to place fragments of bark, trunk, stone or driftwood in the insectarium, as well as take care of the humidity and temperature conditions of the air.
Mantises
Praying mantises (photo below) are predators, so they don’t need shelter, but it’s worth taking care of branches and specific food. You can’t catch insects with them yourself; it’s better to buy “feed” ones, although this is expensive, but the pleasure of watching them is worth it.
stick insect
It's not surprising if you didn't see it at first glance in the photo. The stick insect is successfully camouflaged, and in a state of catalepsy it can be given any position, so this insect always causes great interest and amazement. The amplitude of the air temperature in the insectarium should be about 10C, and it should be spacious, otherwise the individuals will conflict.
Ants
For ease of observation, the walls in the houses of smart insects are made transparent. They are undemanding when it comes to feed, but they need high humidity - up to 90%. It is very interesting to watch their lives. These tireless workers love to create, so they should always have building materials “at hand.”
Carpet mite
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Scientists have found more than 1,000 different species of house ticks, and all of them cause great harm to humans, all year round. Any carpet or carpet perfectly collects dust, it accumulates in its fibers and even daily cleaning will not give a positive result - dust and mites will still remain there. Ticks, unlike most insects on this list, are very harmful to humans. The ticks themselves are capable of leaving behind their waste products in the form of feces, which contain digestive enzymes, they destroy the cells of the human body and can cause severe allergies and asthma. The damage caused by carpet mites is not limited to allergies: conjunctivitis, allergic rhinitis, atypical dermatitis and others can develop. It’s easy to deal with them - throw away all carpets and upholstered furniture once and for all!
Housing for stick insects
An ordinary aquarium, but with a special lid that allows air access, is suitable as a home for the stick insect.
Depending on the species, these insects can be either tiny (only 5 cm in length) or gigantic (up to 40-45 cm). Based on this, the size of the insectarium is selected. So, the length and width of the stick insect’s housing should be at least 2 times the length of the stick insect itself, and the height – 3 times.
The bottom of the aquarium is lined with bedding in the form of coconut shavings or steamed peat with a layer of at least 3 cm. A paper covering is also suitable, or even better, filter paper or some other material that absorbs moisture well (for example, paper towels). Do not forget to moisten the soil with a spray bottle every 2-3 days.
Dark winged mosquito
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The main harm is that they squeak and interfere with sleep! Thank God, humanity has invented many ways to get rid of mosquitoes. Mosquito nets, repellents and fumigators are a whole industry. Place fresh branches of elderberry, bird cherry, Caucasian chamomile or basil in the rooms, and place a container with tomato seedlings or geranium in a pot under the windows and on the balcony. Mosquitoes do not like the smell of these plants, so they will want to leave your home as soon as possible. According to folk superstitions, these small, disgustingly buzzing bloodsuckers - mosquitoes - are capable of bringing not only absolute harm, but also benefit, predicting the weather and future events. Clouds of mosquitoes mean good weather tomorrow. Painful mosquito bites and especially active buzzing of bloodsuckers - foretells imminent bad weather and night rain.
What to feed a stick insect?
Stick insects are exclusively and completely herbivorous insects. The ideal food for most species would be currant, raspberry, blackberry, and oak leaves. Linden, rose hips, hawthorn, and cotoneaster are also suitable. Some species also eat privet and rhododendron leaves. The main thing is that the plants are not treated with insecticides and herbicides. When collecting leaves for stick insects, you should definitely make sure that these substances, which are deadly to insects, were not used. The ideal option is to collect food for pets at your own summer cottage or at the plot of your friends, where these substances are not used.
Plucked branches of food plants can be placed in a vessel with water and placed in an aquarium. But make sure that the stick insects do not accidentally drown. To do this, select a vessel with a narrow neck, and wrap the branches with something so as to close the hole in the vessel with water. The branches are replaced when they dry out or when they are eaten.
If in the warm season you can feed your pet without any problems, then in winter you will have to work harder. More precisely, already in the summer you need to worry about what your stick insect will eat in the winter cold.
Twigs with leaves can be dried, but this is not exactly something that stick insects will readily eat. It is better to freeze the branches with leaves in the freezer. In winter this will be quality food. When the leaves thaw, they are almost indistinguishable from fresh ones - the insect eats them with great appetite. It is better to freeze oak leaves no later than the end of July, because... Afterwards they become coarser and are often affected by various diseases. But raspberries can be harvested until October.
A more labor-intensive option for humans, but ideal from the stick insect’s point of view, is growing live plants in pots.
Spitting spider
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As mentioned earlier, this list will feature more than one species of spider. Spiders of this species catch prey by spraying a liquid onto it, which neutralizes it by solidifying into a toxic and sticky mass upon contact. You can observe the habit of spiders swaying from side to side. They do this to wrap up their prey. Most spiders are only capable of producing silk, but Scytodes spitting spiders are an exception. Together with the silk, they release poison from their mouths, and silk strands soaked in the toxin, falling on the spider’s victim, bind it. These spiders are not dangerous to humans, do not weave large trap webs, and are unremarkable in appearance. But they still have one peculiarity - during the hunt they “spit” their prey. This may sound a little harsh, but it's accurate. This is why they got their name “spits”. Spitting spiders live in both warm tropical and temperate regions, including Russia - in human homes, where it is warm.
Danaid monarch
This is a large and very beautiful butterfly, the wingspan of which reaches 10 cm. Its habitat is North America, so if you are a resident, for example, of the United States, you can go out into the garden, look under the leaves of the cottonweed and find there creamy white eggs or small caterpillars If you live in Russia, it is easier to order Monarch Danaid on the Internet.
Raising these royal butterflies is quite easy. Carefully dig up the plant that the caterpillar is attached to and bring it home. For two weeks it will eat the milkweed, and then you will witness a real miracle: the caterpillar will shed its green “skin” and turn into a pupa. After another 14 days, the butterfly will spread its black and orange wings.
There are detailed instructions on the Internet for caring for an adult Monarch Danaid, however, it is best to release it into the wild. Special tags are also sold online that allow you to track your pet's migration. True, this is a dubious waste of money, because Danaid monarchs live only about two months.
clothes moth
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Moths inhabit houses and are a household pest, whose caterpillars spoil fabrics by eating them and gnaw the silk upholstery of furniture. Only caterpillars cause damage to products, because adults lack gnawing type mouthparts. In the dark at night, adult moths fly towards an artificial light source. According to some data, house moth caterpillars also feed on substances of plant origin, namely grains of wheat, barley, oats, corn, flour and dry bread. House moths are widespread worldwide; this species of lepidoptera is a serious pest in human homes. They feed on clothing, carpets, blankets and upholstery, as well as fur, wool, feathers and miscellaneous items such as animal bristles used to make toothbrushes and piano fibers.
Woodlice
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Generally speaking, woodlice are not insects (they are crustaceans), but they lead approximately the same lifestyle as cockroaches. When threatened, they curl up, simulating death. In most cases, wood lice appear only in those apartments where it is constantly damp, for example, water leaks from pipes. These insects are excellent indicators of various plumbing breakdowns and depressurization of flanges. The appearance of woodlice in an apartment, first of all, should worry lovers of indoor flowers, because if measures are not taken in time and they are not removed, the plants will soon die. First of all, these insects harm moisture-loving tropical plants that have a thin and delicate root system (orchid, fern, cactus), affecting it specifically, so if you have just such plants, then you should fight more actively.
We buy a stick insect
If you want to get a stick insect, you may find one in a pet store, at specialized exhibitions, or from lovers of this type of insect - stick insect breeders. It is best to take stick insects that are still at the larval stage, but have already gone through several molts. When purchasing, make sure that all six legs of the insect are intact and unharmed and that the whole body looks healthy. You can deliver your purchased pet home in a plastic container with several holes in the lid. Now your pet will need a permanent home.
Parasitic wasp (rider)
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They are primarily parasitoids of other animals, mainly other arthropods. Many of them, such as the Braconidae family and Trichogramma, are beneficial to humans because they regulate the number of agricultural pests. Ichneumon wasps differ from ordinary wasps in the absence of a sting as such; it is replaced by an ovipositor. Nevertheless, in the English-language literature, parasitic wasps are usually called parasitic wasps. With the help of an ovipositor, parasites lay eggs in the body of larvae (caterpillars) or in the eggs of their victims. The prey consists mainly of larger insects, such as butterfly caterpillars, beetle larvae, and other arthropods, including some species of spiders. The rider typically positions himself over the victim (like a rider on a horse, hence the name) and inserts the ovipositor. The wasp larvae hatch inside the victim and feed on their organs, gradually destroying them. Species of the genus Megarhyssa of the superfamily Ichneumonidae have a thin ovipositor several centimeters long, used for penetration into tree trunks. Fortunately, people are not considered suitable incubators for wasp babies and it does not lay larvae in humans.
ladybugs
These insects are distinguished by their bright colors. The ladybug has a compact oval or round body. The average size of the animal is from 5 to 10 mm. The pet has 3 pairs of paws, with which it moves quickly. Also, the insect has the ability to fly. Ladybugs live from a month to 2 years.
The pet's home must be of such a size that the insect can fly unhindered. Leaves and twigs are placed in the animal’s house, along which the ladybug moves. The advantage of keeping it is that you can feed it only 2 times a day - with honey or sugar.
Ants
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At different times of the year and in different regions of the country, in an apartment, and even more so in a private house, you can often find representatives of various species of ants. Very often, ants in an apartment are random guests, carried on clothes or with things. Among them there are insects of different sizes and colors. However, the only real pest in an apartment is the so-called pharaoh ant - an independent species of heat-loving small ants, which in our latitudes cannot live anywhere other than residential heated premises. These red ants in the apartment are a real problem: they are numerous, spoil food, can carry pathogens of various diseases, and besides, they are extremely difficult to remove. One colony of house ants can contain several dozen queens and up to 350 thousand workers. The reasons why red ants appear in an apartment, although not numerous, can be found in almost any home. That is why small red ants are successfully conquering more and more new areas and are likely to appear in any apartment, even the cleanest one.
Exotic fashion in modern families
In the modern world there is a real hype for owning exotic animals. Some explain this by profit - breeding such animals is quite profitable, others like the understanding that no one they know has such an animal. Simply put, people indulge their pride, or follow the lead of children asking for “not a mouse, not a frog, but an unknown little animal.”
First of all, the adoption of exotic pets was influenced by the fashion trend of Russian and foreign stars, who post photographs and videos with exotic pets on their social pages.
For example, the famous boxer Mike Tyson at one time kept two Bengal tigers. Of course, this cost him quite a large sum, and besides, the animals required constant training and attention. After some time, the boxer sold his predatory pets due to financial difficulties. He also bred pigeons and organized races with their participation.
The next example is the famous American actor George Clooney, actress, singer and songwriter Miley Cyrus and English football player David Beckham, who are very fond of their pets - little pigs (mini-pig). Unfortunately, George Clooney's mini-pig named Max died in 2006, and after that the actor did not have pets, believing that no one would replace his deceased friend.
Leonardo DiCaprio got himself a giant African tortoise back in 2010, Michael Jackson got a chimpanzee, Elvis Presley took care of a kangaroo given to him by his friends as a joke, Nicolas Cage placed an octopus in a huge aquarium and keeps two king cobras, and Justin Bieber often appeared in photographs with small boa constrictor.
Looking at their idols, many people are inspired to purchase them, and get exotic pets for their own reasons. What types of exotic pets are the most popular to keep, and what precautions must be taken, read below.
Silverfish (common silverfish)
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You may have once seen them in the bathroom or toilet if you went there in the middle of the night (when the light is turned on, they quickly run away). Those thin, silvery, small things on the floor? Do you remember? They are called silverfish. Like most of the other creatures on this list, silverfish pose no real harm to us and they don't bite. Cases of contact did not reveal any negative impact on human health. They feed on products of plant origin containing starch or polysaccharides; but they may not eat anything for months. Their diet may include sugar, flour, glue, book binding, paper, photographs, starchy fabrics. From storage areas they can be brought into the home through the purchase of toilet paper or cartons of paper napkins. They are harmless to humans and pets and are not carriers of diseases, but can damage damp paper. Their scientific name is “common silverfish” (lat. Lepisma saccharina). It is believed that the silverfish is one of the oldest living insects - its ancestors lived on Earth more than 300 million years ago, back in the Paleozoic era. Silverfish prefer damp and dark places; if the house is dry and light, then there will be no silverfish there.
Labiopods
Arthropods, which include various centipedes, cause fear to many. However, these animals can also be fun pets. You can keep several types of centipedes as pets, which are sold in pet stores. It is not worth catching in the wild - the animal may be poisonous.
Centipedes live at room temperature and like to dig holes, so make sure there is enough coconut substrate in the insectarium. Also, branches, leaves, and snags will not hurt, among which arthropods will arrange shelters for themselves. Most centipedes are carnivores and will need to feed on insects.
Cockroaches
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The remains of cockroaches are, along with the remains of cockroaches, the most numerous traces of insects in Paleozoic deposits. Additionally, cockroaches are the earliest known Polyneoptera, possibly descending from the ancestor of the entire subcohort. They have always been and will be on Earth. There are more than 4,600 known species of cockroaches; are especially numerous in the tropics and subtropics. There are 55 species on the territory of the former USSR. In recent years, there have been popular reports about a decrease in the number of certain species of cockroaches in the CIS (they say they have completely left apartments in St. Petersburg and some other cities - no one was upset, but the reasons are interesting). A number of cockroaches live in human dwellings, being synanthropes, for example, the red cockroach (Prusak), or the black cockroach. Others are brought with tropical products to temperate countries and sometimes take root in heated rooms (American cockroach). Cockroaches can damage food, leather goods, book bindings, indoor and greenhouse plants. Some cockroaches, feeding on various waste, including feces, are carriers of infectious diseases (for example, dysentery) and worm eggs.
Stick insects
This is the most picky pet. The body of the insect resembles a plant twig or a narrow green or brown leaf. Stick insects live in Australia, the USA, Russia and Africa. The length of the pet ranges from 1.5 to 30 cm. They are slow - the stick insect moves like a tree leaf that sways under the influence of the wind. Life expectancy is from 1 to 2 years.
In order to keep a stick insect, you will need a container with a lid and holes for ventilation. The insect is not whimsical in its conditions of detention. A house for it can be an aquarium, a plastic container or a jar. Its main advantage as a pet is that it eats exclusively plant foods: leaves of trees and shrubs. Dried plants are also suitable as food. Thus, maintaining such an animal does not require serious expenses.
Harvesting spider
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Hay-making spiders that build trapping webs are ubiquitous. Hanging upside down on their jumbled, tangled, uneven web. Webs are built in dark, damp niches of caves, trees and under stones, in lairs abandoned by mammals, for example, in cellars and various buildings. In human homes, they love dry and warm places near windows. How dangerous are harvest spiders to humans? Suffice it to say that they spend the poison they have exclusively on their victims, inflicting a paralyzing bite on them. He is not enough for anything more. The main reason for declaring war on arachnids is arachnophobia. Some people cannot even stand them visually; for others, a creature that gets on their body causes panic. The problem is so serious that psychologists are working on it.
Grasshoppers
The insect is distinguished by an unusual body structure, with the help of which they adapt to various conditions. The grasshopper has 3 pairs of legs. The front 4 limbs serve the insect for walking. The animal's ears are located on them. Its long, muscular hind legs allow it to jump. Insects make interesting sounds - chirping.
