Pest Control Staten Island Ants
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Pest Control Staten Island Ants
Pest Control Staten Island Ants
Pest Control Staten Island Roaches Cockroach
Cockroach, (order Blattodea), any of about 4,600 species of insects that are among the most primitive living winged insects, appearing today much like they do in fossils that are more than 320 million years old. The word cockroach is a corruption of the Spanish cucaracha. The cockroach is characterized by a flattened oval body, long threadlike antennae, and a shining black or brown leathery integument. The head is bent downward, and the mouthparts point backward instead of forward or downward as is the case in most other insects. Male cockroaches usually have two pairs of wings, whereas females, in some species, are wingless or have vestigial wings.
The female produces eggs in egg cases (called oothecae). These are sometimes held protruding from her body or may be glued in protected areas. After the female deposits an egg case, the soft white nymphs emerge. As their exoskeleton hardens, it turns brown in colour. The structure and large size (certain species have a wingspread of more than 12 cm [4.7 inches]) of cockroaches have made them objects of interest in the biological laboratory.
The cockroach prefers a warm, humid, dark environment and is usually found in tropical or other mild climates. Only a few species have become pests. The insect damages more material than it consumes and emits a disagreeable odour. The diet of the roach, which includes both plant and animal products, ranges from food, paper, clothing, and books to dead insects, especially bedbugs. Insecticides are used in roach control.
Ants are common insects, but they have some unique capabilities—including their legendary communication skills that allow their colonies to function as superorganisms.
There are 20 quadrillion ants on Earth—that’s 2.5 million ants for every human. Known ant species (members of the family Formicidae) number over 12,000, and some experts estimate upwards of 20,000 exist. They can be found almost anywhere in the world, with the exception of Antarctica, Iceland, Greenland, and some island nations.
(How do ants make “milk”?)
Invasive ant species are becoming a problem, however, with research showing that over 500 species of ants were found in countries where they aren’t native, having hopped a ride with humans, or our cargo and goods. These alien ants can change the dynamics of an ecosystem, consume resources, and kill other organisms. This damage adds up: From 1930 to 2021, invasive ants caused an estimated $51 billion in economic losses.