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| Cockroaches hitch ride into US with troops | |
| 2008-10-11 | |
An infestation of the Turkistan cockroach, which can carry diseases such as typhoid and dysentery, can be blamed on a handful of the insects hitching a ride with soldiers returning from the war zone, experts say. Now the fast-breeding cockroaches, which are adept at dodging pesticides, have spread from California to New Mexico, threatening mayhem further afield as they seek new territory. "It started with soldiers and equipment coming back from the first Gulf war in the early 1990s, but it's still happening and they're spreading to other areas," said Philip Koehler, a professor of entomology at the University of Florida, Gainesville. Experts say that the Turkistan cockroach, native to many countries including Iraq, Afghanistan and Iran, is particularly troublesome. Its natural habitat is the desert, of which there are large areas in California, Arizona, New Mexico and Texas. It breeds quickly at room temperature and, according to Koehler, is not timid. "They like to live around the outside of houses, but also to invade them," he said. While the spread of the Turkistan is his biggest worry, Koehler warned that warmer areas of the US were also under threat from other newly imported species such as the Madagascar hissing roach, the lobster roach and the orange spotted roach. "We have 69 species of cockroaches in the US and 29 of them were brought in from other countries," he said. | |
| Posted by:Steve White |
| #13 Apparently they have already taken over Washington |
| Posted by: Chief 2008-10-11 22:12 |
| #12 Are they edible? If Obama gets elected, we may have to eat them to survive. |
| Posted by: bigjim-ky 2008-10-11 20:41 |
| #11 L1011 = .5MT ? Well, L1011 [great Aircraft btw] and the Maestro, .5MT EQUAL: a Bravissimo Performance!! |
| Posted by: Red Dawg 2008-10-11 20:17 |
| #10 sorry, Mike. That one has my vote, for now |
| Posted by: Frank G 2008-10-11 17:29 |
| #9 *giggle* |
| Posted by: trailing wife 2008-10-11 15:37 |
| #8 "Why, then, are we having an epidemic of bedbugs in our inner cities?" Comes down to overwhelming numbers on the one side, and bad leadership on the other. Same thing happened in Stalingrad c. 1942-43. |
| Posted by: L1011 2008-10-11 15:33 |
| #7 Cockroaches are known assassins of their roommate, the bedbug. Why, then, are we having an epidemic of bedbugs in our inner cities? |
| Posted by: trailing wife 2008-10-11 15:17 |
| #6 Cockroach Trivia The fastest recorded speed measured for the American cockroach is nearly 2.0 miles per hour, or nearly 75 centimeters per second! In the absolute sense, this is a much slower speed than many vertebrates are able to attain. In relation to body size, however, it is remarkably fast. If speed were increased proportionally, an American cockroach the size of a lion could run about 50 miles per hour. Cockroach excrement and body parts are major allergens in house dust. The German cockroach is not really German. In fact, the Germans call it the Prussian cockroach. It is thought to have originated in Southern Asia. Most cock roaches are unlike the majority of insects in that their exoskeleton is coated not with a waxy layer but a greasy one. Among other things, this characteristic enables cockroaches to slide into narrow cracks and crevices where even the human foot cannot reach them. The Madagascar hissing cockroach has become a popular pest on some parts of the U.S. Cockroaches are known assassins of their roommate, the bedbug. In some parts of the world, roaches are profitably raised for chicken feed. Among all the attributes of the city of Dallas, Texas, is the Cockroach Hall of Fame. The worldÂ’s largest roach (which lives in South America) is four inches long with a seven-inch wingspan. A cockroach that has just shed its skeleton is white with black eyes. After eight hours, it has regained its regular coloring. Cockroaches spend 75% of their time just resting. There are 4,000 species of cockroaches worldwide. (www.critterridders.com/roaches.htm) |
| Posted by: L1011 2008-10-11 15:06 |
| #5 Still I get weepy. Sucker would roll over and pretend to be dead for a little dollop of grease and a kind word. Used to hang out in the bathroom, freaked out a few guests. Good times, good times. |
| Posted by: .5MT 2008-10-11 13:45 |
| #4 Ah so dat were Prussian Blue is come from |
| Posted by: .5MT 2008-10-11 13:42 |
| #3 "Won't stand a damn chance against the Deutsch locals." You meant the Prussian locals, to be precise. |
| Posted by: L1011 2008-10-11 13:21 |
| #2 Won't stand a damn chance against the Deutsch locals. BTW still looking for Blue Velvet. Missing now 6 years. Best racing roach ever. Have him call home, no questions asked. |
| Posted by: .5MT 2008-10-11 08:34 |
| #1 Commie Cockroaches or Islamic? :( |
| Posted by: Red Dawg 2008-10-11 02:58 |