Cockroaches
Cockroaches belong to the order Blattodea and have been carried around the world by humans. As omnivores, they are very well adapted to human habitation. They are nocturnal and spend most of the day in their hiding places. They exhibit typical aggregation behavior, meaning they are usually found in their hiding places in large groups.
Cockroaches are health pests because they are mechanical vectors. This means that they carry various pathogens on their body surface, which they can transmit on contact. These include representatives of bacteria, fungi, helminths, protozoa, and viruses, which the cockroaches carry. Multi-resistant bacteria have also been detected. Particularly severe infestations of cockroaches can also trigger allergies and asthma through their feces.
In our breeding, we keep sensitive strains of those cockroaches that are relevant as health pests:
Blattella germanica (German cockroach)
Blatta orientalis (Oriental cockroach)
Periplaneta americana (American cockroach)
Supella longipalpa (brown-banded cockroach)