I am not a wuss when it comes to insects or rodents outside, but I do NOT like them inside. ( that's normal I think )
I was seeing RED when I found one hiding under my sewing machine cover and about 6 inches in front of my face, when I removed the cover. It looked right at me! IT DIED!
Yesterday I was cleaning on the deck and the green plastic cube that the Cubb game is stored in under the house eves looked to have a bit of water in the bottom. I up ended it onto the deck, wooden pieces of the game and all. Out fell at least 5 Cockroaches. 4 NZ native ones ( much less scary ) and this big Gisborne cockroach. I managed to put my foot on 2 the rest escaped down the cracks in the deck. ( actual size ! )
Yes its squashed - that's it's innards squelching out. I left it for the ants to clean up.
What I did find that surprised me was 6 egg cases on the wooden batons. ( photo is enlarged they were about a centimetre long )
I have never seen one before. I collected them all and put them in the flames in the fire.
So if you live in NZ or Australia and you happen to see one of these egg cases destroy it. ( especially if it is inside )
Yes I know Ruud Kleinpaste says they are our friends and clean stuff up .......JUST stay outside!
I did a little research.
Common name Gisborne Cockroach - first found there in the 1960s. ( came across from Australia _ thanks! )
Insect order Blattodea . Scientific name Drymaplacta semivitta
Comes inside more in the cold months. Often found in wood and bark ( yes we have firewood inside the house ) . Feeds on organic matter but does not normally infest food.
Right I'm off to wash my hands AGAIN!
3 comments:
YUCK YUCK YUCK!!!!! .. thankfully we don't see them too much here (UK.. they are here I just don't see them !).. my daughter is ALWAYS sending me pictures (she is in Australia!!!).. and telling me how much she HATES them xx
YUCK alright!! We have the odd one that comes inside with the firewood too.... no, I'm not impressed either!
Gosh I started looking up the different cockroaches and got quite queasy! Heat in the hot, humid southeast US, ours are I think German cockroaches and I hate the devils! They are outside around the leaf litter, woodpiles etc., but often come into the house, even down the chimney and out of the bricks around our fireplace. They are BIG sometimes and I always scream and make Bob trap them! I don't mean we have an army of them, just a couple now and then! These summer days it's more a problem with ants, now there's an army! The tiny ones who come marching in search of water and sugar. Recently a trail came under the kitchen window above my sink (there's a window box of plants outside where they must have been investigating) so I had to put out ant traps - they all disappeared within a day taking the food back to their nests and killing the others. Sounds cruel but come on, there have to be boundaries, right? We've even seen them enter the house through our electrical outlets on the walls!
. . . . . . . and then there are the mice, oh my, I won't even go there today!!!!
Hugs - Mary
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