Woodlice loves dampness and a humid environment, so city apartment is not always attractive to them. For this reason, only the most unpretentious species of these crustaceans can take root in megacities. Let's find out who we should be afraid of and why?
Characteristic
Many people believe that woodlice is an insect, but if we speak correctly, it is a representative of the suborder of crustaceans and belongs to the order of Isopods. It has a dense shell and gills.
Let's look at the structure of woodlice in more detail:
- the body is oval in shape and its upper part is slightly convex;
- on the head there are two pairs of antennae, the first of which is weakly developed, the second - strongly;
- there are eyes on both sides of the head;
- there is a jaw and its upper part is devoid of tentacles;
- the body is divided into eight segments, the first encircles the head on both sides, and the last has a notch; on the abdomen the segments are free;
- legs are well adapted for walking - only 7 pairs;
- the inner branch is the gills, the hard outer branch covers the respiratory organs.
Reproduction
Now let's talk about how woodlice reproduce. This process has some peculiarities.
These crustaceans begin to copulate in the spring - around April-May. During sexual intercourse, the female's testes are filled with seminal fluid. After some time, they burst and the seed ends up in the oviducts. At this time, the female experiences molting, after which she appearance changes somewhat - the paired genital openings close, transforming into unpaired slits, and a brood chamber is formed on the first five pairs of legs. Fertilized eggs enter this chamber, where they develop.
On a note! The interesting thing is that not all of the seed that ends up in the female's testes is then converted into eggs. Some of it remains unclaimed and participates in fertilization only after the first generation is born!
Woodlice larvae emerge from the eggs and continue to develop in the brood chamber for 40-50 days. The larva has 6 pairs of legs. And before you become adult she survives 10-12 molts.
Common types
There are about 3,500 species of woodlice. On the territory of our country you can find no more than a dozen various types, and in conditions modern houses and apartments, representatives of only two of them can exist.
- The common woodlouse armadillo is a species that can withstand with dignity all the hardships of life in a metropolis. These individuals have a dark and high carapace. Most often they are found in basements and cellars, and they live quite rarely in the apartments themselves;
On a note! The armadillo woodlouse was brought to the United States from Europe and spread there with incredible speed. Even today, on the coasts of California there are numerous colonies of them, consisting of 10 thousand individuals!
- rough woodlice - representatives of this species run much faster than armadillos and deftly move between floors big houses. What does such a woodlice look like? These crustaceans have a soft, flat shell that can be light gray, yellow, red or almost black.
On a note! Many apartment owners confuse wood lice with centipedes! These creatures are indeed very similar in appearance, but at the same time, the latter extremely rarely get into human housing. Centipedes live mainly in conditions wildlife– under stones and in the forest floor!
Food source
What do woodlice eat? These creatures are very picky and will be suitable as a food source for them:
- rotting food scraps;
- a thin layer of dust;
- slime on the walls;
- plant remains;
- small microflora.
Therefore, the first stage in destroying these crustaceans is thorough cleaning of the room and elimination of dampness.
Distribution routes
Many people are interested in where woodlice come from. Initially they settle in basements apartment buildings, in damp attics where there is a leak, in garages unauthorizedly attached to the house, in cellars and sewer channels. Gradually they begin to move into apartments, often into those located on the first and last floors.
Provocateurs for the appearance of woodlice are:
- excess moisture that appears due to malfunction of plumbing fixtures and sewer pipes;
- garbage in a bucket is a real magnet for woodlice. Rotting food remains attract these creatures - rotten vegetables and fruits, polyethylene residues, which only aggravate the rotting process, plant debris;
- Stagnant water in trays with plants and dishes in the sink.
Harm from woodlice
The answer to the question of whether wood lice bite will be unequivocal - no. For this reason, they do not pose any direct threat to humans. However, these creatures can still cause harm:
- settling in basements and cellars, woodlice spoil the food stored there;
- these creatures can live in a pot with an orchid, which is always grown in wet ground, and thereby disrupt its normal development;
- they attack the seedlings on the balcony, compacting the soil and disrupting normal air exchange in it;
- and, most importantly, why woodlice are dangerous - they carry fungus and mold on their paws and shells, which can end up on your dishes and food.
As you can see, woodlice are not as safe creatures as they might seem at first glance. To prevent their occurrence, it is enough to monitor the health of the water supply system, constantly ventilate all rooms in your house and often pay attention to tropical ornamental plants that stand on your windowsills. Woodlice is attracted to dampness - and knowing this fact will help you avoid infection.
Those who live in city apartments are probably familiar with woodlice. These guests seem to appear out of nowhere in our bathrooms and crawl around where it’s damp.
Who are these woodlice: insects? If not, what type of animal do they belong to? This is what we will find out now. We will also help you remove these small bugs from your home.
Woodlice is not an insect at all
You heard right - everything is absolutely true. It’s not insects that are crawling around your bathroom, but real representatives of crustaceans.
Woodlice belongs to the order of isopods, the class of higher crayfish. That is, this small creature is a relative of giant crabs and crayfish that live on the seabed.
Woodlice are small land crustaceans. First - oh external signs woodlice The body of the woodlice has a convex shape. The eyes are located on the sides of the body. Like all crustaceans, the woodlice's body consists of small segments. Some species of woodlice have noticeable patterns on the dorsal part of the body.
Woodlice lifestyle and behavior
Woodlice are the most terrestrial of all crustaceans. They live permanently outside the aquatic environment. However, they still need moisture, which is why they choose precisely those rooms in the apartment in which dampness accumulates. If you live in a private house. You can see woodlice by turning over a stone or brick lying in the yard after rain. There will be a great many of these crustaceans there. They try to stay wet and dark places This is their favorite habitat.
They go out to eat when it gets dark outside. They consume plant parts as food: sometimes rotting, sometimes in their usual form. Some gardeners complain about woodlice because they eat parts of cultivated and agricultural plants. But these creatures also have positive traits: They eat weeds with the same zeal.
Woodlice is a suborder of higher crayfish. If the woodlice senses danger, it instantly curls up into a ball, closing its abdominal part “inside the ball.”
What is known about woodlice reproduction?
This process is quite complex in small crustaceans. Before a new generation emerges from the female, she goes through molting and only then, in a “renewed” form, fulfills her maternal duty. Then, after the little crustaceans develop and leave the mother, she again returns to her “pre-pregnancy” appearance.
Woodlice cannot be called long-lived among insects. The average individual of this crustacean lives up to 9 – 12 months.
How to get rid of woodlice?
Actually, there is no harm from woodlice, except that they can spread fungus and lichen around the apartment. But this is no longer a very pleasant prospect. So, are there any means to drive woodlice out of your home? The answer is yes.
When cleaning the bathroom, use products containing chlorine and thoroughly wipe all corners and baseboards. Dry the bathroom more often: remember - wood lice need moisture, i.e. in a dry room they will not feel comfortable and will quickly leave your home.
Woodlice, the main part of which live in water and only about 250 species of crustaceans were able to evolve and adapt to life on land, however, for normal life they need a large amount of moisture.
That's why Only the most unpretentious species take root in residential premises, since this is far from the best habitat for them. Let's look at what types of woodlice can most often be found in apartments.
Photo
Below you can see a close-up photo of a domestic woodlice, in which you can see what the insect that is found in an apartment and other residential premises looks like.
Common woodlouse armadillo
It is found primarily in damp basements and storage rooms.
Rough
Prefers residential and wet areas. Very fast, therefore capable of covering long distances in a short period of time, often moving from the basement to the apartment. She loves to live in the bathroom, especially in the corners where mold appears, this is her favorite treat. Periodically, it sheds its upper and lower shell, which is interesting; it also serves as food for woodlice.
White
Possesses small in size(about 6 mm). Prefers to live in the bathroom, in dark corners.
You can learn more about white woodlice.
Body size
The body is convex, the size varies from 1 mm in length to 10 cm, covered with hard chitinous bristles that protect against numerous predators.
Description
Considering the appearance of woodlice, we can highlight the following characteristic features of them:
- On the back of some types of crustaceans there are ornate patterns.
- The head is clearly defined, turning into the chest, on which there are two antennae and eyes.
- How many legs does an insect have? The legs are well adapted for walking - seven pairs (the last pair of abdominal limbs performs tactile, supporting or protective functions, or serves to absorb water).
- At the end of the body there are tactile organs that look like two small appendage tails.
- The respiratory organs resemble gills, allowing them to survive in difficult conditions.
Attention! Small representatives of this species initially have twelve legs, not fourteen.
What are they?
Today, woodlice are divided depending on their size.
Little ones
They live mainly in residential areas and damp places. plant waste, mold, moss. Small bifurcated tubes on the last pair of limbs absorb moisture. Due to the presence of pores in the shell, secretions leave the body as ammonia vapor, and not in the form of liquid urine.
Body color depends on the environment, so they can be blue, yellow, pink. The sizes of small wood lice range from 1 mm to 1 centimeter.
Large
The appearance of large woodlice is identical to the small one, but the size can reach 4 centimeters. An example of such a woodlice is the tongue one.
Gigantic
There are nine species of giant woodlice, some of them larger than a man's palm., and the largest “sea cockroach” is up to ten centimeters. In addition, a huge individual, like ordinary crayfish, lives not on land, but in the depths of water, being classified as deep-sea inhabitants. How do they look? Outwardly, they are the same as the usual woodlice, only much more bigger size.
Who can you confuse with?
Among the insects that resemble woodlice in appearance are the following:
- Kivsyak Crimean - centipede, which lives in southern Russia, usually disguises itself as woodlice and lives in cellars.
- Silverfish, woodlice is often confused with it. These insects have an elongated body that tapers from head to tail. At the back you can see three tails that look like thin hairs. If you look closely, you can easily catch the resemblance to a fish fry.
Silverfish are nocturnal, feed on organic matter: mold, wet paper, food waste, synthetic fiber, and even in times of famine they do not disdain dead brothers. They reproduce very slowly, unlike woodlice.
Attention! Woodlice process all kinds of waste as earthworms, bringing benefit environment. They are also food for lizards, spiders, and toads.
Occasionally, at home, colonies of woodlice are specially grown and then used as food for exotic animals.
According to everyone known facts about wood lice, we can conclude that they are not carriers of infections, do not damage furniture, do not eat food, are completely safe, but on the contrary, they try to stay as far away as possible. Of course, living in an apartment, they do not evoke sympathy. But before you start fighting, you should think about the benefits and harms of them. Perhaps the cause of their occurrence should be eliminated rather than trying.
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Woodlice is a specific pest that is mistaken for an insect.
In fact, this creature has adapted over centuries of evolution to live on land, but to breathe through gills. That is why arthropods are classified as crustaceans.
He prefers to live where it is humid, warm and there is something to profit from.
The favorite places of these land crustaceans are places where it is always warm (23-25C), damp and dark: bathrooms, toilets, pantries, ironing rooms, balconies, covered greenhouses.
Woodlice appear only where they are disturbed sanitary standards regarding air humidity. This is especially true for the first and top floors apartment buildings, since insects enter the premises through cracks from basements, attics, and adjacent buildings (for example, an extension to a balcony).
Of course, these arthropods will not cause significant harm to the health of household members, but domestic wood lice are very active creatures and, if desired, can destroy plants or spoil the supply of vegetables.
Since the appearance of the crustacean is very unpleasant, at the first meeting a reasonable question arises: “Does the woodlice bite?” Don't be afraid - these arthropods are absolutely safe for humans, but being around them is unlikely to be comfortable!
If at least one individual appears in the house, then you need to immediately check the integrity of the sewerage and water supply systems and take corrective measures high humidity in the room where woodlice live.
In general, a person’s acquaintance with miniature crustaceans can lead to positive points, since such an unexpected meeting will become an incentive to improve living conditions families.
Anyone who has ever seen a woodlice will say that it is an insect. Actually this is not true. These arthropods. Over many centuries, this creature has adapted to live on land, but at the same time continues to breathe using gills.
It chooses a place to live that is humid and warm and where there is opportunity. Most often they choose places near water bodies, in forests, groves and plantings. However, they can be seen in apartments and other residential premises.
Most often you can find them in an apartment because it is here that the humidity is higher than in other rooms. They can also be seen in bags of vegetables or in flower pots.
Wood lice feed on plant foods. Roots, leaves or fruits are suitable for this. They also choose living and dead microorganisms as food. Organic waste, house plants and pantry supplies are also suitable food sources for woodlice.
They are very afraid of bright light, which is why they are nocturnal.
Species living in human homes - description and photo
Body size
The body has a convex shape. Size from 1 mm to 10 cm. The entire body is covered with hard chitinous bristles, which are a kind of protection from predators.
Detailed description of appearance
Her appearance is rather unremarkable. The color can be white, gray, light brown or brown.
The body is oval in shape and tapers towards the bottom. Consists of segments and is covered with a shell. It has a strong chitinous shell, on which there are many pores, because of this the body does not retain moisture well. In the back of the body there are bifurcated tubes, it is through them that water enters the body. Some species may have a pattern on their back.
The body has a head and abdomen. Woodlice have 7 pairs of legs across two branches. One pair overlaps the other, and the outer branches create a strong frame. And on the internal vapors there are respiratory outgrowths and they perform the function of gills.
The front legs have respiratory organs in the form of air cavities, which open from the outside. The first segment of the abdomen covers the head; the last segment has a deep notch.
There are two pairs of antennae on the head: antennae and antenullae. The anterior pair is not fully developed. The second helps to navigate and perceive the world. The eyes are located on the sides of the head. The upper jaws do not have tentacles.
Reference! The chitinous shell that covers the body periodically becomes small and then the woodlice begins to molt. They dump him. There can be as many molts as the woodlice grows.
What sizes are there?
Depending on their size, woodlice are divided into small, large and giant.
Little ones
The sizes of such wood lice range from 1 mm to 1 cm. Their color depends on their habitat. It can be blue, pink, yellow, etc. The habitat of small woodlice is living quarters and damp places. plant waste, mold and moss. They absorb moisture through milked tubes on the last pair of limbs. The secretions leave the body in the form of ammonia vapor due to the pores on the shell.
Large
Outwardly they are no different from small ones. The only difference is their size, which can be up to 4 centimeters. One of these woodlice is the tongue woodlice.
Gigantic
Again, they are no different in appearance, except for their huge size. There are 9 species of giant woodlice in total. One of the largest of them is the sea cockroach, the size of which is 10 cm. The habitat of this woodlice is water. It belongs to the deep-sea inhabitants. Deep-sea woodlice generally have a body length of 15 to 40 cm. The largest giant woodlice caught was the giant isopod Bathynomus giganteus, which was 76 cm long and weighed 1.7 kg.
- Silverfish. This wingless small insect belongs to the bristletail family. It is not a representative of crustaceans, unlike woodlice. Its body size is from 0.8 to 1.9 cm. The body has dense silvery scales, and it ends with a pointed tail, which woodlice do not have. Unlike the woodlice, which has seven pairs of legs, the silverfish has only three.
- Kivsyak. Representative of bipedal centipedes. It has a segmented body, with two pairs of legs on each of them. Woodlice have only 14 legs. It has round shape body, which differs from the oval shape of the woodlice body. They breathe with the help of tracheas, and woodlice use gills for this. They also differ in body size: in woodlice up to a centimeter, in woodlice from 3 to 30 centimeters.
- Glomeris. They are bipedal centipedes. They are often confused with woodlice. However, they are easily distinguished by their glossier color, more legs and the presence of a shield behind the head. Their colors are varied: black, yellow, brown, etc. The body is covered with 12 visible scutes. The number of legs varies from 17 to 21, but woodlice have fewer. They feed on living and dead parts of plants.
Follow simple rules when creating optimal conditions habitat and indoor microclimate, do not allow high level humidity in a house or apartment and then you will never meet an unwanted guest in the form of woodlice.
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