Post Akaf2hwZgVIPQjGDdA by rlstone4dems@mastodon.social
(DIR) More posts by rlstone4dems@mastodon.social
(DIR) Post #AkabkobvrGit25Njwe by futurebird@sauropods.win
2024-08-03T12:11:54Z
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I've often heard people claim that they were "attacked" by a roach. Since I keep feeder roaches (Blaptica dubia) I think of them as gentle dopey herbivores who like to hold a pumpkin seed with their front legs while eating. A neighbor spots a pest roach (Periplaneta americana) in the hall. Wanting to be a hero, I run to get my tongs thinking I can just grab it and quickly and humanly kill it. 1/
(DIR) Post #Akac2zGcycKDIN58hk by futurebird@sauropods.win
2024-08-03T12:15:16Z
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It was an adult male, the kind you see in NYC in late summer. And this little guy *sees* the tongs coming for him and flies at my face. (unlike B. dubia, P. americana can see above them) I managed to duck, but now it's become a kind of duel. He had many places he could flee, but the roach *choose* to go towards the huge creature attacking him. It was an intimidation move (and it worked!) I screamed. But I managed to nab him. Only after did I decide not to feed him to my pet ants.2/
(DIR) Post #AkacJ8qj7MyfeCfbRg by futurebird@sauropods.win
2024-08-03T12:18:10Z
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I'm always worried when roaches allow themselves to be seen like that ... they might be poisoned. And who know what kinds of mites and fungus he has on him. I think they live in the trash chute, which is dark and horrible.Anyway, I now think that Periplaneta americana had evolved to try to "intimidate" large predators by suddenly running or flying at them. I was not the only person screaming. People are scared of these bugs when they move quickly. Why wouldn't they use it as an advantage?3/
(DIR) Post #AkacYkkqTBRRYHMZfc by futurebird@sauropods.win
2024-08-03T12:20:57Z
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I have not wanted to be involved in our building's pest control but I think I might need to step up. There are some simple changes that would improve the trash chute so that this doesn't get out of hand. And my neighbor is going on about spraying so I need to counter that. They already spray more than enough. This is a chance to show that habitat focused pest control and ecosystem cultivation can work on a larger scale. Wish me luck. 4/4
(DIR) Post #AkacpuFQQYWDuwqVPs by futurebird@sauropods.win
2024-08-03T12:24:05Z
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@3PlayerPolitics LOL pretty much. I'm kind of embarrassed that a bug can still scare me like that. But the wild ones are like sports cars and a little crazy. Nothing like feeders who are so... dopey.
(DIR) Post #Akad8R82uoKd6nEKw4 by Tergenev@mastodon.social
2024-08-03T12:27:25Z
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@futurebird Good luck
(DIR) Post #AkadFjuZTpiZOBPTKC by rayhindle@mastodon.social
2024-08-03T12:28:40Z
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@futurebird I remember once (many years ago) talking with a health inspector. He reckoned, 'roaches only lived in clean places. Whether that is true or not, is anyone's guess. (He was a bit of a mickey taker)
(DIR) Post #AkadRC3JC2ZnqsxTW4 by llewelly@sauropods.win
2024-08-03T12:30:41Z
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@futurebird was the roach already facing you before it launched into the air, or did it turn to face you before launching?
(DIR) Post #AkadT03WlbIfDzvEPI by futurebird@sauropods.win
2024-08-03T12:30:59Z
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What that P. americana did was the equivalent of you being attacked by Godzilla and rather than run, you run at him, hands like claws to use your finger nails and teeth to attack. And Godzilla (me) squealed and ran. Many of his ancestors must have used that move to escape and live another day. When they have wings (both males and females have wings in P. americana, unlike many other roaches) they are near the end of their lives. Looking to mate, lay eggs and die.RIP Mr. Periplaneta
(DIR) Post #AkadYyzRdtTZelri3E by howmanygenerations@mastodon.scot
2024-08-03T12:31:56Z
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@futurebird good luck!
(DIR) Post #AkadcUdKRxJifJC7qS by ColesStreetPothole@weatherishappening.network
2024-08-03T12:32:44Z
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@3PlayerPolitics @futurebird They are survivors! 😂
(DIR) Post #AkadnBctSRuatx5diK by futurebird@sauropods.win
2024-08-03T12:34:46Z
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@rayhindle No they like piles of boxes and trash. There is a "reservoir population" in the city storm drains and in the summer it spreads to the parks and sidewalks and they can get into apartments. This wouldn't happen as much if we had a more diverse population of other insects: spiders, ants, beetles, etc. in the parks to buffer them. But they are the most resistant to sprays, and the sprays kill all their natural predators. It's very stupid.
(DIR) Post #Akadyy0ttaru9nw7U0 by futurebird@sauropods.win
2024-08-03T12:36:55Z
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@rayhindle In residential buildings there are trash chutes and compactors and these are regularly soaked with poison, but it wears off. I think the first step would be to buy a dehumidifier for the trash room and seal all of the cracks in the walls and floor. There may even be an industrial dehumidifier that could operate in the chute. Perhaps adding a fan to the chute would help too. They are tropical creatures.
(DIR) Post #AkaehxdI9rkk0WLf28 by TofuTheSquirrel@piaille.fr
2024-08-03T12:45:04Z
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@futurebird an adult male roach ? Do you mean a Papa Roach 😄 ? Those are wild ! Alledgedly they are Getting Away With Murder !https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Getting_Away_with_Murder_(album)
(DIR) Post #Akaf2hwZgVIPQjGDdA by rlstone4dems@mastodon.social
2024-08-03T12:48:17Z
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@futurebird Good luck myrmepropagandist!
(DIR) Post #AkafdudXSHqdVl65ke by annmygdala@todon.nl
2024-08-03T12:55:30Z
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@futurebird This was a gripping tale! I love your writing
(DIR) Post #Akag0QZDQ5ruuboLpI by rlstone4dems@mastodon.social
2024-08-03T12:59:19Z
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@futurebird There was a time when it was raining where I live, and lo and behold, a silverfish appeared… I just looked at it for a little (fear contributed to this). And then the weirdest thing happened… Another one came out!! One of the things I thought was how these poor creatures live the majority of their lives in deep crevices. And only come out when no humans are around. Anyhow, I never harmed another insect after that…
(DIR) Post #Akag2JVictahbe4i7U by rlstone4dems@mastodon.social
2024-08-03T12:59:48Z
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@futurebird That was years ago…
(DIR) Post #AkahASGs2SoV2zZlGi by eco_amandine@mastodon.cr
2024-08-03T13:08:15Z
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@futurebird I've killed many cockroaches in my life but I still hate when they fly at you. Good luck with your experiment.
(DIR) Post #Akahah7vQbOQeOu5i4 by glecharles@zirk.us
2024-08-03T13:10:22Z
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@futurebird You almost made me feel empathy for a roach. Almost. (Flying roaches were always my second biggest urban fear, after rats.)
(DIR) Post #AkaiGDtmUJ6CAD5efA by futurebird@sauropods.win
2024-08-03T13:21:31Z
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@glecharles I don't have much empathy myself. Although I can't blame them for things that are really the fault of humans. And I'm a little impressed by the "bravery" ... and shock up. Skittering dude almost "got" me. (And what could he do if he did? Make me take a shower and cry? ... probably. LOL.)
(DIR) Post #AkakhlczOKbcV3Uuyu by paulc@mstdn.social
2024-08-03T13:51:54Z
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@futurebird If you screamed because of a bug I feel better about myself.
(DIR) Post #AkalSIyLkWuPEkgDJY by Gobabu@mastodon.social
2024-08-03T13:59:50Z
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@futurebird Cockroaches, heh? City dwellers have it easy.
(DIR) Post #AkamKRELGLmGUByNAe by Gobabu@mastodon.social
2024-08-03T14:03:13Z
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@futurebird @glecharles "And what could he do if he did? Make me take a shower and cry? "Good idea in a Blattes Motel...
(DIR) Post #Akao7FGgctgdWtuFcW by ZahmbieND@hachyderm.io
2024-08-03T14:30:25Z
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@futurebird @rayhindle That could partially explain how (anecdotally) my wife has more experience with cockroaches than I do, despite growing up in the same town. She grew up in more of the newer, denser "planned" housing developments, while I was in a neighborhood where the houses (and storm drains) were more haphazardly placed over time and more spread out. I don't think I ever saw a cockroach before my college apartment, we only really saw spiders and occasionally silverfish inside the house.
(DIR) Post #Akap66TDx0Z9uNn2UC by cshlan@dawdling.net
2024-08-03T14:41:15Z
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@futurebirdThe last night I spent in my apartment before moving in with my now husband I woke up just after midnight and there was a big roach between me and the bathroom. It raised up on its front legs and looked around the room....I left immediately 😂
(DIR) Post #Akb7TS4XbFsEjzWmIq by Red_Shirt_no2@c.im
2024-08-03T18:07:19Z
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@futurebird https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RFkMkcQwog4
(DIR) Post #AkbLR4wk0bobnRdrlo by kellyromanych@mastodon.social
2024-08-03T20:43:12Z
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@futurebird rooting for you all!