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Modern Express News (reporter Ma Zhuangzhuang Wang Yi) cockroaches at home make people upset, and in the sweltering and humid summer, cockroaches are even more "rampant", how to eradicate cockroaches has become a "heartache" for many citizens. Recently, a network big V has tried various methods of killing cockroaches, including chemical attractants, sticky boards, and homemade borax mashed potatoes. Among them, there is a method called "environmentally friendly and non-toxic" that attracted the attention of reporters, that is, the spider cockroach method. This spider is called the white-fronted high-legged spider, which sells hot on the Internet, and some netizens call it a cockroach extermination artifact.
But is this approach really reliable? Judging from the test results of the big V, it seems that it is not ideal. Experts said that using spiders to kill cockroaches is actually unreliable, and there is a risk of being bitten, "even if the toxicity is very weak, but for people with allergies, it will cause allergies and inflammation." ”
Spiders that can catch cockroaches become internet celebrities
Cockroaches are a common pest that prefers to inhabit warm, humid, food-rich places. Combining these elements, the kitchen in the home of the average citizen has become one of the places most infested by cockroaches. More importantly, cockroaches can carry pathogenic bacteria, viruses, etc., infectious diseases, coupled with tenacious vitality and exuberant reproductive ability, how to eliminate them, has become a headache for many people.
For the "net red spider" white-fronted tall spider, "Naturalist" magazine once did science popularization on Weibo, this spider is actually called white-fronted cancer spider, commonly known as Malone Riding, mild personality, huge body, is the largest species of indoor activity spider, belongs to the wandering spider, does not form a web, and is distributed in many places in southern China.
The Modern Express reporter found that on Weibo, many netizens took photos to consult with them about the type of spider, and most of the results were white-fronted high-legged spiders. "Famous for preying on cockroaches, it can prey on several cockroaches in a row. When the cockroaches in the home are extinct, the white-fronted tall-legged spider will naturally leave in order to forage. According to the introduction of "Naturalism", the white-fronted high-legged spider has very low toxicity and does not actively hurt people. Also because of such a popular science introduction, this spider has a lot of "fans", many netizens said that this spider is also strange and cute.
Is it lethal? The results of the blogger review are not ideal
The Modern Express reporter found that the white-fronted tall-legged spider is relatively large and can have the size of a palm. In the popular Big V review video, the blogger put 5 spiders and 10 American cockroaches (common cockroaches) in a transparent plastic box, and the next day found that the box contained the bodies of two cockroaches, but the spider also died. For this result, some netizens left a message expressing disappointment. Next, the blogger replaced the American cockroach with 10 German cockroaches, but the results the next day showed that the cockroaches were safe and sound.
△ Some netizens commented that it is unrealistic to kill cockroaches through spiders
This video triggered a discussion, some netizens said that one of the natural enemies of cockroaches is spiders, the test data is relatively single, the number of times is not much, can not simply draw the conclusion that the white-fronted high-legged spider has poor cockroach killing effect. However, some commentators have questioned that even if the effect of this spider to kill cockroaches is good, how many animals must be raised to play a role? If you put it at home, is there a risk of biting people?
The online store sells more than 800 orders a month, and the sources are breeding and wild fishing
After the white-fronted tall spider became popular on the Internet, many merchants on e-commerce platforms started to sell spiders. The Modern Express reporter searched and found that some stores can reach more than 800 monthly sales, but more stores have less than 100 monthly sales.
△ There are more than 800 orders sold by online stores every month
The reporter clicked on the store with the highest sales volume, and the product introduction page showed that since the opening of the store, more than 30,000 spiders have been sold. According to the store, the white-fronted tall-footed spider has an inhibitory effect on indoor pests, and is non-toxic, and can continuously prey on multiple cockroaches, "allowing the white-fronted tall-footed spider at home to survive, and the cockroaches go without a trace." Most merchants will type out a promotional introduction like this.
At the time of purchase, the seller sorts the spiders according to their size: more than 10 centimeters, 8-10 centimeters, 5-7 centimeters, corresponding to preying on large, medium, and small cockroaches. The price of different size spiders is also different, the price of one from about 10 yuan to more than 20 yuan, including the "pregnant" spider holding the egg sac, the price is more expensive, 48 yuan.
△ Spiders are sold according to size
In the product review area, some buyers said that the spiders they received were very spirited, and they disappeared as soon as they were released, and some saw spiders preying on cockroaches, "feeling that there are fewer cockroaches at home." However, there are also many buyers who complain that they have never seen it again after they are released, but the cockroaches at home are still very rampant. Another buyer commented directly: "Cockroaches do not eat in front of it." In this regard, the merchant explained that the spider will hide in the corner and will start work after adapting to the environment.
The Modern Express reporter found that among the many merchants, most of them are from Guangdong or Jiangxi. A number of merchants told the Modern Express reporter that the recent hot weather has increased the number of orders. They sell spiders that are farmed or caught in the wild. The merchant also introduced that the white-fronted high-legged spider not only has the title of "cockroach" artifact, but also preys on small insects such as flies, mosquitoes, and moths.
Can cockroaches be killed once and for all? Pros: Not guaranteed
In addition to the various methods of killing cockroaches popular on the Internet, what kind of methods will professional killing companies take? The Modern Express reporter contacted Mr. Yuan, the director of an environmental technology company in Nanjing, who said that the killing companies in the market usually use paste-like poison bait to eliminate cockroaches, charging according to the area, such as a 140-square-meter room, which costs about 500 yuan. "These drugs have attractants, which are lit in various corners of the home, which can attract cockroaches to eat, thus killing cockroaches." Mr. Yuan said that family cockroach control is not only limited to the kitchen and bathroom, in fact, each room must be densely armed with drugs to cover the place where cockroaches may appear.
However, even professional companies cannot guarantee that cockroaches will be eradicated once and for all. Mr. Yuan said that after the professional team exterminates cockroaches, it can generally ensure that there are no cockroaches in the home for three months. "Because cockroaches are easy to be brought to the home, for example, after shopping online and in supermarkets, it is possible to carry cockroach eggs to the home, and it is difficult for ordinary citizens to detect."
There is a widely said saying that when you find a cockroach in your home, you may find a nest of cockroaches next. Mr. Yuan said that this is indeed the case, such as the German cockroach with strong reproductive ability, if one or two are found, there should be dozens or even more at home, and if the cockroach is large, it is relatively few.
Is it reliable to use spiders instead of cockroach medicine to kill cockroaches?
Zhang Shichang, an associate professor at the School of Life Sciences of Hubei University, has observed white-fronted tall spiders for two years. He introduced that this spider likes to be dark and damp, hiding in the foot of the wall, cabinet gaps, etc., and comes out at night to forage for food. But it is not very reliable to kill cockroaches, because it is not a special food animal, but feeds on small insects, including cockroaches, and the predation efficiency is not as exaggerated as the seller describes. "They use digestive enzymes to slowly dissolve cockroaches, then smoke them, eating at most one a day."
On the e-commerce platform, this spider can be sold for dozens of dollars at the most expensive. But in fact, the white-fronted tall spider is a common indoor spider in the south, widely distributed and numerous. As mentioned earlier, there are many netizens on Weibo who photograph the spiders they encounter and ask popular science bloggers for identification, and the place where they encounter white-fronted tall spiders is often their own home. For friends in the north, it may also be difficult to keep a spider common in the south. Zhang Shichang said that each animal has its own habits, and if the indoor environment is too different from its usual environment, the spider may run away or die soon.
Zhang Shichang also introduced that although the white-fronted high-legged spider does not take the initiative to attack people, if it is caught by hand, it will still be bitten. "I was bitten when I was doing experiments, and although the white-fronted tall-footed spider is less toxic, it will swell a bag of fingers after being bitten. For people with allergies, there is a risk of causing allergies and inflammation. ”
Mr. Yuan also said that he would not use this method, so the effect was not easy to judge. However, he believes that even if the cockroach can be solved, the citizens will have to deal with the spider in the later stage, and in his opinion, the spider is more troublesome to deal with.
(Image source: screenshot of the web page)