From a Few Sightings to Permanent Resident: Foreign Cockroach Species Establishes Foothold in South Korea

[Anchor] Were the foreign cockroaches discovered in Busan confirmed to actually be breeding in the country?

[Reporter] Yes, the domestic establishment of the Turkestan cockroach, a species native to the Middle East and Central Asia, has been confirmed around the Gamman Port area in Busan.

As a result of field surveys conducted by researchers from November of last year to June of this year, not only fully grown adults but also nymphs, which are young individuals, and egg cases were discovered.

This means that rather than just a few individuals coming in from outside, they are breeding and continuing successive generations in the domestic outdoor environment.

The Turkestan cockroach is about 3 cm in length and is also known as the "red runner" due to its fast movement speed.

It has a strong reproductive capacity, with a single female capable of producing about 350 offspring in its lifetime.

The issue is that individuals have also been found in a park outside of Gamman Port, raising the possibility that their habitat range could expand further.

Researchers stated that rather than indiscriminate pesticide use, it is necessary to continuously monitor habitat status while concurrently implementing measures such as removing food sources and applying bait control.

(Photo: Yonhap News)
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