Where do cockroaches live in the house? How to find their nest, what to look for?

Where do cockroaches live?

As a rule, mustachioed pests appear in homes with poor sanitary conditions. Open trash cans, scattered food scraps, dirty countertops, unwashed household appliances - all this attracts cockroaches and provides them with a comfortable existence in human homes. But even clean residents can become victims of barbel attacks.
Cockroaches often move into apartments from dirty entrances and basements, as well as from neighbors whose living space is already infested with pests. Garbage chutes and various landfills are ideal habitats for cockroaches. However, in an apartment they prefer to hide in dark, secluded places located near sources of food and water. It can be:

cabinets and crevices under sinks and other plumbing fixtures;
cracks in baseboards;
heating pipes close to the wall;
section of the drain pipe to the siphon;
cluttered rooms, such as a closet or closet;
cracks behind furniture;
Appliances.

Household appliances are one of the most favorite hiding places for cockroaches in the apartment. The back walls of the refrigerator, stove or microwave are favorite places for pests. Often, longhorned beetles populate these places already in the store warehouse. A buyer who does not suspect anything about the presence of longhorned beetles in a new household appliance brings the product home, and a few days later notices insects in the apartment. Behind the back walls of household appliances, cockroaches set up their nests and breed in incredible quantities, since no one disturbs them there. Sometimes insect nests are found in a drain tank, an old-style TV, or a computer system unit.

If there are cockroaches in the apartment, then most often their nest is in the kitchen. Anything can be a haven for pests. This includes kitchen cabinets and space under the sink or countertop.

Longhorn beetles can be found in ventilation ducts and on hood filters, in the drain hole, behind decorative protrusions, in flowerpots and even in dishes that are located on the top shelves.

While it is difficult for pests to survive without water, they can survive for quite a long time without food. After general cleaning in the kitchen, cockroaches may not leave the home, but move to other rooms. Often cockroach nests are found behind wallpaper that has peeled off from the walls. There, barbels not only hide, but also feed on paper and glue residues.

Habitats and breeding areas in the apartment

Parasites can appear in any room; to understand why cockroaches appear in an apartment, it is worth examining all possible areas of deployment. They can hide in trash cans, toilets, behind cornices and baseboards, in floor cracks and wallpaper seams. But they love to settle especially in the kitchen, since there are all the necessary conditions for them. Distinctive features of the presence of insects are black spots on walls and other habitats.

Dishes left in the sink or food on the table can become a huge food reservoir for them. Cockroaches secrete special pheromones through which the entire population learns about the location of the food source.

Red cockroaches are more often found near a water source, so the bathtub and sink should be wiped dry before going to bed. But besides this, they find water in the toilet and cat's water bowl. Parasites try not to be seen, so they choose a place to live behind kitchen cabinets, in household appliances, and ventilation. They usually go out at night to find food.

Types of cockroaches in the apartment

At home you can find several types of parasites:

The red cockroach (Prusak) is a small insect with an elongated oval body 10-13 mm long. The color is reddish-yellow, there are wings. The larvae are dark brown, the ootheca (the place where eggs are laid) is 6-8 mm, light brown. The cockroach is fertile and takes care of its offspring. Which has a positive effect on its numbers.
The black cockroach is an adult 20-26 mm in size, the body is flat, the color is black, shiny. The larvae are also black, the capsule with eggs is brown and ribbed. In terms of the number of identified colonies, it is inferior to the Prusak, but surpasses it in size. Insects prefer the lower floors of houses and garbage chutes.
The American cockroach is a brown or brownish insect, 28-44 mm long. Nymphs are red-brown, the egg cocoon is in the form of a quadrangular glossy capsule. The species is not widespread like the Prussian, but is successfully developing new territories. The lifespan of adults is up to 3 years.

Where do cockroaches usually live?

In terms of household amenities, cockroaches are clearly unpretentious. Their home can be any secluded place in the house - a crack, a gap, the space under the sink, behind the refrigerator, inside built-in furniture and a microwave oven, baseboards, peeling wallpaper, books... You can’t list it all. The places where cockroaches live in an apartment can be the most unexpected.

The main thing is that it is warm and satisfying. And there must be water.

Red cockroaches

The red cockroach (Blattellagermanica) or the red cockroach is the most commonly encountered species of these insects. It can grow up to two centimeters in length. Has a dark brown color. The insect's wings, located on the back, are not used for their intended purpose, but they help when jumping.

Nest

There can be a lot of places in an apartment where cockroaches hide. In addition to the kitchen and bathroom, they can even settle in the bedroom, especially if the owner has a habit of having snacks in bed. It is extremely annoying when the Prussians occupy the bookcase, dirtying books with their excrement.

Black cockroaches

The black cockroach (often called the basement cockroach) has a shiny black color, it has no wings, grows up to 3 cm in length. It runs very fast. Cockroaches of this species live mainly on the lower floors, in semi-basements and basements.

Places where cockroaches hide in an apartment can often be recognized by an unpleasant specific smell. Insects easily change their location, so in apartment buildings you need to fight them together, otherwise the victory over these burdensome neighbors will be very short-lived. The main blow must be delivered to garbage chutes and basements, and it is advisable to resort to the help of a specialized organization.

Signs of cockroaches in the house

Timely detection of pests in the premises will help to deal with them faster. The fact of the presence of cockroaches in it is carefully hidden from people who rent an apartment. Being close to insects causes many problems; it is advisable to detect their presence as early as possible. How to find out if there are cockroaches in an apartment? It is worth inspecting the rooms and paying attention to the following signs:

Dark spots on walls and furniture surfaces left by insect excrement.
Pieces of chitinous cover scattered after molting.
Ootheca (capsules with eggs) on the floor and in secluded places.

Any sign is enough to verify that the premises are infected. When searching for a nest in an apartment, you will have to use physical force - move the refrigerator and gas stove, remove wall cabinets. Pests traditionally gather in these places. There the dark tracks merge into spots, a large number of chitinous skins shed by the larvae.

Advice. At night, go into the kitchen and turn on the light; if there are cockroaches in the apartment, they can be detected visually. It's worth looking into cabinets and drawers.

If insects run along the floor or wall during the day, then their population is large. A female Prussian lays 38-50 eggs at a time and produces about 400 larvae during its life cycle. Female black cockroaches lay up to 22 oothecae with 10-20 eggs. The insect colony increases at a rapid rate, especially at high temperatures. It is necessary to immediately begin to destroy the parasites.

Cockroaches in sewer systems

Most often, cockroaches in an apartment hide in the kitchen and bathroom. Insects can stay in water for several hours. Therefore, if they are found in your home, you should be prepared for the fact that at some point a cockroach will crawl out of the toilet or pipe.

The spectacle is extremely unpleasant and leaves a residue. However, it is true that cockroaches are able to make their way through sewer and water systems.

In terms of their habitat, they often talk about sewer cockroaches. Outwardly, they are no different from ordinary redheads living in apartments.

Interesting. Black cockroaches are a separate species, quite often found in places with high humidity and in old houses. They have a size of about five centimeters, strong limbs that allow them to move at high speed. But these are not sewer cockroaches.

Residents of the first floors suffer most from sewer cockroaches. With faulty heating, water supply and sanitation systems, insects breed in huge numbers in basements and, naturally, crawl into apartments located on the ground floor.

From basements, cockroaches most often enter the house through cracks between concrete floors, ventilation shafts and the sewer system itself. At times, their invasions turn into a real disaster. And then the unfortunate residents have no choice but to write complaints to the SES and appeal to the management company.

Interesting . Mutant cockroaches from the sewer are nothing more than another myth. Just like the giant rats from the subway. It’s just that someone didn’t know about black cockroaches, or someone got bored with life.

How to detect a cockroach nest?

Pest nests are large concentrations of individuals. The place itself is quite dirty and unsightly, because food debris, chitinous shells, cockroach feces, and carcasses of dead individuals accumulate there. It is difficult to discover where cockroaches that have just appeared indoors are hiding. However, their presence can be tracked by the following signs:

an unpleasant smell of mold appears in the apartment;
a crunching sound is heard at night;
Dark brown dots appear on walls and kitchen surfaces.

When there are a lot of insects in the house, it will not be difficult to detect them. It is enough to suddenly turn on the light in the kitchen at night, and the pests will run to the place where they live. The areas of their greatest accumulation can be determined by the amount of excrement. If you don’t want to wait for night, then you can conduct a simple experiment when it gets dark outside. You need to leave a shiny candy wrapper on the kitchen floor and wait for pests. After the candy wrapper starts rustling, you can turn on the light. The cockroaches will scatter, indicating the path to their hiding place.

What does a nest look like?

Having started an operation to search for the location of pests, you need to be prepared for an unpleasant sight. A photo of a cockroach nest can be seen below to get an idea of it. This is a large accumulation of insects at different stages of development - from clutches of eggs to nymphs and adults.

Cockroach nests

In addition to living cockroaches, there may be their dead relatives, remains of chitinous shells, excrement, food debris, and garbage. The smell near this place is unpleasant; people prone to allergies may experience a coughing attack.

Once the nest has been found in the apartment, it must be eliminated. To do this, you should use modern chemicals in the form of aerosols. After treating the contaminated area, you need to close all windows and doors and leave the room for several hours. After such a gas chamber, the Prussians would have no chance to survive. They also use sprays, concentrates, gels, dusts, and set traps.

How to destroy a nest?

The decision to crush some of the insects with slippers will not be a mistake, although in any case you cannot do without insecticides for cockroaches . Such a step will make the work of chemicals easier, since the population will decrease slightly. If you are lucky, the larvae (nymphs) will be crushed, which are potentially the main successors of the cockroach genus .

After the initial intervention in the quiet life of the Prussians, you need to use one of the drugs :

Aerosol . It has a weak effect when fighting large colonies of cockroaches, but is ideal for killing individual insects. Reid has proven himself well.
Gel. This is considered to be the most effective insecticide option. Not only does such a paste kill the entire colony of Prussians, but it also has a very long-lasting preventive effect. Users speak well of the Clean House gel.
Traps. They are intended more for the prevention of infection, but they are also good for destroying small populations. Many people prefer the Raptor, try it too.
Chalk. The number of cockroach colonies is reduced, prevention is provided, and they are cheap. What else is needed? By the way, we recommend trying Mashenka, known since Soviet times.

Please note that some of these insecticides may be harmful to humans and pets . Compliance with basic safety rules when working with them is necessary. If everything is done correctly, then there will be no trace of cockroaches left , and comfort will return to your home and bring with it cleanliness!

Routes of penetration

Arthropod pests usually enter an apartment in various ways. It is important to know where the insects are coming from so that you can take appropriate action.

Main sources of penetration:

Through a sewer pipe.
Along the ventilation shaft.
Through the entrance.
Through holes or cracks that are present in windows and doors.

Pest nests are brought into the house along with used equipment or things. If you decide to buy a used laptop, then you should first inspect and clean it.

In multi-storey buildings, cockroaches have been observed to infiltrate from neighbors who do not comply with sanitary and hygienic standards. In this case, you must contact the appropriate organization that conducts inspections.

Reproduction process

If you have ever found a cockroach nest at least once in your life, this picture will stay with you for a long time. How many of them are there: tens, hundreds, thousands? It seems that the population of these insects is growing literally before our eyes! But how quickly do cockroaches actually reproduce?

In order for a new generation to appear, it is necessary to have two sexually mature individuals, male and female, since they reproduce sexually. The female is slightly larger in size and secretes odorous substances, inviting the male to mate, after which she lays eggs.

This is interesting!
Most species of cockroaches have wings, but the need to use them in an apartment has long ceased.

Over about 2-3 weeks, the eggs develop into the first larval stage in a special protective capsule called an edema, which the female carries with her for a while and then leaves in a safe place.
When the first stage of larval development is reached (and this can take more than 3 weeks), if environmental conditions are unfavorable, the juveniles leave the edema. If when you hear the word “larva” you imagine something inactive and worm-like, then cockroach larvae will surprise you. They are called nymphs and look like a miniature version of the adult. Accordingly, they eat and run around the apartment just as actively.

By the way
The older the domestic cockroach, the lighter its color: if adult individuals - imago - have a reddish color, then the larvae are almost black.

Cockroaches undergo an incomplete process of metamorphosis: there is no pupation stage. And they grow with the help of molts, of which there are 5-7 throughout the life of the larvae. Each molt brings the individual closer to sexual maturity, but how quickly this process takes place depends only on external conditions. If the nymphs are in a warm and humid place with an abundance of food, they will be ready for fertilization after 4 months. The colder, drier and hungrier it is, the longer it will take the insect to reach sexual maturity.
A sexually mature individual of a domestic pest lives for about 7 months. How often can she give birth to new offspring? The problem is that after the first fertilization, the female stores the male's reproductive cells for subsequent clutches and, under favorable conditions, will not miss the opportunity to lay eggs about twice a month. On average, during her life she manages to lay 10-15 clutches of 15-20 eggs in each edema.

By the way
There are viviparous species, such as Madagascar cockroaches, that can be kept as pets. This system is also characteristic of some other large tropical species.

It turns out that red cockroaches reproduce not too quickly, but in geometric progression. And in order to start a nest, all it takes is one sexually mature female, who accidentally wandered into your apartment and found the conditions in it suitable. Adding fuel to the fire are the larvae, which look almost the same as the adults. But why did they find your home attractive?

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Reproduction of cockroaches at home

No matter how strange it may seem, some people specifically breed certain types of these parasites in their apartment. In this case, we are, of course, not talking about ordinary Prussians, with whom many apartment buildings are crowded. Today, breeding Madagascar cockroaches at home is popular. They need to be kept in an apartment in specially equipped terrariums in which a constant temperature and special air humidity must be maintained. However, such exoticism is not to everyone's taste. In most cases, apartment residents try to get rid of these parasites.

Today, there are only three species of Prussians that prefer to live next to humans:

• redheads; • black; • American.

We invite you to talk about them.

Under what conditions do cockroaches breed in an apartment?

Prussians are nocturnal insects. For a comfortable life, they only need warmth and access to water. Regarding food, they are not too picky: crumbs, food scraps, wallpaper paste, paper, fat residues, cereals, etc. You should know that they have the ability to slow down development at the egg or larval stage. They need such impromptu rest to adapt to new conditions (the reason may be the treatment of the premises with chemicals).

Reproduction rate of cockroaches in an apartment

Having reached sexual maturity, females invite their partner to mate by slightly spreading their wings. Sometimes for these purposes they can secrete a special secretion (smelling substance). After mating, a special capsule with eggs is formed in her body. For successful reproduction, a female only needs one mating in her entire life; further fertilization occurs by insemination of eggs with seed material stored in special parts of her body. That is. For a successful process, it is enough that only one Prussian gets into the apartment; the process will depend only on the conditions.

It should be noted that Prussians do not always reproduce only by mating with each other (sexually). This can also occur asexually (a male is not needed in this case) or, as it is also called, parthenogenesis. American cockroaches have this ability. In any case, the process of formation of oviposition in the female occurs quickly - it takes about two weeks.

Breeding period of cockroaches at home

The life cycle of domestic cockroaches can be divided into three stages:

• egg (a dense capsule from which small individuals emerge, fully adapted to external conditions); • larva (nymph, a creature without wings, with a more saturated body color and modest body size); • adult insect (imago).

The process from mating to laying eggs (the breeding time of cockroaches) takes about a week for the female, after which she is ready to mate again. The life expectancy of Prussians in an apartment is from 4 months to 4 years.

Remedies for rams - cockroach breeding regulator

Today, manufacturers have developed a lot of products to effectively combat cockroaches in an apartment: aerosols, sprays, creams, traps, electronic repellers, reproduction regulators, etc. Each product has its own application characteristics. The most effective, according to users today, is the trap (reproduction regulator) Raid Max of the fourth generation. How and for how long does it work?

Remedy for cockroaches raid max 4 bait reproduction regulator

The bait consists of a transparent container in which food for pests poisoned by a special insecticide is clearly visible. Prussians absorb food and spread poison throughout the colony, gradually infecting all insects (both adults and larvae). During this period, insects lose their ability to reproduce and gradually die. The trap is in effect for two to three months (can be determined by the amount of the remaining drug inside the container). For best efficiency, it is recommended to place baits in places where parasites are most concentrated: near water pipes, air ducts, in the kitchen, etc.

Conditions for reproduction

Knowing how domestic cockroaches reproduce may be useful, but I would still like to understand why the nest appeared on yours and not on your neighbors. To find the answer to this question, just look at the typical habitats of cockroaches in the wild.

Warm. Cockroaches are typical inhabitants of the tropics, and the fact that in our region they are common only in residential buildings is proof that they were brought to us. They say that they were accidentally brought along with bales of things by soldiers after the war with Prussia (hence the name “Prussian”), but they obviously got there from warm countries and assimilated into homes without any problems.
Dampness. Imagine the tropics and you will certainly feel that humidity, which makes being outside like visiting a hammam. It is in these conditions that, for example, Madagascar cockroaches live. That's why they will definitely appreciate leaking water pipes, and simply rooms with high humidity. If you are worried about mold on the walls, then with a high degree of probability cockroaches will not keep you waiting.

This is interesting
There are even several species of domestic cockroaches, and there are thousands of varieties in the world.

Darkness. Why is the nest not located in a visible place? Everything is simple here: not only are cockroaches in the wild nocturnal insects, but also staying in an open, illuminated space increases the chance of being eaten by some predator. That's why a cockroach that you accidentally see on a table or on the floor is always in a hurry somewhere. He hurries to hide.
Nutrition. Well, without food, cockroaches would not survive. Previously, cockroaches in the house were even considered a sign of prosperity: it meant that the owners did not collect crumbs. However, later cockroaches began to be associated with uncleanliness. They say they created some dirt and that’s where the insects live. This is not entirely true: it’s difficult to keep track of every crumb, and you won’t be taking out the trash can every couple of hours. But the amount of food available does determine the size of the existing population.

By the way
Nutrition is important for nest expansion, but a single individual can live without food for about 20 days, so it is quite difficult to starve a cockroach.

If there is a place in your apartment that meets these cockroach requirements, a nest will appear there very, very soon.

What do they eat?

Housewives who keep their apartments perfectly clean do not understand why the number of pests is constantly increasing. The main reason is that insects are not picky eaters. Therefore, they eat not only organic remains and food. Their diet includes plants and books, soap and leather goods.

Scientists note that domestic species quickly adapt. They do not require special nutrition. If they do not detect organic remains at night, they gnaw on the epidermis of a sleeping person.

If you are wondering whether a domestic cockroach can get into the ear, then otolaryngologists have noted such cases. Pests enter the auricle in search of shelter.

The only thing insects cannot do without is water. If you limit access to liquid, the fight against them will be more successful.

What can be done to stop cockroaches from multiplying?

There are a sufficient number of insecticides that fight these insects very successfully if used correctly. But poisons alone are not enough: in order for your apartment to cease to be attractive for reproduction, it is advisable to fulfill a number of conditions.

Frequently check and treat dark and damp nooks and crannies with poison as a preventative measure, especially if you know that cockroaches may return or pass to you from your neighbors.
Control the humidity in the apartment, especially if you live in a region with high air humidity in general. This can be done using a regular air conditioner.
Do not leave food in the open that cockroaches could eat, and get rid of the habit of eating without a plate and in bed: this is how crumbs spread throughout the apartment in large quantities.
Do not forget about repeated treatments: the swelling does not allow chemicals to pass through, so the nymphs that appear after the first treatment will be absolutely healthy. And given that they can regulate the speed of development themselves, it will not be difficult for them to wait out difficult times in the capsule.
If you want to get rid of the nest quickly and without poisons, you will have to turn off the heating for a while in winter, killing all the cockroaches at sub-zero temperatures (even at -5˚C they will die almost instantly).

Without treatment, it is quite difficult to deal with an existing large nest, but once you get rid of it, you can use the information received to ensure that your apartment will never again become a haven for these insects.

How to get rid of housing

So, when insects are detected, the first and most pressing question is the following - how to get rid of black cockroaches in an apartment. It should be noted that common folk methods, for example, the use of orange peels or cloves, are not an effective measure.

To kill insects, only chemicals should be used. You can do this either yourself or by calling professional exterminators.

Black

If black cockroaches appear in a residential area, first of all you need to find out how they got into the apartment. You should carefully examine the sewer pipes, ventilation grilles, that is, all communications that connect the apartment with neighbors’ homes or basement floors.

If insects enter through an apartment located behind a wall, it is recommended to cover the ventilation openings with fine mesh grilles. If you plan to treat the premises with chemicals, it is advisable to do this at the same time as your neighbors. If residents of a nearby apartment have already carried out the treatment, it is necessary to find out exactly what chemicals were used. When using the same product repeatedly, its effectiveness decreases significantly.

Insects can also appear in a private home. Methods for getting rid of uninvited guests are standard. However, you can use simpler methods. So, how to get rid of black cockroaches in a private home?

If insects appeared in the winter season, it is enough to simply freeze the room, that is, turn off the heating and leave the house for several days. This measure is quite sufficient for the death of colonies.

Sewer

Black cockroaches especially often crawl out of sink, bathtub, and toilet drains at night. This behavior is due to the fact that insects cannot exist without water. In order to prevent black cockroaches from entering the apartment from ventilation pipes, it is recommended to use the sink and bathtub as often as possible.

Keeping water in the pipes will help significantly reduce the likelihood of insects entering the apartment. Otherwise, the methods on how to get rid of sewer cockroaches are the same. You can find out more about them below.

Basement

The most common places where black cockroaches accumulate are basements, where there are all favorable conditions for the growth of insect colonies, namely moisture and warmth. As for food, a black cockroach needs a small amount of food to live, and if there is none, the insect can easily exist without food for two or more months.

If there are cockroaches in the basement, various chemicals will help deal with them. Such, for example, as gels, crayons and powders . With their help, it is necessary to treat all the cracks through which insects can enter the apartment. In order not to create favorable conditions for black cockroaches at night, it is recommended to carefully monitor the cleanliness of the kitchen, as well as block the insects’ access to water.

How to get rid of cockroaches?

There are a fairly large number of cockroach repellents on sale: aerosols, gels, traps, crayons. You can get rid of ordinary and sewer cockroaches yourself or by calling a special exterminator service.

To treat large areas and basements, it makes sense to contact the SES or private companies. The difference between them is this: SES is cheaper, but longer. Special services are more expensive, but faster.

Below is a list of drugs that can be used to remove cockroaches.

Gel Globol

A drug made in Germany with a prolonged action. When applying, be careful not to get it on the skin. Has a pleasant smell. Highly toxic to insects. Points of possible cockroach trails, as well as places of entry into the apartment, are processed. Extremely effective. Dead insects appear for some time. Then the cockroaches simply disappear.

Price – about 170 rubles.

Get

Microencapsulated drug of extremely high efficiency. Not dangerous for people, odorless. The active ingredient is chlorpyrifos. It is diluted with water in the ratio specified in the instructions - depending on the type of insects and their number. Beware of counterfeit products.

Price – about 700 rubles per bottle.

Dohlox gel

A product with high performance and prolonged action. Allows you to remove insects even in cases where their number becomes critical.

The price of one tube of 20 ml is 50 rubles.

Dohlox traps

It is used as an auxiliary or prophylactic agent to combat cockroaches. Very effective on small numbers of insects.

Cost – about 100 rubles.

Ways to control cockroaches

The appearance of pests is not always associated with unsanitary conditions in the room; they also settle in a clean kitchen. It is enough for them to have access to water; almost any organic matter serves as food for insects. The fight against parasites is carried out comprehensively, using physical and chemical methods. An effective option is to freeze the room; cockroaches die at sub-zero temperatures. But this is a seasonal method and is not suitable for everyone. Available physical methods are mechanical destruction and installation of glue traps.

Many chemicals have been developed to get rid of pests. They are available in the form of dusts, gels, pencils, and sprays. The use of Raptor and Raid aerosols gives a quick effect. Insecticides are sprayed into the nest, a place where insects gather. Preparations in the form of gels and dusts are also applied along the routes of pest movement. If the colony size is small, it is enough to spread out poisoned baits. They are prepared from egg yolk and boric acid.

As preventive measures, it is recommended to get rid of all water leaks and have no access to food. Products are stored in plastic or glass containers with a lid. Compliance with sanitary standards and cleanliness is the main preventive measure.

Sources

https://zelenplaneta.ru/tarakany/gde-zhivut-i-gde-pryachutsya-tarakany-v-kvartire.html
https://beetlestop.ru/gnezdo-tarakanov/
https://hlopklop.com/tarakany/gnezda-tarakanov.html
https://DomoVreditel.ru/tarakany/gde-pryachutsya-tarakany
https://vredstop.ru/tarakany/kak-razmnozhayutsya-tarakany.html
https://parazitdoma.ru/tarakany/chernyy-kanalizacionniy

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