How Cockroaches Can Make You Sick (And What You Can Do About It)

Having any sort of infestation in your home can make your stomach turn. Rats, termites, and rodents of all shapes and sizes cause many different kinds of problems. Some of these problems can affect the integrity of your home while others can directly affect your health. A cockroach infestation can be a serious problem for any building, home or commercial.

To understand the seriousness of a cockroach infestation it helps to understand what they are, where they thrive, how to get rid of them and what you can do to minimize the allergies that they cause. and how cockroaches can be eliminated

What Are Cockroaches?

Cockroaches are insects that are identified by their long antennae and legs. They kind of look like beetles and may come in a variety of shapes, sizes and colors. There are about 30 different species of cockroaches, though only 4 are known to be pests.

Where Do Cockroaches Thrive?

Cockroaches thrive best in warm conditions, particularly in areas where the temperature exceeds 70° Fahrenheit. They absolutely love humid and dark places. Cockroaches run away from bright light, which means you are unlikely to find them crawling out in the open on a sunny summer day. Even if there are a lot of cockroaches in one room, when you turn on a light, they will scatter.

Typical of scavengers, if they discover that they have plenty of access to food crumbs or scraps inside your home, they are more likely to take up residence. They are also attracted to garbage and garbage disposals, since this is where a lot of food ends up. This can have adverse effects on the health of anyone inhabiting the building that the cockroaches infest.

How Cockroaches Cause Allergies

Wherever cockroaches go, they leave behind traces of their existence. Signs that you have a cockroach infestation include feces, saliva, and parts of their bodies that they shed or that fall off. Similar to dust mites, these parts of a cockroach contain specific proteins or allergens that may cause allergies or can even trigger asthma symptoms.

In addition to these proteins that the cockroaches naturally carry, there have been tests done on cockroaches that examine the pathogens in their bodies. The scary thing is that cockroaches can carry some serious diseases. Salmonella Typhi, which causes Typhoid, has been found in cockroaches. Poliomyelitis, which causes Polio, has also been found in these insects. They can also cause Dysentery, a disease that causes severe diarrhea that may include bleeding.

Symptoms of Cockroach Problems

Physical signs that you have a cockroach problem can be seeing the roaches themselves. Since they run from the light and are nocturnal, they may be difficult to see. They will hide in weird places, including in drains and under mats. If you don’t see any roaches, you can still find feces that kind of look like pepper spilled on the floor. The amount of feces you find can be an indicator as to how many cockroaches you are dealing with.

Getting Rid of Cockroaches

You have probably heard legends of cockroaches surviving everything, including any apocalypse the world can imagine going through. Cockroaches may be tough to beat, but they are certainly not invincible.

If you suspect you have an infestation, your best bet is to hire a professional pest control technician to come and examine your property. The technician should be able to confirm whether or not you have an actual infestation. If you do have an infestation, your home will likely need to be treated by the pest control company.

To prevent a cockroach infestation, it helps to have covers on your drains through which cockroaches cannot climb. You should also try to keep your floors and counters as free of food crumbs as possible. Roaches are also attracted to food that is in trash cans.

In addition to food, roaches will eat paper and glue, such as that found in books or magazines. Keep these off of the floor and in containers as necessary. Always clean up messes when eating, including doing the dishes in the sink.

You can find traps for capturing roaches if you want to try to treat the infestation yourself. Depending on the size of the infestation, however, you might want to consider professional pest control.