Cockroaches Can Make You Sick
There are several varieties of cockroaches that might infest your home, but can they make you sick, or are they just nasty? Here are some things a homeowner should know about cockroaches, regardless of their type or size:
Cockroaches shed
Not only do cockroaches shed their skin called the exoskeleton, but they also leave behind egg casings, fecal matter, and saliva. These contaminate virtually every surface in their home and can leave a musty odor when they become plentiful enough.
When the contaminants left by cockroaches are inhaled and ingested by people with asthma or allergies, they trigger a reaction. This could take the form of a runny nose, hives, itchy eyes, sneezing, coughing, wheezing, and more. The reactions can cause anything from mild discomfort to a medical emergency.
Cockroaches breed
The problem is that once cockroaches enter a home, they travel ubiquitously, crawling on everything, reproducing rapidly, and can turn into a raging infestation in a relatively short time. Because they can and do climb on anything and everything in the home, nothing is safe from these pests unless it’s in a tightly sealed container.
What attracts cockroaches?
A cockroach is attracted to food, dirty dishes, and water. That’s why a homeowner will find them in their sink, pantry, pet food, and in opened or unopened packages of foods if they aren’t tightly sealed. They will hide in the bathroom when the kids leave their towels on the floor, and anywhere else they can find food or moisture. Leaks beneath sinks are a highly favored spot for cockroaches.
I have a clean house. Why do I have cockroaches?
You have cockroaches because they are creatures of convenience. They can slip into your home through a tiny crack, a vent, or even beneath the door if it isn’t well sealed. They hitchhike in by hiding in the corrugation of a cardboard box, or between the layers of a brown paper bag. Shoes, purses, backpacks, briefcases, and newspapers are other ways cockroaches arrive.
Because cockroaches are nocturnal, they may live in a home for a while before the owner realizes what is happening. They may find egg sacs, fecal matter, or dead cockroaches before they ever see a live one. Then, once the home is infested with numbers, the cockroaches have the upper hand, because they’re well into the breeding cycle.
Help is available
Professional extermination practices can prevent and control a cockroach infestation. There is no reason a family needs to live with these vile and disease-inducing bugs. People in your home should never have to go through the stressful experience of turning on the kitchen light one night to find unwanted company skittering across the counter to slip under the toaster oven or microwave.
Professional pest control will rid your home of these and other unwanted bugs. We have the equipment, experience, and licenses to do it right. Call us today.
Russell Pest Control boasts a team of trained and certified technicians for providing comprehensive residential pest control solutions in the Phoenix Valley. From silverfish control, ants control, and roach control to wasp control and honey bee removal, expect nothing but the best from our family-owned business. Call today.
