Potential Health Risks Of Cockroach Infestations & Prevention

Tips To Prevent a Cockroach Infestation In Arizona

Cockroaches are one of the most reviled pests you can find in residential places, especially in urban areas or large cities. These bugs are attracted to food and humidity, so they are popular invaders in bathrooms and kitchens (which makes everything worse for many people).

While they are indeed very disgusting, the question is: are they really dangerous? Short answer: yes, they are. They can be very dangerous, and the danger increases with pre-existing conditions.

Let’s check all the potential health risks these insects have and also how to prevent an infestation.

Remember that the best way to get rid of them is with a licensed company that controls and eliminates cockroaches in Mesa. However, reading the tips below can also help.

How Dangerous Cockroaches Are?

In addition to being very disgusting, cockroaches also pose numerous hazards to your home and health. They carry many pathogens, so they cause a lot of illnesses.

Cockroaches prefer warm places with temperatures over 70 degrees. That’s why they’re so popular in South America and warmer and humid places everywhere else (including cities like Mesa or Phoenix in the U.S.)

These are some of the health risks cockroaches pose:

Food Poisoning

They can carry over 33 different kinds of dangerous pathogens on their bodies. They crawl through dead animal remains, feces, trash, and forms of waste and garbage, which is why they can easily carry disease. Besides, they transfer these pathogens to food as they often look for food sources.

When they contaminate food sources, they leave diseases on that food. Some of the most common are salmonella, E. coli, and streptococcus, to mention some. If these bacterias are ingested, they can cause gastrointestinal diseases and food poisoning.

Some symptoms related to these diseases are diarrhea, cramping, stomach pain, and vomiting.

That’s why you should contact a pest control company in Phoenix as soon as you see cockroaches in your home since they can reproduce quickly and therefore contaminate your food more easily.

Cockroaches & Allergies

These insects have been known for triggering allergies. Their saliva and other waste have allergens that, once spread through your house, could cause several reactions. These reactions tend to be worse in people with pre-existing conditions like asthma or allergies.

This doesn’t mean they cause asthma. They only deposit triggering pathogens for people that suffer from asthma, making their condition worse.

If cockroaches stay in your home for long periods, their waste can affect the respiratory system and cause trouble breathing, a usual characteristic of asthma.

Cockroaches can cause skin allergies as well if you contact them directly. Their leg spines can abrade the surface level of the skin and cause an infection there. Just keep in mind that they do not bite.

Cockroaches & Other Diseases

Allergies and food poisoning are not the only health risks associated with cockroaches. They carry other harmful illnesses like dysentery and typhoid fever.

Dysentery is an intestinal infection that causes bloody diarrhea, while typhoid fever is the result of salmonella contamination. Both diseases are very dangerous, which is why cockroaches shouldn’t be taken lightly.

Contact a Chandler pest control company once you see cockroaches in your home. They are the best option to treat cockroaches’ infestation properly.

Prevention Tips (What To Do With Cockroaches)

If you want to get rid of cockroaches, or you want to prevent an infestation at home, take into account these recommendations: