Cockroaches are one of the most common household pests. At night they go through kitchens, garbage, drains, and sewers looking for food. They have filthy habits, a bad smell, and can carry intestinal diseases such as diarrhea, dysentery, typhoid fever, and cholera.
What are Cockroaches?
Cockroaches are flattened insects, identified by their long antennae and legs. There are around 4,000 different species of cockroaches in the world, but just 30 have adapted to living in buildings and are considered pests. Of those, only 4 especially stand out as a nuisance: the American, Australian, German, and Oriental cockroaches.
Where do Cockroaches like to Live?
Cockroaches thrive in warm, dark areas near food and water. In the home, they are usually found hiding in kitchens and bathrooms in crevices of cabinets or near sinks. They are also common in grocery stores, restaurants, and hospitals. If cockroaches find they have plenty of access to food in your home, they will likely take up residence there.
How Cockroaches can cause Allergies
Cockroaches shed pieces of their bodies that contain proteins and allergens that could cause allergies or trigger asthma symptoms. Around 23-60% of people who have asthma are responsive to cockroach allergens.
Diseases
Unlike mosquitoes, cockroaches are not direct vectors of diseases. Transmission of the diseases they carry happens indirectly, through consumption or contact with items that cockroaches have contaminated.
Cockroaches have been proven or suspected of carrying organisms that cause these infections:
- Campylobacteriosis
- Cholera
- Dysentery
- Gastroenteritis
- Giadaria
- Leprosy
- Listeriosis
- Plague
- Salmonellosis
- Typhoid Fever