3 Disturbing Ways That German Cockroaches Can Make You Sick
Once German cockroaches infiltrate a home, their population can quickly explode. This is especially true if there is an abundance of food and water available to them. And cockroaches aren't just a messy nuisance. They can also make you and other household members sick.
If you have discovered that you have a German cockroach infestation in your home, consider hiring a pest control company to eradicate them. Otherwise, they could make you sick in one of the following ways.
1. Spreading Germs to Objects and Surfaces
During the night, German cockroaches roam your home in search of food and shelter. As they do so, they walk over objects like toothbrushes, crockery, and cutlery. They also climb inside appliances like washing machines and dishwashers, where the conditions are warm and moist.
Because German cockroaches scavenge for food in bins and are happy to feast on spoiled food that is teeming with bacteria, they spread germs wherever they roam. These germs can cause diseases.
If you have spotted German cockroaches in your home, keep all cutlery, plates, and oral hygiene items inside sealed bags or containers to prevent cockroaches from spreading germs to them.
2. Contaminating Food and Drink
If you leave food or drinks out in your home overnight, German cockroaches will find them and contaminate them. Not only do cockroaches spread germs to items of food and drink, but they also regurgitate their saliva onto them as they eat. If you then consume those contaminated foods and drinks, you could contract salmonella.
Throw away or store all foods and drinks that you haven't finished yet if you have a German cockroach infestation. If you do throw leftover food out, remove the rubbish from your home immediately to deprive the cockroaches of food.
3. Leaving Feces and Body Parts Lying Around
German cockroaches can cause allergic reactions too. For those with sensitive skin, the feces, saliva and body parts that German cockroaches leave lying around can cause allergic reactions like hives.
And when a German cockroach infestation is so bad that even your household dust contains cockroach feces and body parts, this can be bad for sufferers of allergic rhinitis and asthma. Exposure to feces and body parts can cause runny noses and sneezing in rhinitis sufferers. Worse, asthma sufferers may suffer asthma attacks if they breathe in those contaminants.
If you have found evidence of German cockroaches in your home, call in a pest controller immediately. Otherwise, they could become a health concern.