Cockroaches are common pests in the Phoenix area. When you see them on your property, it is a good idea to do something about them because it doesn’t take long for outside cockroaches to become an indoor problem. Cockroaches are attracted to tight spaces and are inclined to inspect cracks and gaps in the exterior of the structures on your property. Once inside, certain cockroach species will do quite well and increase their population quickly. As they do, their ability to impact your health will also increase. Today, we’re going to focus on a few of the ways cockroaches impact human health. While these will be of little concern when cockroaches explore your Phoenix property, they can be a serious concern when roaches get inside.

Cockroaches And Asthma
Asthma is a potentially deadly condition. If you, or someone in your home, suffers from asthma, it is likely that all you can do is manage the symptoms with proper treatment and prevention to avoid attacks. One of the ways you can prevent attacks is to prevent a cockroach infestation in your home. Cockroaches are linked to an increase in hospital visits relating to asthma symptoms. If you find cockroaches in your home, you should seek a licensed pest management professional to properly address this problem.

Cockroaches And Other Allergies
When cockroaches explore your home, they leave feces, shed skins, and saliva. All of these are known to cause allergies to flare. If you struggle with rashes, rhinitis, hives, or some other allergic response, cockroaches might be the culprits.

Cockroaches And Food Poisoning
When cockroaches get into your home, it is likely that they’re going to get into your food. Roaches can chew through cardboard, paper, and thin plastic. They’re also able to squeeze through tiny holes and cracks. If roaches get into your food, they can contaminate your foods and this can lead to food poisoning. In most cases, the symptoms of food poisoning will go away on their own, but hospitalization is sometimes required.

Cockroaches And Contamination
When cockroaches crawl on surfaces, cutting boards, dishes, silverware, and even your toothbrush, they can deposit invisible organisms such as bacteria, parasitic worms (helminths), and protozoa. If you touch a contaminated item or put it in your mouth, you can get sick as though you ate something that was contaminated. All of the same symptoms and potential threats apply.

Exposure
You can be exposed to pathogenic agents when you clean areas where cockroaches have left their waste. If you’re attempting to clean the black excrement left by cockroaches, be sure to wear a respirator, mask, protective gloves, and other protective items to mitigate the risk of illness.

What Diseases Do Cockroaches Spread?
Experts say cockroaches are linked to 33 kinds of bacteria, six parasitic worms, and more than seven human pathogens. It is likely that you are familiar with many of the illnesses associated with cockroach activity:

Salmonellosis
Typhoid fever
E. Coli
Giardia
Listeriosis
Cholera
Campylobacteriosis
Dysentery
Gastroenteritis
And more.
While rare, many of these illnesses can result in human mortality. There are many factors involved. You don’t need to live in fear of cockroaches, but you should know that there is the potential for serious and life-threatening illness. It is always best to have cockroach problems quickly addressed.

Cockroaches And Bug Bites
When you get bitten by a bug, what do you expect? You expect the wound to swell and become itchy and rashy, right? This is because your body responds to the saliva of the biting insect. The same is true of cockroaches. If a cockroach bites you, its saliva can cause you to have an allergic reaction, as we pointed out earlier. But there is more to it than this. Cockroaches commonly introduce bacteria into the wounds they create. This leads to greater swelling and more irritation than a normal bug bite. If you wake up and your eyelid is swollen shut, or your lip looks like you went a few rounds with a boxer, cockroaches could be to blame. While cockroaches don’t eat living tissue and they are not prone to bite, they can accidentally bite when they feed on dead skin cells in your eyebrows, eyelashes, or around your mouth. They may also bite you as they attempt to feed on your hair. So while bites are somewhat rare, they are typically worse than other bug bites when they do happen.

Cockroach Control In Phoenix
Are you noticing cockroach activity in your yard? You may be able to take steps to remove exterior attractants and seal exterior entry points to prevent entry. If this fails to stop them from entering, or you want the best possible protection, remember that the team here at Green Home Pest Control is always standing by to assist you. We offer treatments and service plans that reduce cockroach activity and prevent these pests from getting inside. We can help.

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