Are Cockroaches Dangerous?

Cockroaches don’t destroy property and aren’t known to harm people directly, but they’re still any homeowner’s worst nightmare. They immediately make the space feel dirty and unsafe. Finding a cockroach in your house is obviously cause for concern; they’re synonymous with filth and disease to most people, but how dangerous are they really? We’ll go over a few of the things that make roaches harmful below.

Do Cockroaches Carry Disease?

While they don’t transfer disease to people the way that mosquitoes, ticks, and other biting insects do, cockroaches can still make people sick. They carry disease-causing bacteria on their bodies, which can be transferred to surfaces they walk on. 

That’s why it’s so important to keep food in secure, airtight containers. Just by walking across your food, cockroaches can leave behind harmful germs. If they leave behind droppings or digestive juices, the problem gets even worse.

Cockroach Health Risks

Even though they don’t bite people, cockroaches are still associated with a number of serious health problems, including the following:

• Salmonellosis. This bacterium causes salmonella, which has symptoms like diarrhea, vomiting, and fever.
• Dysentery. This disease causes diarrhea, muscle cramps, nausea, and vomiting.
• Allergies. Cockroaches can aggravate allergies, asthma, and other conditions.
• …and more. Cockroaches are known to carry more than 30 different species of disease-causing bacteria, including E. coli.

Cockroaches and Respiratory Issues

Cockroaches can be a particular danger for those with allergies, asthma, and other respiratory problems. Cockroach droppings, saliva, and skin flakes can irritate the lungs of affected individuals, making their existing problems worse. When cockroaches molt, flakes of their discarded skin can irritate the lungs. If you have any respiratory disorder, cockroaches can aggravate it — making it especially important to deal with roach problems quickly.

Is it Safe to Stay in a House With Cockroaches?

As we mentioned above, cockroaches aren’t known to bite and won’t spread disease directly. However, if you spot roaches in your house, it’s still cause for alarm. There’s never only one roach, and they’re difficult or impossible to get rid of without help from a professional. If you find a roach in your home, it’s important to act fast to minimize the risk of contamination.

If you come into direct contact with a cockroach, wash the affected area thoroughly to kill any bacteria it may have transferred to your skin. Use airtight containers to prevent them from getting into your food and throw out any food you suspect cockroaches have contaminated. 

Even if you squish a cockroach, that doesn’t take care of your problem; all the bacteria they carry in and on their bodies will stick around unless you disinfect the area. Squishing the odd cockroach here and there isn’t the end of the world, but it won’t do much against an infestation either.

Keep Cockroaches Away With Forest Pest Control

Here at Forest Pest Control, we’ve been helping Central Florida’s local homes and businesses keep their property clean and clear since 1991. Cockroaches love the hot and humid weather here in Central Florida, so keeping their numbers under control is tough work without a team of skilled professionals on your side.

If you’re dealing with roaches or any other pests, don’t hesitate to give us a call for a free service quote.