Get To Know The Roach-borne Diseases

Nobody would want to share their food with roaches; and neither would anyone want them feasting on their food wastes. They are not even welcome in the house at all, hence the need to eliminate them.

Cockroaches are perhaps the filthiest creatures on earth. Their feeding habits make them so because they eat anything as long as they can chew it. They eat fresh food, rotting food, feces, dead animals, trash, and even their own.

Cockroaches are also vectors of diseases since they carry with them bacteria and viruses. Some of the diseases they carry include salmonellosis, typhoid fever, pseudomonas, and diarrhea.  

Description Of Cockroaches

There are around 4,600 identified species of cockroaches all over the world. Fortunately, out of this number, only 4 are considered pests.The rest of them are helpful to the ecology since they are food to other helpful creatures as well. 

Cockroaches are nocturnal creatures.

Cockroaches are medium in size compared to other insects. They have flat bodies with long antennae attached to their heads and a tough external exoskeleton.  They have wings that are attached to their second and third thoracic segments, yet they rarely fly. If ever they do, they fly clumsily. They have three pairs of sturdy legs that are attached to their three thoracic segments.  

Cockroaches Have Roamed The Earth For Millions Of Years & Are Still Going Strong

Physically, roaches are so hardy that they can survive anything. Not even a good stomp of a foot can kill them. They can live without food for 1 month and without water for 1 week.  Take away its head, and it will still live for 1 week, dying only because it would not be able to drink any water without its head.  As for how they breathe, roaches do not need their heads to breathe because they have tiny holes all over their bodies, which is what they use for breathing. 

They have outlasted the dinosaurs, mammoths, and thylacine,  despite all efforts by humanity to destroy these roaches. They have proven to be survivors. They can withstand even the harshest climate, and have thrived in all parts of the world except for Antarctica.  

Since cockroaches eat anything, they can survive anywhere. They are classified as omnivorous creatures. They eat both fresh and rotting foods, dead animals and insects, feces, hair, cardboard, paper, old books, paper bags, and even wooden furniture.

The usual pesticides that were used before are not as effective anymore. Cockroaches have developed immunity to these pesticides, something that they pass down to their offspring. The same is true with cockroach baits, wherein cockroaches have also developed resistance. It is discovered that roaches can develop immunity within the same generation. There are others that also developed tolerance to insecticides just by getting in contact with them.

How Do Cockroaches Spread Diseases?

Cockroaches spread diseases via their urine, droppings, vomit, through their feet when they crawl on food and other body parts.

Pathogenic organisms enter the bodies of these cockroaches each time they eat something unsanitary, like feces, trash, or rotten meat. These organisms will stay inside their digestive system and may even become dormant there. When the cockroach defecates, their droppings can contaminate food or surfaces that are in contact with food. Similarly, urine, vomit, and saliva work similarly, contaminating food when it gets in contact with the pathogens. 

The cockroaches’ legs can easily pick up bacteria and viruses. Roaches thrive in sewers, drains, cesspits, and garbage bins. That is why anything that the cockroaches crawl on becomes contaminated.

Humans usually get diseases by eating and drinking food and drinks that are contaminated by cockroaches. Another way is by eating and drinking food using kitchen utensils that are contaminated by cockroaches. 

Diseases Spread By Roaches 

To emphasize how dangerous roaches are and why we should look for the best way to get rid of roaches, we have listed below some of the diseases they are known to transmit.  We now know how this is made possible, now let us take a look.

1.  Salmonellosis - This disease is caused by Salmonella, which is a bacteria that, well, makes people sick.  Salmonellosis is one of the most common gastrointestinal infections in the United States.  It is more prevalent during summer than in winter. Young children are more highly to get this illness than adults.  It is estimated that there are about 1.2 million cases of salmonellosis every year, and of this number, there are 450 deaths in the United States alone.  Food is the number 1 source. Most people with salmonellosis have a fever, diarrhea, and stomach cramps. These symptoms usually show up after 6 hours to 6 days after infection and can last up to 1 week.  

2.  Typhoid fever - This is another disease caused by the bacteria salmonella.  This disease is contracted by eating food or drinking water contaminated by the bacteria, usually coming from roaches.  People then can spread the disease when they contaminate water through their stool. After contamination, the bacteria invade the small intestine then temporarily enters the bloodstream.  Our white blood cells carry the bacteria to the liver, spleen, and bone marrow, multiplying there. After multiplying, they re-enter the bloodstream. The most common symptom is a fever. The diagnosis is through examining a stool sample.  

3.  Pseudomonas - This is a disease caused by the bacterium pseudomonas. It is a common pathogen involved in infections acquired in a hospital setting.  It affects people who have a weak immune system or are in the hospital due to other illnesses.  Infection can be on any part of the body, and the symptoms depend on where the infection is. People with bacteremia, or infection of the blood, will have fever, fatigue, chills, and muscle pains.  People with pneumonia, or infection of the lungs, will have a fever, chills, difficulty in breathing, and cough. People with folliculitis, or infection of the skin, will have abscess formation on the skin, redness, and draining wounds.  It can also infect the eye, and people with eye infection will have pain and swelling, pus, redness, impaired vision, and inflammation. For an external ear canal infection caused by pseudomonas, there is ear pain, swelling, itching inside the ear, difficulty hearing, and discharge coming from the ear.  

4.  Diarrhea - This is described as loose, watery, and more frequent bowel movements.  It usually resolves by itself and lasts only a few days. There are instances however that it may last for more than a week.  If this happens, there may be an underlying problem somewhere. Symptoms include fever, abdominal pains, loose and watery stool, frequent bowel movements, abdominal cramps, bloating, and nausea.  

How To Get Rid Of Cockroaches

This holiday season, it is best not to have them come for a visit.  Here are some tips on how to keep roaches away.

1. Seal cracks and crevices by caulking  Cockroaches can squeeze through tiny holes and cracks, so it is best to shut them out. 

2. Store food in a sealed container.  The less food they can get, the less reason for them to be inside your house. 

3. After eating, wipe off food residue and drink spills.  

4. Do not leave your unwashed dishes in the kitchen sink overnight.  Roaches are nocturnal, so they will be eating from your dishes as you sleep.  Wash them immediately.  

5. Put a cover on your trash can so the roaches would not have any access to it.

6. Dispose of your garbage immediately.

7. If you have pets, clean up after they eat, and remove their feces.  

8. Routinely mop the floor.  This will remove breadcrumbs that may have fallen off the floor, and sticky spots that they may find tasty.  

However, if the infestation has become too heavy, you may need some help -  professional help in particular. Of course, you would not want just any professional, you want the best!  For exterminator for little roaches in my kitchen, call Go-Forth Pest Control.  

Go-Forth Pest Control Is Simply The Best

Finding the best pest control experts is important if you want to completely eradicate all those troublesome cockroaches in your home safely and efficiently. For their pest control needs, people from North and South Carolina trust only one name: Go-Forth Pest Control.

Go-Forth Pest Control is a family-owned company that has superior skills and experience to eliminate not only roaches, but also mosquitoes, flies, termites, wasps, rats, mice, poisonous spiders, bed bugs, fleas, moths, silverfish, and weevils. We use only the latest and most advanced equipment in the business. We assure you of your family’s safety with our family-friendly and pet-friendly methods. This is what our team of professional technicians gives you.  

So check us out, and be roach-free this Christmas.