Yes, cockroaches can make you sick and yes you can kill and control them. Cockroaches can make you sick by carrying fungi, pathogenic organisms and disease causing bacteria. The most threatening disease that they can carry is Salmonella. These diseases can be passed on to humans through food and surface contamination by the insects. Perhaps even more injurious to health is the fact that many people are very allergic to roach allergens. Roach saliva is the most allergy provoking substance, but the eggs, feces, and body parts are also very allergenic to people, especially people with respiratory conditions and asthma. In fact the mere presence of roaches can increase the severity of asthma conditions. Unfortunately, once a cockroach infestation has occurred in a residence, it can take years after the cockroaches are controlled for the allergens to completely disappear. This pest is not confined to dirty households but can be found in most urban areas that are clean but crowded. They do however thrive in moist, warm and dirty conditions. Kitchens and bathrooms are the prime habitat. Apartments and older buildings may see more of an infestation. Once an area gets infested, it is about impossible to wipe them out. Each female can produce thousands of babies a year. Insect control would be the best course of action. Here are some guidelines that you can follow to help minimize the attraction that your dwelling will hold for them. *Keep food out of other rooms besides the kitchen and dining area. Since we spend so much time sleeping, the bedroom, that would be another place to keep food free, so we do not attract roaches and their associated allergens. *Store pet food in tight, odor free containers, clean up spilled pet food and clean up unfinished pet food in bowls soon after your pet is done eating. *Eliminate dark, damp places where pests love to hide. Fix that leaking drain pipe under the sink. Make sure it is dry under there. *Never leave food out overnight and take trash out often. Keep trash in a tight fitting container to keep the odors from attracting pests from other houses or apartments. *Keep cracks around the outside walls of your house or apartment caulked to deter pests from entering. *Sweep and mop the floor often and make sure countertops are kept clean. A small bit of food is a buffet to an insect pest. Boric acid is often used because it can kill cockroaches but it is relatively less toxic than other insecticides. I say relatively, because a good enough dose of boric acid inhaled or ingested can be fatal. Boric acid is an inorganic white powder and it is used in many consumer products including toothpaste, mouthwash and laundry detergent. Approximately 200 different insecticides have boric acid as a main ingredient. Boric acid is generally available alone and it can be variously mixed with foods to be left out for insects to find or lightly sprinkled around where insects can get the powder on them. The powder will continue to be effective as long as it stays dry. The powder has no odor and it does not contain volatile solvents. Boric acid works by poisoning the insects. When they try to clean the powder off of their bodies, they ingest the boric acid and it kills them. Proper application of boric acid or insecticides containing the same is the true key to success. Never apply this chemical on countertops, or places where people or pets can come in contact with it. Do apply this material in a fine mist, not by the spoonful. The best places to dose are around opening where plumbing comes into the house, especially around sinks, under and behind the refrigerator, behind the toilet, and under and behind the washing machine. This is where an expert might come in handy. Another method that can be effectively used in conjunction of the insecticide is the Roach Motel type of trap. These are generally non poisonous and very effective. The traps work by having a bait situated in the middle of the boxed trap. To get to the bait, the insect must crawl through a heavy glue area. They stick to floor of the trap and die quickly. After a week or so, trade the trap for a fresh one. The glue in the trap gets dead insects and dust on it and loses effectiveness. The trap is great because you can judge the degree of infestation. You might also be surprised at the variety of insects that the traps catch.
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