The Dangers German Cockroaches Bring To Your Mooresville Property

Are you familiar with the German cockroach? It is the most common cockroach pest in the world. These roaches are tan to light brown in coloration with two dark stripes on the backs of their heads. They range in size from ½ to ⅝ of an inch in length. And when they get into Mooresville homes, they present serious health risks. Here's what you should know about German cockroaches.

What German Cockroaches Do In Your Home

When German cockroaches get into your home, they're likely to stay inside your home. These insects adapt well to being indoor pests. Most other cockroach species require more moisture than you have on the interior of your home. As German cockroaches explore your home, they're going to do a few unsavory things.

• They'll feed on rotting organic matter inside unprotected trash cans.
• They'll feed on the sludge in your sink drain, just above your garbage disposal.
• They'll get into your cat's box and eat your pet's waste.
• They'll feed on the grime that is stuck to the side of your oven.
• They'll explore the space under your refrigerator and suck up any juices they find.
• They'll climb around in your bathroom and get on your toilet rim.
• They'll climb inside dirty mop buckets.

German Cockroaches & Disease Transmission

It doesn't take a rocket scientist to understand that exposure to dirty things will taint the outside of German cockroaches and make them a vector for harmful bacteria. When they do the unsavory things listed above, they can carry microorganisms to sensitive locations. In fact, they're drawn to do this.

• Cockroaches eat toothpaste and suck up saliva. This can put your toothbrush at risk of exposure.
• Cockroaches chew through cardboard and paper to get into food packages. This puts your stored food at risk for contamination.
• Cockroaches are highly mobile and able to quickly get up onto counters and run across food-prep surfaces and cutting boards.
• Cockroaches are attracted to tight spaces. When they see a gap in a cabinet, they squeeze right in. This exposes dishes and cups to invisible contaminants.

Bacteria can live inside a German cockroach's gut without harming the roach. A roach can carry bacteria in its gut for months or even years. These organisms are expelled when the roach leaves its droppings around your home, which it will do. A lot. If you find black specks sprinkled on walls, floors, counters, or other surfaces, be cautious when cleaning these areas. Roaches are implicated in the transmission of at least 33 bacterial diseases, seven human pathogens, and six parasitic worms.

A German cockroach doesn't need to get into your food or crawl on your toothbrush to make you sick. It can make you sick simply by being in your home. Research has shown that Asthma-related symptoms, and hospitalizations due to these symptoms, rise in cockroach-infested homes. This is because roaches get into ventilation systems and leave allergens. German cockroaches are particularly good at doing this because of their ability to tolerate drier conditions.

A Few Ways German Cockroaches Might Make You Sick

While not as common as what we've listed so far, it is important to understand the more subtle ways a German cockroach can impact your health.

• Roaches feed on dead skin. When they eat the dead skin off the eyelashes of sleeping people, a swollen wound can develop from an accidental bite. These bites tend to become infected from exposure to bacteria on the roach's leg spines.
• Bites around mouths can occur as these roaches may drink saliva from the mouths of sleeping people. They may also cause bites as they feed on dead skin around the mouth.
• Cockroaches are known to be attracted to the smell of stale milk on the breath of sleeping babies. This puts babies at greater risk.
• When cockroaches crawl across the skin, a rash can develop. This can be mild or severe, depending on the sensitivity of the person.

Mooresville, NC Cockroach Control

German cockroaches are common pests in our Mooresville service area. At the first sign of cockroach activity in your home. We use industry-leading methods and EPA approved products to get effective control of cockroach threats. 

Contact Lake Norman Home Services for elimination and control. We can help.