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Cockroaches are widely considered to be one of the worst pests you could have in your home. While no one would actively wish for mice, fleas, or silverfish, the idea of cockroaches conjures a much more disgusting picture. A cockroach infestation is deemed almost unmentionable while admitting you have a mouse is far more acceptable as a conversation topic.
But just how harmful are these pests? And exactly when and how should you go about killing them? Read on to discover all you need to know about getting rid of cockroaches the right way in your home…
Are Australian cockroaches harmful?
When it comes to how harmful a pest is, it is important to consider several different categories. Firstly, cockroaches are not poisonous. They do not sting, as certain other pests do, and a bite from a cockroach, while irritating and even painful, will not inject you with poison. In this way, you could say cockroaches are less harmful than poisonous spiders or snakes.
However, that is not to say that they are not harmful at all. Indeed, cockroaches are hugely harmful, both to your health and to your property and home. One of the biggest issues with cockroaches is that they tend to live in huge colonies. When you spot one cockroach, there could be hundreds more that you don’t see, and they are terribly difficult to get rid of yourself.
Cockroaches are harmful in several key ways:
- They are an allergen source and asthma trigger – cockroaches can trigger allergies, even ones you didn’t know you and your family had, and cause you to have an asthma attack.
- They carry bacteria – when you have cockroaches in your home, they could be getting into your food, spoiling it and spreading disease. Each surface that they have crawled on is a possible area for you to then touch, contaminating your home, and risking your health.
- They are terrible for mental health – hearing scurrying in the night, catching a glimpse of one of these horrible pests, and knowing that there are more. All of this can keep you from sleeping properly cause stress, and be highly detrimental to your mental health.
Cockroaches can give you food poisoning and diarrhoea, make your skin crawl with just the thought of them, and actually invade your person as well as your home. They can also damage your house, and leave you needing to replace furniture and furnishings once they are gone. For all these reasons and more, it is imperative that you combat cockroach infestations the right way, right away.
Should you kill cockroaches?
There is little doubt that you should kill cockroaches when you find them in your home. You have already seen just some of the many, many reasons why you don’t want an infestation on your property, and killing these pests is the only way to get rid of them.
They are not like certain pests, to be trapped and removed to a different location. There are too many cockroaches to attempt this, and you are sure to miss some. These will then breed, and you will have hundreds more to contend with in no time at all.
That being said, killing a cockroach is not that easy. There is a reason these pests are used as a metaphor for things or people that are hard to kill. Cockroaches are hardwired to survive, and while it doesn’t quite take a nuke to take out these hardy pests, you definitely want to be sure you have killed them in the right way.
You can use various insecticides, boric acid, and a number of home remedies to attempt to kill cockroaches yourself. However, many of these can be ineffective in general, and more so if they are not used correctly.
Calling in the experts is truly the best way to ensure that you will actually be rid of your cockroach infestation. Once these creatures are in your home, you have to go all out to claim it back from them. That means getting the professionals to use all the tools in their arsenal to make sure they have killed every cockroach and to take all preventative measures so they won’t be back.
Why you shouldn’t squish a cockroach!
While it may be extremely tempting to bring your foot down when you see a cockroach scurrying by, there are several reasons why this is not a good idea. Helpful information to have on hand if you are ever teased for not squishing a cockroach. And if you personally would rather run than bring any part of your body within several metres of one of these pests.
Squishing a cockroach can:
- Release a terrible odour
- Release bacteria into your environment
- Release bodily fluids like blood
- Release solid matter such as faeces, partially digested food, and even eggs if they are pregnant
As you can see, none of this sounds like something you would like on your shoes, or on your floors. But for all that, perhaps the biggest reason not to squish a cockroach is that it is hard to do so. Cockroaches can support a huge amount of weight, and bear serious injuries and starvation without dying.
If you are determined to squish cockroaches yourself, be sure to pop the exoskeleton. One of the big myths about cockroaches is that squishing one will attract more, when in reality cockroaches will often avoid dead members of their species. Still, it is much better to call in expert pest control rather than attempt to squish every cockroach in your house.
How do I get rid of cockroaches in my house?
While there are many home remedies and treatments that you can attempt yourself, cockroaches are an extremely difficult pest to rid yourself of properly. Remember that they can live for a surprising amount of time without food and that they breed incredibly quickly. You can never be sure there aren’t more waiting in the wings when you think you have got them all.
The best way to truly get rid of cockroaches in your house is to call in the experts for help. Professional pest control companies know exactly how to deal with cockroaches, keeping your home and its inhabitants safe from all pests now and in the future.
