Many folks worry about why roaches bite, are their bites dangerous, what they look like and if they get infected easily.
Like other omnivores, roaches eat plants and flesh. These creatures can feed on both living and dead flesh, so if you live in a bug infested homestead, chances are they’ve bitten you before.
While they can bite any part of your body, in most cases, roaches love biting areas around your hands, feet, eyelashes and even fingernails. Luckily, most roach bites are less harmful although they may cause lesions, swellings, and irritation.
In this post, we shall highlight why roaches bite as well as their effects and how to avoid or prevent roach bites. Keep reading on to find out more.
Roaches mainly bite humans and pets for food, although it happens in rare cases, for instance when their infestation is extremely high, leading to food shortage. If there are alternative foods sources such as exposed garbage or food in the kitchen, roaches may not bite you.
When their population is left uncontrolled, their numbers might outgrow the available food sources, forcing them to look for other alternative sources. In essence, cockroaches are forced to bite to survive when the food they are supposed to eat becomes depleted due to overpopulation. Thus, it is recommended to control these pests before they reach such alarming levels.
There have been no serious cases where roaches bite humans although it has been reported in ships where roach numbers have become so overwhelming that they bite on the feet and fingers of the ship crew. In other cases, some crew members have been forced to wear gloves for protection from roach bites.
Not all roaches are likely to bite humans and pets. In fact, out of the known 3500 known species of cockroaches, only about 40 of them live in homesteads where they are likely to encounter humans. It has been reported that some species like German species are more likely to bite you. Some species like Periplaneta australasiae and Periplaneta americana are known to bite humans.
Roach bites are not always easy to identify, but the mere presence of a roach in your bedroom or couch should warn you of such bites. However, there are symptoms you shouldn’t ignore. Their bites are often characterized by raised red bumps on your skin, resembling mosquito bites, although they are a bit bigger, and may scab over in a few cases.
These bites are often itchy and can be painful in some cases causing you to scratch around the area of the bite. You may also notice these symptoms in pets and children.
However, cockroach bites are not easily distinguishable from other insect bites such as mosquito bites because they have similar characteristics.
Roach bites are not often serious, and they heal on their own within a short while without necessarily seeking treatment, just like mosquito bites. However, you should be careful not to scratch them as you can cause bleeding, scarring or even secondary infections. If a roach bites you, try to avoid touching it and keep it as clean as possible to avoid adding germs that can cause bacterial infections. Use a clean dressing, preferably a band or gauze to prevent any infection. Also, you can apply protective body lotion such as calamine to reduce irritation and itching.
The general idea is that cockroach bites are manageable, but you might still want to stop these bites from happening. To prevent cockroach bites, consider using eliminating the roaches for good.
Here is a list of some of the best roach killing strategies and products you can use to drive roaches completely out of your homestead.
Another tip to remember before hiring a professional exterminator: collect a specimen of the roaches to show the exterminator for identification as different roach species tend to have different control strategies. Once the exterminator knows which roach species they are dealing with, they will identify the best spray to use.
Always keep your kids and pets in mind when applying any type of insecticides or poisons. Some can be dangerous to their health. For a list of non toxic roach baits check out our Pet Safe Roach Baits.
If you are having problems you cannot take care of yourself you can always get a free roach quote from our free services below. Just complete the survey with no obligations whatsoever.
If you have ever wondered what roach bites look like, you can see them here in the Roach Bite Gallery
To conclude, cockroach bites can be dangerous in some cases as they harbor bacteria and germs that can cause infections, although they are do not pose a serious threat to humans and pets in most cases. Either way, it is imperative to eradicate roaches from your home to have a peace of mind. Consider the above products and strategies to get rid of cockroaches from your home.
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