When you see bumps and red rashes on your skin, and you have noticed signs of roaches in your house, your natural conclusion may be that the cockroaches have been biting you in your sleep. Many pests in the area can bite, after all, and roaches are one of the more despised pests.

The truth is that roaches rarely bite people or pets. They prefer to consume food particles, trash, and sewage, all of which is easy to access in most Northern Virginia properties. Their mouthpieces are also not strong enough to get through human skin. During the rare cases where roaches have bitten people, they tend to only feed on toenails, eyelashes, hair, and dead skin cells when other food is scarce. At nearly every home in Gainesville, this is not a problem.

How Roaches Cause Damage Without Biting

Although they do not bite, cockroaches still have a significant impact on your health. The first risk is the allergic reaction we mentioned earlier. The allergen roaches carry is one of the most common allergies. More than 10 percent of people with no other allergies experience a reaction to roaches, and more than ⅓ of people who have other allergies experience symptoms around cockroaches.

A reaction to cockroaches can show up on the skin as redness and swelling. You may also have hives or small bumps that itch. The look of this rash is similar to a reaction to a bite from other animals like mosquitoes or spiders, but in this case is most often caused without coming into contact with the insect directly.

In addition to this allergic reaction, other health problems associated with cockroaches include:

• Other Allergy Symptoms – Your allergic reaction to roaches can also include symptoms like runny nose, congestion, irritated throat, itchy eyes, and other cold-like signs. When these occur long term and at times of the year when colds are rare, roaches are often at fault.
• Food Poisoning – Roaches can spread bacteria like salmonellosis and E. coli which can cause debilitating bouts of food poisoning.
• Bacteria and Viruses – Other roach-borne illnesses include strep infections, staph infections, dysentery, typhoid, and cholera when you ingest any of the bacteria or viruses that cockroaches transmit.
• Respiratory Problems – Most common in people with asthma, debris from roaches can cause breathing problems or trigger asthma attacks.

These health risks only increase as the infestation grows. The more roaches and the longer they have been there, the more build up of shed skins, oils, droppings, bacteria, and other debris you will have around your property, increasing the frequency and amount you will come into contact with.

This makes it important to get rid of cockroaches fast when you notice the signs. Even if they are not biting, they are a serious health risk at your home or business. ExtermPRO is a roach control company in Gainesville, VA that has rapid and effective treatments for cockroaches. We can also go further with roach prevention, using bi-monthly or quarterly pest control to provide year round protection from roaches. Call us today to learn more about our available services.