Many people suffer from allergies but few realize that roaches and roach infestations can be detrimental to allergy sufferers.
Most people don’t realize their allergies are triggered by pests such as roaches this is according to The American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology.
Roaches are decomposers and thus will be anywhere there is decomposing matter from garbage cans to sewer systems filled with human waste and all types of decomposing matter.
As they travel through they pick up as many as 50 different types bacteria, viruses and protozoa that they carry on their bodies to the tune of up to 14 million, not only that but as they eat the decomposing matter they will also carry these contagious pathogens in them and transmit through fecal dropping and excretions that can have up to 7 million bacteria in them many of which can be allergens.
Allergens transmitted by roach vomit, waste and carcasses can trigger allergic reactions from runny noses, sneezing, itchy eyes, sinus infections to skin rashes and asthma.
These symptoms are more frequent in warmer climates where temperatures are above 78 degrees where roaches and easily populate. This is most frequent among people living in cities and multi-unit apartments, the poor and elderly. It is estimated that up 60% of people who suffer from asthma that live in cities also suffer from allergies.
<h4>Things to avoid when faced with a roach infestation.</h4>
Do not use any over the counter sprays, foggers, dusts, or tablets this can make matters worse by repealing them into walls and making control much more difficult latter. These pesticides applied incorrectly or to the entire unit can make your allergies much worse and can trigger an asthma attack.
Things you should do with any roach infestation
Report it immediately to the property manager or owner, advise them that you are having allergic reactions to the roaches and not to use a spray service to use an IPM service.
If your landlord is unfamiliar with allergies and IPM the The National Center For Healthy Housing as great information you can share.
http://www.nchh.org/Program/HealthyHomesTrainingCenter/TrainingCourses/IPM.aspx
Keep all food in tightly sealed plastic storage containers to avoid contamination.
Vacuum and clean weekly preferentially with a HEPA vacuum to remove roach caucuses and feces.
These symptoms can be exasperated by pesticides, and traditional pest control services which are proven to do very little in controlling cockroach infestations. Doing nothing more than killing a few ignoring the infestations looming inside walls, furniture, cracks and crevices.
The best approach is an integrated pest management protocol designed to target the roach infestation and eliminate it from the structure, however this can seem expensive to some building owners and property managers and thus settle for the cheep monthly sprays.
If you are suffering from allergies due to a roach infestation and would like to control this in a way that reduces your risk to pesticide exposure and gets rid of your problem give us a call we’d be glad to help.
