Do domestic cockroaches bite: photos of bites on the human body

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Greetings, dear readers. In today's article we will talk about the ability of cockroaches to bite people. The controversy surrounding this issue has not subsided as long as arthropods have lived next to humans. Some people believe that red-haired creatures do not bite; others are sure that at night they come out of their hiding places to profit from human skin. Who is right?

I will tell you whether cockroaches bite people, how, when and why they do it. You will learn what a cockroach bite looks like, what kind of trouble it can cause to a person, and also how to avoid these troubles if you do get bitten. At the same time, I’ll tell you how to protect yourself from arthropod cannibals if they do settle in your apartment.

Can pet cockroaches bite humans?

The behavior of cockroaches has its own specifics. The cockroach is capable of biting a person thanks to its powerful gnawing mouthparts. Fixation of the skin occurs between the powerful chitinous lips and horns of the insect's mandibles. A pair of upper jaws holds the skin, and the teeth pinch off the upper layers; when bitten, infection occurs with the contaminated oral apparatus and saliva of the pest. The basis of language with a specific structure is chitin. Well-developed organs allow cockroaches to absorb and digest any food, of any strength or coarseness. The insect can bite through cardboard paper, leather items, shoes, and denim items. Human skin is much more delicate than these things. It is not difficult for a cockroach to bite a sleeping person, especially considering that human skin has an odor that can attract the insect. They are active at night when the lights are off.

A red-pink crust with a diameter of up to 5 mm forms around the site of the cockroach bite. If characteristic signs of a bite are detected, you must immediately consult a doctor to prevent a possible inflammatory process. If a bite is detected, it is recommended to treat the wound with chlorhexidine or hydrogen peroxide.

The danger of cockroach bites

Human skin is a rather dense natural material, but the powerful jaws of the Prussian dog can seriously damage it. It has been proven that the bite force of a cockroach is more than 4 times stronger than that of a human.

It is easy to recognize traces of exposure to the skin of a barbel. Unlike blood-sucking insects, which leave behind only a puncture, or bedbugs, whose distinctive feature of contact with a person is a stripe of bites, the Prussian leaves behind a characteristic wound.

By morning, the damaged area, as a rule, has time to become covered with a crust, and around there is hyperemia of the skin, less often a blister, or swelling. Reactions are especially strong after the bite of “exotic”, American and Egyptian species.

The consequences of contact of the pest's mouthparts and saliva with human skin are not limited to small wounds, but are papular, purulent rashes accompanied by severe pain.

Local reactions of the body are not the only danger of contact with insects. A special protein, tropomyosin, found in barbel saliva can provoke a severe allergic reaction in people prone to allergies. So, after being bitten by a Germanic dog, many patients experienced hives, irritation, and sometimes suffocation.

Cockroaches are notorious for carrying various infections. When barbel saliva comes into contact with human blood, there is a risk of contracting serious infectious diseases, including dysentery and tuberculosis.

It is known that the presence of Prussians in the homes of some people can provoke asthma attacks.

Is it possible?

Cockroaches not only look menacing, they pose a threat to humans. Cases of attacks on humans by Prussians and other individual species of cockroaches are not uncommon. Prussians attack humans due to lack of food and drink. The shortage can be caused by active persecution, lack of direct access to water, an increase in the number of individuals living in the same premises, as well as violation of sanitary standards and regulations.

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When biting a person, cockroaches do not want to harm him, but only want to save their life. They are driven by the instinct of self-preservation. If there is enough food and water, cockroaches will not bite people.

Cockroaches hunt exclusively at night. They can only bite a sleeping person. The pest is quite cautious and timid, and will not approach a person when he is awake.

Different types of cockroaches have their favorite places. Black cockroaches live in the kitchen, red ones can get into cracks and move from room to room.

What species bite

Many people are interested in whether cockroaches that appear in the house can bite a person and whether the ability of insects to be aggressive depends on the type of pest. Scientists say there is no direct relationship.

Any representative of the cockroach order can bite, especially if there is no access to food:

• The most common and often found in people's homes, Prussians bite if they are hungry or thirsty. Domestic cockroaches are more likely to bite at night, when humans pose the least danger. Longhorned beetles don’t just bite, they eat the skin around the mouth and eyes. Thus, cockroaches look for moisture remaining in food crumbs or accumulated in the lacrimal glands.
• Black representatives of longhorned beetles are dangerous during times of food and water shortage. In search of food, they, like their red relatives, can bite a person.
• The American cockroach, smaller in size compared to the Prussians, is also capable of harming humans. The consequences of a bite from an American longhorned beetle are worse than the consequences of damage to the skin by a red or black cockroach.
• Harmless-looking Egyptian pests also bite. Egyptian bites often cause severe allergic reactions.

How do cockroaches bite?

Fleas and bedbugs, after biting a person, leave a bloody spot around which the skin is inflamed.

Cockroaches do not bite, but gnaw human skin and leave behind wounds with slightly torn edges. The affected area of ​​skin looks like a scar after a boil or pimple. Cockroaches are capable of biting through human skin in several places at the same time. Insect tissues, harmful dust particles and pathogens present on the pest's mouthparts, when entering the wound during a bite, can cause infection and an allergic reaction. During and after the bite, the person feels discomfort and a slight tingling sensation.

When examined under a microscope, a deep, crusted bite can be seen. There are bruises and fragments of dried lymph inside the wound. Cockroach bites are painful; itching after the bite indicates infection of the wound.

Regeneration after a cockroach bite is a rather lengthy process, since the upper layer of the epidermis is affected. To quickly restore the integrity of the skin, it is necessary to treat the wound with an antiseptic solution.

What to do if you are bitten by cockroaches? How to treat bites?

Don't be afraid, cockroaches are not poisonous, but they are carriers of diseases, so the first thing I would do is treat the bite site.

• Clean the wound The simplest and easiest way to clean a wound is to take a clean cotton swab, dip it in alcohol, and press it onto the wound. You can also use: Tea tree oil, almond oil, apricot oil (dilute the oil according to the instructions), witch hazel
• It is necessary to stop the itching and inflammation of the wound. Once the wound is clean, you can use anti-itching and inflammation medications. Do not scratch the bite area, because... Scratching can damage the skin and cause infection. There are several ways to relieve swelling and reduce itching. You can apply ice to the bite site, or for example a piece of cold meat, a bottle of cold water, etc. Cold will reduce swelling, numbness, and itching. Apply diluted lavender oil to the bite area. Lavender will soothe inflammation and itching and will also help keep the wound clean. You can apply baking soda to the bite area to stop the itching. Mix baking soda with a little water to make a paste. Apply the paste to the bite. You can apply an aloe vera flower leaf to the bite site.
• Observe the bite site for signs of infection, such as

1. enlarged lymph nodes
2. suppuration around or at the site of the bite
3. pain, redness, inflammation in the bite area

If you see any signs of infection, contact your doctor. Typically, cockroach bites go away on their own within a few days without any special treatment. If the bite persists for more than 4 days, consult a doctor.

What does a cockroach bite look like in the photo?

The bite of a cockroach is significantly different from the bite of other insects. Visualization allows you to see the absence of part of the epidermis, as well as the depth of the wound, which is covered with a hard crust with a diameter of up to 5 mm. In people with sensitive skin, the crust can reach large sizes. Sometimes it can be indistinguishable from allergies.

The site of the bite, what it looks like

Parents may confuse a cockroach bite with a manifestation of food dermatitis, especially if the phenomenon in the wound has acquired an allergic component.

Any bite is characterized by the presence of a puncture site in the center of inflammatory edema, no matter how extensive it may be. The puncture looks like a tiny red dot formed by a drop of dried blood pouring out.

A cockroach bite in a photo or on a person’s body looks almost like the bites of other insects. Swelling inevitably occurs, which tends to extend beyond the site of skin damage and spread to nearby soft tissue.

After a few hours, a delicate red-pink crust appears around the bite site with a diameter of up to 5 mm. In people with sensitive skin, the crust can reach large sizes. It can be indistinguishable against the background of allergic edema. For foci of contact dermatitis, neither a puncture point nor a tender inflammatory crust are characteristic.

If you touch the bite site, it will appear dense. In addition to redness, the unpleasant phenomenon of hyperemia is often present. Which means filling the site of injury with blood, followed by an increase in the temperature of the tissues in this area. Cockroaches are capable of biting through human skin in several places at the same time. Then you can actually see characteristic spots close to each other.

Insect tissues, harmful dust particles and bacteria present on the oral apparatus and entering the wound are contact allergens and infectious agents. Therefore, a violent inflammatory-allergic reaction to the bite of this pest is possible.

Insect bites are most likely to be found in the corners of the mouth and near the lips, on the eyelids, lips, nose, earlobes, in the corners of the eyes, on the arms, neck, inner thighs, and in the nail area.

During and after a bite, a person rarely feels discomfort. Because he often sleeps soundly during this period. If he is awake, he will feel a slight tingling sensation. Weak, because the jaws, chitinous tongue and lips of cockroaches are designed in such a way that their small size is not capable of causing severe discomfort. Later, a burning and itching sensation will be felt at the site of the bite.

Cockroaches often bite when they are in buildings where it is difficult to carry out normal pest control. No, don’t think that these are necessarily basements in which homeless people or migrant workers live.

Insect bites also occur in hospitals, prisons, nursing homes, and hostels . Cockroaches are capable of biting their victims if they have moved into an apartment where there has been no food for a long time and the water has been cut off. They are preoccupied with finding sources of food and liquid, even while on ships or other isolated structures.

Reasons for attacking a person

The reasons why cockroaches attack people are starvation, lack of access to water and an increase in the pest population. Cockroaches can live no longer than 2 days without water. Not receiving the moisture it needs through water, juice, fruits or vegetables, the insect strives for human skin. He looks for the food and water he needs, extracting them from the corners of a person’s mouth or eyes, as well as other parts of the body.

The cause of a cockroach attack on a person can also be a food shortage caused by a large number of insects in a given room, when not everyone has enough food and water.

In what cases does a cockroach bite?

If you are still not sure whether cockroaches bite people, then it is worth noting the reasons for the possible attack. Such attacks are quite rare for an individual to move from the kitchen to the bedroom onto the bed and bite.

Prussians are nimble, timid creatures, so in rare cases they purposefully appear on sight. This happens when the insect is hungry or thirsty.

Can a Pruss bite if a person is not sleeping? This is impossible due to the fearfulness of the pest; it does not show itself to people during the day.

Does the Prussian bite or not?

1. When there is a shortage of food in the house, Prussians climb into a person’s bed when he is sleeping and gnaw the skin - fingertips, ears. These places are the softest, most tender, and can be easily bitten by insects.
2. Pests can live without food, but not without liquid. The lack of water in its usual location forces insects to look for it in other places. As an alternative - the mucous membranes of the nose and lips, which are bitten by the pest while a person sleeps.

If you are bitten by a cockroach, can its bite be dangerous? This is worth looking into.

when do cockroaches start biting

What to do with bites, first aid

The secretion of cockroaches contains a special protein, which, when bitten, enters the human body and can cause a severe allergic reaction. Allergies can manifest themselves in different ways, depending on the strength of a person’s immunity to the protein. In the first days, allergies may look like hives, but then lead to asthmatic attacks.

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An insect bite can also cause:

1. Numerous inflammatory foci at the site of skin damage. Crusts form on the surface of the inflammation, and as a result, scars. A bite can trigger the development of dermatitis, accompanied by redness and irritation. Such consequences are caused by the bites of red cockroaches that live at home and bite a person in his sleep.
2. The development of serious diseases such as dysentery, tuberculosis. Red cockroaches are carriers of bacteria of these pathologies.
3. The occurrence of erosion, papules, blisters. Such consequences appear after the bite of American and Egyptian cockroaches. The bites of these pests are painful; purulent crusts often form after the bite. If the victim has a weakened immune system, the bite sites take a long time to heal, turning into ulcers.

A cockroach bite requires quick and immediate treatment. The treatment is carried out by a dermatologist.

If cockroach bites are detected, first aid must be provided immediately. It is necessary to treat the wound with an antiseptic to prevent infection. To soften the skin and relieve irritation, it is recommended to apply an ointment or moisturizer.

If the victim is prone to allergies, he should be given any antihistamine.

Why are cockroach bites dangerous?

It has been proven that exotic and indoor cockroaches contain tropomyosin in their saliva, a special protein that provokes allergic reactions. That is why even the smallest and seemingly harmless bite can cause individual reactions in the body, including hives and severe asthma attacks. In addition, cockroach bites on the human body very often become inflamed, covered with scars or long-healing crusts. There is a high probability of introducing various bacteria found on the insect’s legs into an open wound.

Very often, residents of tropical countries suffer from attacks by American and Egyptian cockroaches. In most cases, their bites are accompanied by skin erosions and blisters. Severe pain, discomfort and purulent crusts become faithful companions of the victim for several days. But if the immune system was initially weakened, then the situation worsens several times: skin inflammations become chronic, poorly healing ulcers.

In what cases can a cockroach bite?

• If there are crumbs in the bed, this is an additional source of food.
• An insufficient amount of food forces entire families of parasites to go in search of a new source of food.
• Active reproduction of cockroaches, which leads to increased competition for water and food. Adult individuals still go in search of new sources of food and sooner or later on their way they meet a person whose skin meets all the necessary requirements.

• The previously mentioned water deficiency, causing insects to become saturated with human saliva and tear fluid.

Favorite bite spots

Cockroaches can bite any part of the body, but they especially often bite the hands and face. Since the pest’s task is to find water and leftover food, those parts of the body that come into contact with food fall into the risk zone.

More often than other areas, cockroaches bite the area of ​​the fingers, around the nail, the corners of the mouth, the area of ​​the cheeks and lower jaw, and lips.

Wounds on the lips take quite a long time to heal; constant contact with food irritates the wound and creates conditions that inhibit the regeneration process. Food debris often contributes to the development of infectious processes in the tissues of the lips.

Cockroaches often target infants due to the abundance of formula or breast milk in the baby's mouth area. The child reacts to unpleasant sensations by crying loudly. A cockroach bite is especially dangerous for newborns, since their immune system is not fully developed and the likelihood of developing an allergic reaction is high. To prevent cockroach attacks on children, it is necessary to carry out hygiene procedures in a timely manner.

Will a person feel a cockroach bite?

There is good news: a person does not experience severe pain during a bite. Most often, the victim does not feel or experience anything at all, especially if a cockroach bites a sleeping person (by the way, this is exactly what they prefer to do - they act at night).

If a person is awake, he may feel a slight tingling sensation when bitten or slight discomfort, but depending on your luck.

In general, the chitinous tongue, lips and jaws of Prussians are very small compared to the size of a person, and therefore at the moment of the bite the victim feels almost nothing.

But is something felt after the cockroach has bitten?

Most victims begin to experience certain feelings only in the morning: an unpleasant burning sensation, itching or discomfort is felt at the site of damage to the epidermis.

How to treat?

If a cockroach bite is detected, it is necessary to treat the wound with chlorhexidine, hydrogen peroxide (3%) or medical alcohol.

When the inflammatory process is fixed, cockroach bites should be treated with the use of anti-inflammatory drugs, in particular Fenistil, Akriderm, Levomekol. If allergies occur, antihistamines must be used.

It is not allowed to cauterize the wound with iodine or brilliant green; this will make it difficult to visualize the damaged area of ​​skin, and suppuration may develop under the resulting crust.

First aid after a cockroach bite

Does the insect bite people, how to help with a bite? The Prussian secretion contains a special protein; when bitten, it enters the body, causing a serious allergy. The reaction manifests itself differently, based on the immune system's resistance to the protein. For the first 24 hours, urticaria may appear, then asthmatic attacks occur.

When faced with cockroach bites on your body, or when insects have bitten a family member, what should you do? A cockroach bite needs to be treated quickly and immediately. When suspicious erosions or skin lesions are detected, regardless of whether a cockroach or another parasite is biting, a visit to a dermatologist is required.

The bitten wound is treated with an antiseptic. The following are used as disinfectants:

• hydrogen peroxide,
• chlorhexidine,
• compounds containing alcohol.

Treat the wound with clean hands. If suppuration begins, treatment is carried out by a doctor.

You cannot cauterize the bite with brilliant green, since the dye causes a hidden purulent process to develop. The presence of brilliant green makes it difficult to examine lesions for hyperemia and pathology.

If swelling and itching are present, take an antihistamine. Eliminate irritation and use Fenistil as a calming aid.

To determine whether cockroaches are biting people or other household pests, you need to have an idea of ​​what a bite looks like.

What is the danger from a bite?

The danger of bites lies in the possible penetration of a serious infection. An inflammatory process often develops under the dried crust. The presence of an inflammatory focus is indicated by hyperemic skin around the wound, as well as the presence of swelling.

The lack of adequate treatment leads to the development of a purulent-inflammatory course. The victim's temperature rises; when feeling the wound, the patient feels pain, as well as constant pulsation.

Currently reading: Photo of an American cockroach in an apartment: how to remove it, how it bites, can it fly?

Cockroaches are carriers of various parasitic, fungal and intestinal infections. The latter can develop as a result of eating foods with the excrement of the pest.

Rarely, but there is a possibility of a dangerous disease – myiasis. The disease consists of the penetration of a cockroach larva into the thickness of the skin and its further development. Myiasis is treated surgically by desiccation of the larva with healthy tissue structures and applying an antiseptic bandage.

Often a bite wound becomes infected as a result of scratching or the presence of pathogenic organisms on the cockroach's legs. Cockroach saliva contains toxic components that can cause a severe allergic reaction.

Why do cockroaches bite people?

If you still don’t know for sure whether a Prussian dog can bite a person, I’ll tell you – it still can. But why do they do this? Fortunately, this happens quite rarely, and there must be several good reasons for an insect to leave the kitchen and decide to crawl into your bed. Prussians are nimble and timid creatures; they rarely purposefully approach humans. Only hunger or thirst can force them to do this.

• In conditions of insufficient food in the apartment, cockroaches, in search of food, crawl into the bed of a sleeping person and gnaw off the skin on the tips of the fingers and on the ears. It is in these places that the skin is soft and tender and easily susceptible to cockroach jaws.
• Prussians can live without food, but not without water. The lack of liquid in usual places forces arthropods to look for it in other locations. An alternative source of moisture can be the mucous membranes of the lips and nose, which insects bite while a person sleeps.

It sounds quite creepy and implausible, because a cockroach is a small and seemingly weak creature. In fact, cockroach mandibles can tear off a piece from almost any material - after all, it is not without reason that during a shortage of normal food they can feed on wallpaper glue, shoe leather, binding or pages of books. Special bacteria that live in the digestive system of Prussians have given them the ability to digest even inedible inorganic compounds, let alone soft human skin.

If necessary, arthropods can profit from the skin of an adult, but they prefer the delicate and soft skin of babies. If you are still not particularly worried about the presence of insects in your apartment and cannot find a single compelling argument in favor of pest control, think about this: regular bites in the same places turn into non-healing wounds, and this is a kind of portal for all kinds of infections, which is abundant on the paws of the Prussians.

How to recognize a cockroach bite?

There are many thousands of insect species living on our planet, and many of them are potentially dangerous to humans precisely because they can bite. Cockroaches also belong to the group of cannibal arthropods (of course, this is a comic designation), however, few people know about this. I will tell you what a cockroach bite looks like so that you can draw the right conclusions and take the necessary measures.

• Most often, bites are located on the neck, eyelids, skin of the fingers, around the nose and lips. If a child is bitten, the mark can be anywhere – all parts of a child’s body are equally tender.
• The bitten skin turns red, thickens, begins to itch and peel.
• A crimson spot several centimeters in diameter forms around the bite, and it may be somewhat hard to the touch or slightly warmer than other areas of the skin.
• In the center of this spot there is a crust - it forms during the healing process of the wound.
• When you press on the bite site, the victim experiences pain.
• Bites are localized in one area - they are extremely rarely distributed, most often the skin is bitten several times in one place.

Why are cockroach bites dangerous?

As you probably know, the Prussians do not get into our apartments by air. They come from basements, climb out of ventilation shafts and sewer risers. It’s scary to imagine what this creature ate and touched before settling in your kitchen. Cockroaches are carriers of many bacteria and infections, including:

• helminthiasis;
• salmonellosis;
• dysentery;
• enterovirus;
• tuberculosis;
• gastroenteritis.

I have listed only a small percentage of all the surprises that the Prussians can give you. It’s one thing if they live behind the baseboard and feed on leftover food in the trash can, and quite another thing if they have a proliferated colony that crawls over your food, dishes, cutlery, toothbrush and yourself. By biting the skin, the insect somehow shares with the person everything that it brought on its legs. The consequences of this can be very different - from slight itching to a severe allergic reaction and non-healing erosion.

So, cockroach bites are dangerous for the following reasons:

• The bite site becomes red, swollen and inflamed. A person experiences discomfort, itching and even pain, scratching the wound, which injures the skin and opens the door to new infections.
• A cockroach moves in the dirtiest places, so it can easily infect its victim with typhus or helminths.
• A bite can provoke a severe allergic reaction, especially in a child.
• An insect can crawl into the ear or nose of a sleeping person, and the consequences of this can be the most unpredictable - up to complete loss of hearing.

Can a cockroach really crawl into a sleeping person's ear?

Surely you know about the Prussians’ passion for dark and secluded places, so why are our ears worse? It is not clear exactly why arthropods crawl into the ear canals, the most likely versions sound like this:

• Prussians love to eat earwax;
• trying to find cover and hide;
• they are freezing and looking for a warm, secluded place.

For whatever reason, a cockroach crawls into the ear canal, it will not be able to get out on its own - it is too cramped inside for the insect to turn around, and they do not know how to back away. When a living creature is in the ear and moves, a person experiences severe pain. A panicking cockroach bites and begins to try to get out of the dangerous place, and since it cannot move back, it tries to crawl even deeper. As a result, the delicate eardrum may be damaged, even to the point of complete rupture and hearing loss.

Removing an insect from your ear on your own is difficult and dangerous - you can cause even more harm to yourself. The best solution would be to contact a specialist - this could be an ENT doctor in a clinic or even a traumatologist on duty. The doctor will take out the insect and prescribe antibacterial therapy to prevent the development of inflammation. It is necessary to follow the instructions regardless of whether you feel alarming symptoms or not.

Myths about cockroach bites

There are widespread opinions about cockroaches that are often untrue.

First myth

Many believe that since cockroaches are not harmed by the radiation they accumulate within themselves, their bites can cause mutations.

The truth is that these whiskered pests can withstand 15 times the amount of radiation allowed for humans. But accumulation and mutation as a result of a bite are a fantasy.

Second myth

It is believed that cockroaches love to eat earwax, nails and human hair.

In fact, cockroaches are omnivores and can bite a sleeping person anywhere. They can crawl into a person's ears, creating a serious danger to health and life.

The third myth

It is often said that a cockroach bite can cause anaphylactic shock.

The appearance of such a pathological condition is possible in rare cases. Most often, a person who has been bitten by a cockroach experiences an allergic reaction, which manifests itself in the form of itching, watery eyes and shortness of breath.

Do cockroaches carry diseases?

Cockroaches can spread dangerous diseases. The World Health Organization states that cockroaches are carriers of several intestinal diseases such as dysentery, diarrhea, cholera and typhoid.

It is important to remember that cockroaches are omnivores; they feed on food when they crawl through sewers, drains, and garbage. They eat feces. Cockroaches crawl after “traveling” through your food, and this is where infection is possible. The same is true during a bite. Cockroaches can carry helminth eggs and can infect you. For people with allergies, cockroaches can cause swelling in the eyelid, dermatitis, itching and asthma.

Preventive measures to combat cockroaches

The destruction of cockroaches is the main condition for preventing their bites. A radical way to solve the problem is disinfection, which can be organized either independently or with the involvement of special organizations.

To prevent pest bites, you must:

• Keep the bed clean and avoid getting crumbs and grease on the sheets;
• Take a shower before going to bed and do not eat after water procedures;
• Spray with insect repellent spray or use creams with a similar effect;
• Treat the walls and floor near the bed with a special insecticidal pencil.

It is also important to monitor the cleanliness of the premises and the serviceability of the sewage system. It is necessary to seal all the cracks in the floor, walls and ceiling, install fine mesh grilles for ventilation, and regularly take out the garbage. Food should be kept closed and dishes should be washed immediately after eating.

Cockroaches are synatropic parasites. To prevent their occurrence and further troubles, it is important to monitor household sanitary and hygienic conditions. If signs of the presence of pests are detected, the premises should be promptly treated with special means.

General harm from Prussians

When settling next to a person, cockroaches cause damage to property, eating everything that comes to hand.

Why are cockroaches harmful if they are found in a house or apartment?

• They spoil the appearance of things - if surfaces and household items become a place of mass accumulation of cockroaches, black dots appear on them. This is Prussian excrement, which is difficult to remove with a regular damp cloth.
• They spoil food - Prussians nibble on food, leaving barely noticeable bite marks and clearly visible excrement on it. If a cockroach has been on a plate of food, it can no longer be eaten: the insect could have acquired an infection on its legs, having previously been in a garbage chute or sewer.
• They leave an unpleasant odor - in rooms where many cockroaches live, a specific odor appears that is not easy to get rid of.
• They clog equipment - insects crawl inside electrical appliances and cause them to break. A cockroach that gets into an outlet can cause a short circuit.

Also read: What cockroaches cannot tolerate in an apartment?

Cockroaches are omnivores, so they can chew electrical wiring, books and other objects that are inedible from a human point of view.

The harm of cockroaches lies not only in the damage to things and food; the Prussians pose a serious threat to health.

Reviews

Dear readers, you can leave your feedback on whether domestic cockroaches bite in the comments; your opinion will be useful to other users of the site!

Olya

I didn’t know that cockroaches could attack people. When a neighbor's child had such a problem, I was very scared. Now I constantly monitor the house, I think that there is a risk of parasites entering our apartment from the neighboring one.

Vladimir

When I served in the navy, an incident happened to me. A cockroach bit my ear. It was very painful, the wound was treated with antiseptics and a bandage was applied. Thanks to strong immunity, the wound healed quickly. But after this, I can frankly say, I am terribly afraid of cockroaches.

Health hazards of insects

Several types of cockroaches pose a danger to people: red, American, black. Most often, the red cockroach settles in homes: the insect reaches a length of 1.6 cm, its body is colored brown in different shades.

The danger of cockroaches is that they cause severe allergic reactions. Allergies are caused by chitin particles that remain on furniture and things after insects molt. A strong allergen is Prussian excrement; Mixing with dust, they circulate in the air and enter the human respiratory tract.

Symptoms of an allergy to cockroaches and their waste products:

• runny nose;
• constant swelling of the nasal mucosa;
• lacrimation;
• redness of the eyes;
• cough;
• skin rashes;
• itching in the eyes, all over the body.

Also read: The most effective traps for cockroaches

Cockroach allergens are especially dangerous for children, as they can cause bronchial asthma.

A person in whose apartment cockroaches live is exposed to another danger: small insects can crawl into the nose or ear canals. This happens exclusively at night during sleep, so the person cannot resist. Subsequently, the cockroach gets stuck in a narrow hole, at the moment when it moves its legs and antennae, the person experiences pain. Only a doctor can help here.

Not only cockroaches are carriers of diseases, lice are no less dangerous pests. Read about what diseases lice can transmit

Cockroaches move freely between rooms, their movement speed reaches several kilometers per hour. Red cockroaches run at a speed of about one meter per second, so in one day they can be in the sewer and on the kitchen table. This becomes the main danger, since insects are capable of spreading various diseases.

Search for nesting sites

To rid your home of these unpleasant insects, you must first of all find all their nesting places.

The most effective and easiest way to detect Prussians is with bait. Place some food on a plate, place it in the kitchen and turn off the lights. A little later, when you turn on the light, you will see insects crawling in different directions.

You can find the location of cockroaches along the paths of dark brown dots - these are excrement left by barbels. Dried skins (chitinous coverings), which can be seen on or near food, under the sink, on dishes or wallpaper, will also help you find out where Prussians may nest. If the population of cockroaches is large, you may notice the appearance of a specific smell in the apartment.

Having discovered longhorned beetles in your home, you need to start removing them as soon as possible, because they are very prolific and their numbers are growing every day.