The Truth about Cockroaches and Asthma

We’ve talked in the past about how resilient cockroaches are, but did you know that 1 in 5 children have severe sensitivity to cockroaches. This is why people in Hartford Connecticut and Springfield Massachusetts know it is critical to take precautions and protect their home and family from cockroach pests!

How Serious are Cockroaches and Asthma?

Even if you don’t have asthma, exposure to cockroach allergens can trigger asthma-like symptoms. You only need a genetic predisposition to asthma to be at risk. “Studies have shown that early exposure to high levels of allergen may lead to the development of asthma in individuals with a genetic predisposition to asthma.” This is why it’s crucial to be vigilant and protect children from cockroach allergen exposure. Patients with asthma reported 11 million visits to a doctor’s office and 1.7 million visits to hospital outpatient departments.

Cockroaches are most active when temperatures are in the 70s. Here in the northeast, your home is typically warmer inside than the weather outside, so your basement, kitchen, and bathrooms will have the perfect conditions for a cockroach even if it’s still only 50 degrees outside. Melting snow and saturated soil around your home help provide the dampness cockroaches crave.

How Can You Minimize the Effects of Cockroaches and Asthma?

Besides the obvious of calling in a professional to treat your home, what are some things you can do right now to prevent cockroaches from taking up residence in your home? Regularly give your home a thorough cleaning and pay particular attention to kitchen and bathroom areas. Wipe down counters and vacuum floors frequently. Keep dirty dishes from piling up in the sink by cleaning them as your dirty them. Store all open food (grains, oats, etc.) in sturdy containers with tight-fitting lids.

Avoid leaving pet food out in the open since pet food is one of the lesser-known cockroach attractors. Store trash in a bin with a lid and take it out often, especially when you throw away food. Reduce moisture in the home by repairing any leaks and sealing gaps around utility pipes. Consider using a dehumidifier in areas prone to dampness, such as basements.

What Are the Different Types of Cockroaches?

Living in Western Massachusetts and Northern Connecticut, there three main types of cockroaches you can run into. Here’s how to tell them apart:

• Oriental Cockroach: These cockroaches can grow to an inch long and are typically shiny dark brown. They can tolerate cooler temperatures and prefer dark, damp places and can be found outdoors in sewers, under leaf cover, and under mulch. Indoors, you’ll find them in damp basements, bathrooms, and areas under sinks.
• German Cockroach: A smaller species and by far the most common cockroach in New England, the German cockroach measures between ½ and ⅔ of an inch. They can be tan, brown, or black in color, and have wings but are unable to fly. During the colder months, they are only found in places inhabited by humans, such as restaurants, food plants, hotels, hospitals, and homes!
• American Cockroach: The largest of the house-infesting roaches, American cockroaches are typically reddish-brown and can grow as large as two inches! They prefer warmer, moist areas and do not tolerate cold very well. They tend to live in basements, sewers and may move into your yard during the spring and summer.

Cockroaches and asthma are a serious matter—protect your family and your home. Call us at 413-566-8222 or contact us with any questions or if you are experiencing a pest problem. We have the knowledge and the services to correct your infestation. Ask Graduate about our preventative annual plans to keep your home pest-free year-round!