How Dangerous Is It To Have Cockroaches In My Chicago House?

Cockroach crawling inside a white coffee mug.
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It is human nature to avoid dangerous situations, which is why we cross the road when we see a bee buzzing around and buckle our seatbelts when driving. Every one of us is built with an innate desire not to get hurt. The only problem is that we don’t always know when we are in danger. One good example of this is with cockroaches. Many homeowners in our area have these invasive pests crawling around inside their living areas and have no idea just how dangerous they are. To help you better understand what risk cockroaches might be posing around your Chicago home, here are a few things to consider.

Common Cockroaches Around Chicago

Chicago is home to five species of cockroaches. Of these five, only three regularly invade homes: German roaches, American roaches, and Oriental roaches. Here are some basic built-in traits these pests use to get inside and survive for long periods.

Advanced Agility

Cockroaches are fast. Some can move as fast as three miles per hour. Even scarier than this, roaches have the unique ability to crawl from horizontal to vertical surfaces without breaking pace.

Hard Exterior Shell

All cockroaches have hard exterior shells and can compact their bodies to fit through the smallest of spaces. Because of this shell, it takes on average 900 times the body weight of a roach in pressure to cause it any harm.

Resistance To Various Dangers

You may have heard this, but roaches are incredibly resistant, not just to radiation but to a wide range of substances that are harmful to other creatures. These pests use their many resistances to survive indoors when attacked by various pest control measures.

The Dangers Of Cockroaches

Cockroaches are not just formidable pests; they are also dangerous. When around homes, these filth loving creatures pick up and carry a range of disease-causing organisms such as bacteria, pathogens, and parasites, which they spread onto surfaces like kitchen tables, countertops, and sinks. They are also distributed onto food and into food containers.

Some diseases people contract from these dangerous pests include:

  • Salmonellosis
  • Dysentery
  • Leprosy
  • Campylobacteriosis
  • Cholera
  • Gastroenteritis
  • Typhoid fever

If spreading harmful organisms weren't enough, roaches also spread asthma-causing agents around homes. This pest’s fecal matter and shed skin particulates are two examples of things that might cause you or a loved one breathing problems.

Prevention Tips That Work For Cockroaches

In order to keep roaches out of your Chicago home, the first thing you should do is put in place some general pest prevention. Here are ten great exclusion tips our team recommends:

  1. Make sure your garbage cans have tight-fitting lids.
  2. Regularly trim your lawn and landscaping.
  3. Eliminate sources of water buildup in and around your home.
  4. Fix leaky pipes and fixtures.
  5. Clean out your gutters and make sure they are properly channeling water away from your home.
  6. Keep your home clean and tidy.
  7. Store non-refrigerated foods inside airtight containers.
  8. Wash out your pet’s food and water bowls after every meal.
  9. Use a caulking gun to fill in holes, gaps, and openings in the exterior of your home.
  10. Repair other damage to your home’s exterior, including damage to window and door screens, weatherstripping, and door sweeps.

Why It Is Best To Call A Professional

If you want to guarantee cockroaches stay out of your home, your best choice is to get a professional involved. At Aerex Pest Control, we offer advanced treatments to effectively eliminate and keep pests like cockroaches out of area homes.

Give our team a call today to discuss your general pest control options and find an effective solution for the roaches around your Chicago home. Learn more about our home pest control and commercial pest control services.

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