Getting Rid of Cockroaches the
Least Toxic Way
Nobody likes a
cockroach ... except another cockroach, and another and another. That's the
trouble: our houses and apartments have everything cockroaches need to survive
and multiply quickly. Cockroaches are so good at breeding that if one pregnant
female gets into your home, she could be the cause of 100,000 new cockroaches
within a year under ideal conditions!
Anybody, no
matter how neat and clean they keep their home, can have cockroaches. The reason
is simple. It' s very easy for our homes to meet the basic needs of cockroaches
for food, water, warmth and dark hiding places to live and breed in.
You should not
feel ashamed about getting cockroaches in your home. They can arrive in a
grocery bag or a case of beverages you just brought home from the store. Or they
may enter your apartment from the one next door to you, since apartment
buildings have lots of "highways" for cockroaches to travel on. For
example, they may crawl along heating ducts or water pipes. And they can fit
into tiny cracks and gaps in floors, walls and doorways.
You can get
cockroaches so easily ... but getting rid of them can seem so hard. This booklet
is about controlling cockroaches in ways ( that are the least toxic and most
effective in the long term.
"OK guys - the coast is clear!"
Protecting Your Health
Health Concerns about Cockroaches
Cockroaches may
be able to transmit disease to people. But it's not known for sure whether they
actually do. For example, cockroaches can carry disease-causing bacteria that
are the same ones which cause food poisoning. Cockroaches have these bacteria
because they eat almost anything they find, such as food that has gone bad. They
can also leave bacteria behind as they crawl around your kitchen or bathroom.
If you are
allergic to house dust you may also be allergic to cockroaches. Bits and pieces
of cockroach bodies, as well as their feces (which look like specks of black
pepper) can become part of the dust in your home. Allergic reactions to
cockroaches happen more often to people who have asthma. Children's health
especially can be affected as asthma is more common in them than adults.
If you or other
family members have allergy symptoms 'such as stuffy nose, sneezing, headaches,
watery eyes and shortness of breath ' and your home also has cockroaches, you
may be allergic to cockroaches. About one in 1 0 people is allergic to
cockroaches, and about 50 per cent of people with asthma are allergic to
cockroaches.
"I just don't understand why your allergies
won' t go away.."
Health Concerns About Pesticides
Pesticides are
chemicals used to kill cockroaches and other insects. Some pesticides can be
harmful to your health and to the environment, particularly if not used as
directed on the label.
One way to try
to get rid of cockroaches is to hire a licensed exterminator to spray your house
or apartment with a pesticide. However, cockroaches can build up a resistance to
a particular chemical over time. More frequent application may be needed to do
the job, or a different, more toxic pesticide may be needed to do the job.
Even if one
pesticide continues to kill the insects, you may still have a problem. Unless
you get rid of the things that cockroaches need to survive, they will keep
coming back and you will need to spray again and again.
Using pesticide
sprays indoors can be a health risk. The chemicals can remain inside your home
for a long time, especially if the windows are closed. Because we spend a lot of
time indoors it's easy to come in contact with these pesticides.
"I don't get it. I spray every week and they
keep coming back!"
When pesticides
are used outside, they break down more easily because sunlj.ght and bacteria in
the soil help to turn them into less harmful substances. If pesticide spray
drifts over play areas, young children can be exposed to the chemical because
they put their hands and their toys into their mouths so often. Children also
tend to be more sensitive than adults to the effects of toxic chemicals.
Pesticides are
intended to kill pests. They are poisonous and can be harmful to other living
things. The immediate health effects on people who are accidentally over-exposed
to pesticides may include:
