This lowly insect is high on the list of troublesome allergens, especially among city dwellers with asthma. According to one study, some 40 percent of children with asthma in New York City are allergic to cockroaches. In some urban areas, cockroaches and the allergies they cause are as common as dust mites; they also thrive in warm, humid climates. It's not exactly clear how cockroaches produce aeroallergens, the technical name for airborne allergens. Current research suggests that the allergens could be in roach feces, body parts or their secretions. Getting rid of roaches can be quite a challenge, especially if you live in a warmer climate, where they thrive. You could hire a professional exterminator or do some aggressive do-it-yourself campaigning. But if you live in an apartment building, eliminating roaches is impossible unless you can persuade your neighbors to cooperate with similar measures.
Otherwise, the roaches will just move next door or across the hall until the effects of the pesticides you spray wear off. Here are some suggested strategies: Sorry, but it's not your company roaches want: it's your food. By cutting off their food source -- your food and garbage -- you could send them on their way for permanent take-out. How? - Clean your kitchen and wash dirty dishes and utensils immediately after meals. Clean up any crumbs, spills or puddles of water or other liquids.
- Store all food in sealed containers.
- Don't leave pet food out overnight. Once your pet has eaten, cover and store all food.
- Keep garbage cans well sealed.
- Move recyclables like grocery bags, cardboard boxes, newspapers and empty bottles outside your home; roaches like to use them for hiding spots. And scrub grease from stove tops, ovens, counters and walls.
- Once you treat your home with pesticides for roaches, you also need to clean floors thoroughly to remove dead roaches and their debris.
The best treatment comes in a can: a commercially available chemical pesticide such as chlorpyritos (sold as Dursban), diazinon or one of the pesticide "bombs" designed to rid bigger areas of roaches. Kitchen cabinets and drawers should be treated every few months, or according to instructions on the can or as indicated by your doctor. But be sure to first remove dishes and eating utensils. Also try to spray behind appliances like stoves, dishwashers and washing machines, and in areas that are particularly moist, such as bathrooms and basements. Sprinkling boric acid powder in infestation areas is another effective treatment, and doesn't cause the odor of commercial pesticides. Sprinkle the powder under stoves and refrigerators, behind kitchen counters and other places where roaches hide. Note: Do not use boric acid where pets or children can come in contact with it. A roach trap containing hydramethylnon can keep roaches at bay for up to three months. These traps, available where pesticides and pest-control devices are sold, should also be used where roaches hide. Besides pesticides, a little do-it-yourself work may be your Rx for cockroach allergies. Repair cracks and holes in walls, floors and window and door screens to prevent roaches from entering your home. Apply caulk around pipes in walls and floors, especially those leading outdoors, and repair leaky faucets, because cockroaches are attracted to moist areas. Last Updated: 9/26/2002
The Johns Hopkins University 1996-2003. All rights reserved. This information is not intended to provide advice on personal medical matters, nor is it intended to be a substitute for consultation. |
