Food that has cockroaches, can you still eat it?

Cockroaches are one of the most annoying pests because they spread dirt and damage household items. These thumb-sized insects will eat anything, then throw their waste everywhere including your food. Therefore, food that has been infected by cockroaches should not be consumed again.

So, what are the dangers that can arise from eating food that has cockroaches? Then, are there any efforts that can be done to prevent cockroach contamination of food? Here's a brief review.

The dangers of eating food that cockroaches have

Their small size allows cockroaches to move freely between gardens, latrines, and sewers from house to house. These brown insects also like to inhabit crevices in walls, under sinks, kitchen cabinets, backs of refrigerators, piles of books and paper, and furniture that is rarely moved.

While roaming around, cockroaches will eat human waste along with the various bacteria contained in it. Some of these include salmonella, streptococci and staphylococci. The food that cockroaches have eaten is an ideal breeding environment for these bacteria.

Cockroaches do not directly cause health problems due to contaminated food. However, these cold-blooded insects can contribute to spreading diseases such as dysentery, diarrhea, cholera, typhoid fever (typhoid), leprosy, and even spreading the polio virus. Cockroach eggs also contain parasitic worms that can trigger allergic reactions such as itching, swelling of the eyelids, and respiratory problems.

Tips so that there are no food that cockroaches have

A female cockroach can lay 10-40 eggs at a time. On average, cockroaches can lay eggs up to 30 times in their lifetime. In addition, cockroaches can live up to more than 12 months. Well , imagine how many cockroaches are there in your house if you never do prevention and eradication efforts.

The Pest Control Program published on the Better Health page provides a number of tips so that cockroaches don't infest the food in your home. The following include:

• Routinely clean all parts of the house, at least once a week.
• Routinely throw out all the contents of the trash.
• Ensure the position of outdoor trash cans is far from the house.
• Clean the back and bottom of stoves, refrigerators, and similar appliances.
• Clean all areas of the kitchen and food preparation areas with greater care.
• Clean food spills or crumbs thoroughly.
• Make sure there is no dripping water because cockroaches need water to survive.
• Do not leave leftovers in the open.
• Storing food in a closed place so that cockroaches do not catch food.
• Repair any holes, cracks, or crevices in the wall.
• Do not stack cardboard, newspapers, paper, or books at home.

You can also set up traps to trap roaming cockroaches. There are several ways that can be done. First, you apply a sticky substance to a container. Place the food pieces as bait in the container. Cockroaches will be lured into the bait, then trapped on top of the sticky container.

The second way, you can apply a slippery material such as petroleum jelly on top of the bowl. Place the bait in the form of pieces of food as in the first method so that the cockroaches are hooked. The slippery surface of the bowl will keep the cockroaches trapped and unable to escape.

The various tips above can help you protect your food from cockroach attacks. However, if these methods don't work effectively, you can also use insect repellent. Remember to always use insecticide according to the provisions so as not to endanger yourself or your family members.