Do domestic cockroaches bite: photos of bites on the human body

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Greetings, dear readers. In today's article we will talk about the ability of cockroaches to bite people. The controversy surrounding this issue has not subsided as long as arthropods have lived next to humans. Some people believe that red-haired creatures do not bite; others are sure that at night they come out of their hiding places to profit from human skin. Who is right?

I will tell you whether cockroaches bite people, how, when and why they do it. You will learn what a cockroach bite looks like, what kind of trouble it can cause to a person, and also how to avoid these troubles if you do get bitten. At the same time, I’ll tell you how to protect yourself from arthropod cannibals if they do settle in your apartment.

Can pet cockroaches bite humans?

The behavior of cockroaches has its own specifics. The cockroach is capable of biting a person thanks to its powerful gnawing mouthparts. Fixation of the skin occurs between the powerful chitinous lips and horns of the insect's mandibles. A pair of upper jaws holds the skin, and the teeth pinch off the upper layers; when bitten, infection occurs with the contaminated oral apparatus and saliva of the pest. The basis of language with a specific structure is chitin. Well-developed organs allow cockroaches to absorb and digest any food, of any strength or coarseness. The insect can bite through cardboard paper, leather items, shoes, and denim items. Human skin is much more delicate than these things. It is not difficult for a cockroach to bite a sleeping person, especially considering that human skin has an odor that can attract the insect. They are active at night when the lights are off.

A red-pink crust with a diameter of up to 5 mm forms around the site of the cockroach bite. If characteristic signs of a bite are detected, you must immediately consult a doctor to prevent a possible inflammatory process. If a bite is detected, it is recommended to treat the wound with chlorhexidine or hydrogen peroxide.

Treatment of the affected area

If you have marks from an insect bite on your body, before deciding what to do about the bite, you need to find out which insect caused the skin damage. Bedbugs, as a rule, leave characteristic marks in the form of an itchy, intensely itchy stripe.

This effect from a bedbug bite is observed as a result of the influence of special substances in the saliva of bedbugs on the body cells. Prussians leave small open wounds in places where human skin is most delicate.

If you know for sure that a person has been bitten by a cockroach, and the wound does not heal within one day, you need to consult a dermatologist. The doctor will examine the bite site and prescribe treatment appropriate to the problem.

If there is a strong local reaction, allergy sufferers must take an antihistamine.

Sometimes you can’t get an appointment with a doctor. Then traditional medicine methods become relevant. Fresh plantain or raw potatoes, ground to a mushy state, will relieve inflammation. Tea compresses have a similar effect.

First aid after bites

Patients often delay visiting a medical facility for one reason or another. It is important to know what emergency measures need to be taken if a cockroach bite occurs.

First of all, the wound must be disinfected. Hydrogen peroxide, chlorhexidine solution, or another alcohol-containing product are ideal. And an antihistamine taken on time will relieve severe itching after an insect bite.

It is not recommended to apply brilliant green solution to the affected area. Otherwise, the development of purulent processes is likely.

Zelenka complicates further examination of the bite site in order to identify hyperemia and an inflammatory process.

Is it possible?

Cockroaches not only look menacing, they pose a threat to humans. Cases of attacks on humans by Prussians and other individual species of cockroaches are not uncommon. Prussians attack humans due to lack of food and drink. The shortage can be caused by active persecution, lack of direct access to water, an increase in the number of individuals living in the same premises, as well as violation of sanitary standards and regulations.

Currently reading: A unique domestic pest - the red cockroach

When biting a person, cockroaches do not want to harm him, but only want to save their life. They are driven by the instinct of self-preservation. If there is enough food and water, cockroaches will not bite people.

Cockroaches hunt exclusively at night. They can only bite a sleeping person. The pest is quite cautious and timid, and will not approach a person when he is awake.

Different types of cockroaches have their favorite places. Black cockroaches live in the kitchen, red ones can get into cracks and move from room to room.

Answers to popular questions

Longhorned beetles are insects whose appearance inside the house causes panic and fear. People often have a lot of questions about cockroaches and the dangers they pose. Below are the most popular questions from netizens regarding cockroach-like insects.

In what cases can a cockroach bite?

Longhorn beetles rarely bite. This is due to the fact that it is often not difficult for insects to provide themselves with food and water. In addition, cockroaches are able to survive without a food source for a month or more. But still, cases of bites are not isolated, so you should know why cockroaches can bite a person.

This only happens in the following cases:

• Acute food shortage. However, it is known that cockroaches are able to digest paper, leather goods, fabrics, and it is extremely rare to talk about this insect feeling hungry. However, during a long absence of a food source, Prussians can bite a person.
• Lack of water. But again, it is not difficult for a cockroach to quench its thirst. Condensation on the pipes, drops of water in the washbasin, wet soil in flowerpots, and this insect is the last person to go to as a source of moisture.
• A huge number of cockroaches inside the home. In such situations, the insect may go to other rooms in order to find food for itself, and the risk that the Prussian will crawl into bed with a sleeping person and bite him is great.

From the above it is clear that cockroaches prefer to avoid people. In modern houses, insects always have something to eat, and they don’t want to attack people at all.

What does a cockroach bite look like?

The consequences of contact between the jaws of a German and human skin depend on the type of insect.

• Black cockroaches leave serious damage. After contact with them, an allergic reaction is possible. The damaged area, as a rule, does not itch or bleed.
• The bite of red cockroaches leaves a small, uneven wound on a person, which after a while becomes covered with a crust. Sometimes in people prone to allergic reactions, the bite site becomes inflamed and red, but itching, as a rule, is not observed.
• Regarding the American relative of the Prussians, contact with this type of insect can provoke not only a small wound, but also a rash in the area of ​​skin damage, the appearance of blisters and ulcers. The bite site may be very painful.

How do cockroaches bite?

Insects eat almost everything thanks to their powerful oral apparatus: Prussians have strong sickle-shaped jaws with jagged teeth, with chitinous teeth located in them, with which cockroaches bite.

In the absence of normal food, paper, leather goods and other materials become suitable for consumption. Human skin is no exception. By acting on it with jowls with teeth. A cockroach pinches off pieces of human dermis.

If there is a shortage of food, it will not be difficult for the pest to gnaw human skin.

The place from the bite looks exactly gnawed, and not, for example, pierced.

How do cockroaches bite?

Fleas and bedbugs, after biting a person, leave a bloody spot around which the skin is inflamed.

Cockroaches do not bite, but gnaw human skin and leave behind wounds with slightly torn edges. The affected area of ​​skin looks like a scar after a boil or pimple. Cockroaches are capable of biting through human skin in several places at the same time. Insect tissues, harmful dust particles and pathogens present on the pest's mouthparts, when entering the wound during a bite, can cause infection and an allergic reaction. During and after the bite, the person feels discomfort and a slight tingling sensation.

When examined under a microscope, a deep, crusted bite can be seen. There are bruises and fragments of dried lymph inside the wound. Cockroach bites are painful; itching after the bite indicates infection of the wound.

Regeneration after a cockroach bite is a rather lengthy process, since the upper layer of the epidermis is affected. To quickly restore the integrity of the skin, it is necessary to treat the wound with an antiseptic solution.

How to protect yourself from cockroach attacks

What to do to prevent cockroaches from biting? There is only one effective advice on how to protect yourself from cockroach bites - get rid of them completely. This can be done independently, or you can also involve employees of specialized enterprises, for example. The employees of this company work with professional insecticidal preparations that are highly effective and safe for people and pets.

Typically, professional cockroach removal is carried out using two methods:

• cold fog;
• hot fog.

In the first case, substances containing insecticides are sprayed using special equipment. When treating with hot fog, the procedure for killing insects is almost the same, only in this case the preparation is heated to high temperatures.

The smallest droplets of professional product penetrate into the most inaccessible places - into cracks, gaps, holes. Such treatment not only destroys adult individuals, but also affects all egg-laying insects.

Important point: After treating rooms using the cold or hot fog method, an invisible protective film is created on the surface of walls, floors, and furniture. It serves as a preventive barrier to the emergence of new insects. They will not come for a long time to the place where sanitary treatment and destruction of insects was carried out.

But how to protect yourself from cockroach bites if there is no way to poison them in a timely manner? For example, did you find yourself in a hotel where insects live, in a holiday home, or simply in your apartment the measures taken did not give the desired effect? We recommend that you contact the professionals in our company, here you can find out prices for exterminating cockroaches.

In these cases, the following recommendations should be followed:

1. Do not allow food, crumbs, or fat to get into the sleeping area. Simply put, you shouldn't eat in bed.
2. Keep your bed linen clean and change it regularly.
3. Take a shower before bed. Cockroaches usually crawl based on smells, and the aromas of an unwashed body are very attractive to them.
4. Use a spray, cream or gel that repels insects for protection.
5. If possible, treat the floor near the bed with an insecticidal pencil. It is enough to draw lines around the sleeping area, and then the cockroaches will be afraid to climb onto the bed.
6. You can leave the light on in the bedroom - cockroaches love to attack people when it is dark.

Cleanliness in the house, absence of garbage, sealing of all cracks, proper sewage system, ventilation protected by a fine mesh - all this helps to fight harmful insects.

Myths about cockroaches

The most ancient insects, cockroaches, which are described in literature and folk epics, have given rise to many different legends.

For example, there is a very common misconception that cockroaches are highly resistant to radiation and can carry radioactive contamination. Is it really?

If your pet cockroaches go to a nuclear power plant at night and are exposed to radiation, then yes, they can transmit radiation to humans. But where can domestic cockroaches get a dose in a city or at a summer cottage if there is no ionizing radiation nearby? And especially those insects that do not leave your house? So this myth is shattered.

Another popular misconception is that a cockroach bite can cause anaphylactic shock.

But the whole point is that the cockroach, unlike bees, wasps, scorpions and other stinging insects, does not inject a special liquid into the human body. Therefore, there is no risk of anaphylactic shock after a Prussian bite.

But cockroach bites can cause a serious allergic disorder, especially in people who are susceptible to allergies. And they are quite capable of triggering an asthma attack.

Prevention and protection measures against harmful insects

As you can see, a cockroach in the house is not only dirt, discomfort, inconvenience and aesthetic unattractiveness. These insects can cause significant harm to a person, seriously affect his health and leave microscopic scars on the body.

That is why it is very important, as soon as uninvited red Prussians appear in the room, to immediately try to get rid of them.

Modern industry offers a large number of products that help destroy cockroaches quickly and effectively. These are various gels, aerosols, sprays, traps, repellers. Do not neglect traditional methods, which are very effective. But it is still better to use the services of a professional pest control company to exterminate cockroaches. This guarantees:

• one hundred percent effect;
• safety for people and pets;
• accuracy during the procedure - furniture and furnishings in the apartment will not be damaged;
• persistent preventive effect.

In any house there should be one owner - a person. And let the cockroaches live somewhere else, but not in the apartment.

What does a cockroach bite look like in the photo?

The bite of a cockroach is significantly different from the bite of other insects. Visualization allows you to see the absence of part of the epidermis, as well as the depth of the wound, which is covered with a hard crust with a diameter of up to 5 mm. In people with sensitive skin, the crust can reach large sizes. Sometimes it can be indistinguishable from allergies.

Can whiskered pests cause allergies?

Cockroaches are dangerous in terms of causing an allergic reaction in people. During their life, parasites leave chitinous shells (after molting) and hardened feces everywhere. This mixes with dust and when it gets into the lungs or onto the epidermis, it causes the development of a number of diseases:

• asthma;
• dermatitis;
• allergic rhinitis;
• conjunctivitis.

When faced systematically with an allergen in the home, a person develops a chronic allergy - the symptoms do not go away. Children are especially susceptible to this. Signs of an allergic reaction: sneezing, watery eyes, soreness and congestion in the nasopharynx, pain in the eyes.

Prolonged rhinitis threatens to develop into polyps in the nose, which leads to serious breathing problems. Asthma not only causes general malaise, but also significantly disrupts the usual way of life.

Black cockroaches constantly emit an unpleasant stench. If the accumulation is small, this is not so noticeable, but if the infection is severe, the stale smell lingers in the apartment constantly. No amount of ventilation can eliminate it. There is only one way to get rid of it - to completely poison the parasites and remove the remains that have accumulated in secluded places in the living space.

Reasons for attacking a person

The reasons why cockroaches attack people are starvation, lack of access to water and an increase in the pest population. Cockroaches can live no longer than 2 days without water. Not receiving the moisture it needs through water, juice, fruits or vegetables, the insect strives for human skin. He looks for the food and water he needs, extracting them from the corners of a person’s mouth or eyes, as well as other parts of the body.

The cause of a cockroach attack on a person can also be a food shortage caused by a large number of insects in a given room, when not everyone has enough food and water.

What types of cockroaches are dangerous?

In Russia, only a few species of synanthropic cockroaches have become permanent inhabitants of houses:

Red or Prussian

The most common representative of synanthropic insects. Adults are small (9-13 mm), oval in shape, yellowish-brown in color. The pronotum is convex, the wings are developed. Thanks to their long limbs, insects are extremely mobile. The legs have a suction cup for moving along walls and ceilings. During the life cycle, the female lays 50-400 eggs. The larvae are dark brown, hardy, and able to penetrate the smallest crevices.

Insects infect food and home surfaces with infectious diseases, viruses, and helminth eggs. Feeling thirsty and hungry, they attack sleeping people and crawl into the ear canal.

Black

Widespread synanthropic species. Adults are large in size, males 20-25 mm, females 18-30 mm. The body color is black, the legs are reddish-brown. Short limbs cause insects to be slow. The wings are short and practically absent in females. Pests are omnivorous, contaminate food with feces, and carry pathogens on their paws. They are capable of fasting for a long period of time (up to 60 days), but without access to water they attack humans. A characteristic feature of the species is cannibalism.

American

Adults have an oblong, flattened body of a red-brown color. In terms of prevalence, they are inferior to Prussians, but are larger in size - males 28-44 mm, females 25-35 mm. The wings are developed, insects jump and fly well. Life expectancy is high - 1.5-3 years.

Egyptian

In the southern regions - Crimea and Transcaucasia - the Egyptian cockroach is found. Insects have a flat oval body and a shield-shaped pronotum. Females are wingless, almost black, and resemble turtles. Body size 40-45 mm. Males are smaller (20-25 mm), brown, and have wings. During reproduction, 12-18 eggs are laid in a special capsule. The distribution is uneven and depends on comfortable conditions. The species is thermophilic, prefers temperatures of 25-30°. Pests are mechanical carriers of diseases; when they nibble on the epidermis, they cause erosion and dermatitis.

What to do with bites, first aid

The secretion of cockroaches contains a special protein, which, when bitten, enters the human body and can cause a severe allergic reaction. Allergies can manifest themselves in different ways, depending on the strength of a person’s immunity to the protein. In the first days, allergies may look like hives, but then lead to asthmatic attacks.

Currently reading: Why cockroaches are called stasiks - versions and facts

An insect bite can also cause:

1. Numerous inflammatory foci at the site of skin damage. Crusts form on the surface of the inflammation, and as a result, scars. A bite can trigger the development of dermatitis, accompanied by redness and irritation. Such consequences are caused by the bites of red cockroaches that live at home and bite a person in his sleep.
2. The development of serious diseases such as dysentery, tuberculosis. Red cockroaches are carriers of bacteria of these pathologies.
3. The occurrence of erosion, papules, blisters. Such consequences appear after the bite of American and Egyptian cockroaches. The bites of these pests are painful; purulent crusts often form after the bite. If the victim has a weakened immune system, the bite sites take a long time to heal, turning into ulcers.

A cockroach bite requires quick and immediate treatment. The treatment is carried out by a dermatologist.

If cockroach bites are detected, first aid must be provided immediately. It is necessary to treat the wound with an antiseptic to prevent infection. To soften the skin and relieve irritation, it is recommended to apply an ointment or moisturizer.

If the victim is prone to allergies, he should be given any antihistamine.

What diseases do cockroaches carry?

Doctors have long established that cockroaches are carriers of diseases that pose a serious danger to human health and life. The diseases carried by cockroaches are varied; the appearance of cockroaches in children's institutions is especially dangerous.

What infections do cockroaches carry?

• tuberculosis;
• pneumonia;
• hepatitis A;
• toxoplasmosis;
• intestinal infections (dysentery, salmonellosis and others);
• fungal diseases;
• enterobiasis;
• amoebiasis;
• ascariasis.

As carriers of diseases, cockroaches cause mass poisoning in families and institutions where food is served (kindergartens, schools, dispensaries, hospitals).

Doctors have united diseases caused by cockroaches under the general name - blattopterosis. The main method of preventing blattopterosis is timely and correct control of cockroaches. Modern insecticides make it possible to effectively combat the invasion of Prussians, forever ridding the premises of pests.

You also need to take precautions: close the vents with grates, seal cracks near water and sewer pipes, and remove leftover food from the table at night. This will help prevent cockroaches from entering from neighbors and further breeding of insects in the house.

Also read: What cockroaches cannot tolerate in an apartment?

We recommend another useful article: ointments and creams for bedbug bites

Favorite bite spots

Cockroaches can bite any part of the body, but they especially often bite the hands and face. Since the pest’s task is to find water and leftover food, those parts of the body that come into contact with food fall into the risk zone.

More often than other areas, cockroaches bite the area of ​​the fingers, around the nail, the corners of the mouth, the area of ​​the cheeks and lower jaw, and lips.

Wounds on the lips take quite a long time to heal; constant contact with food irritates the wound and creates conditions that inhibit the regeneration process. Food debris often contributes to the development of infectious processes in the tissues of the lips.

Cockroaches often target infants due to the abundance of formula or breast milk in the baby's mouth area. The child reacts to unpleasant sensations by crying loudly. A cockroach bite is especially dangerous for newborns, since their immune system is not fully developed and the likelihood of developing an allergic reaction is high. To prevent cockroach attacks on children, it is necessary to carry out hygiene procedures in a timely manner.

General harm from Prussians

When settling next to a person, cockroaches cause damage to property, eating everything that comes to hand.

Why are cockroaches harmful if they are found in a house or apartment?

• They spoil the appearance of things - if surfaces and household items become a place of mass accumulation of cockroaches, black dots appear on them. This is Prussian excrement, which is difficult to remove with a regular damp cloth.
• They spoil food - Prussians nibble on food, leaving barely noticeable bite marks and clearly visible excrement on it. If a cockroach has been on a plate of food, it can no longer be eaten: the insect could have acquired an infection on its legs, having previously been in a garbage chute or sewer.
• They leave an unpleasant odor - in rooms where many cockroaches live, a specific odor appears that is not easy to get rid of.
• They clog equipment - insects crawl inside electrical appliances and cause them to break. A cockroach that gets into an outlet can cause a short circuit.

Also read: What are these white cockroaches in the apartment?

Cockroaches are omnivores, so they can chew electrical wiring, books and other objects that are inedible from a human point of view.

The harm of cockroaches lies not only in the damage to things and food; the Prussians pose a serious threat to health.

How to treat?

If a cockroach bite is detected, it is necessary to treat the wound with chlorhexidine, hydrogen peroxide (3%) or medical alcohol.

When the inflammatory process is fixed, cockroach bites should be treated with the use of anti-inflammatory drugs, in particular Fenistil, Akriderm, Levomekol. If allergies occur, antihistamines must be used.

It is not allowed to cauterize the wound with iodine or brilliant green; this will make it difficult to visualize the damaged area of ​​skin, and suppuration may develop under the resulting crust.

What else are harmful to cockroaches?

Whiskered insects actively spoil food. Scientists have found that the pest consumes up to 10 kg of dry food residues per year. At first glance, this is not much. Just besides this, how much food they render unusable. So, having noticed an unpleasant insect in a plate of salad, no one will continue to eat, since it is not clear where the cockroach wandered before. Consequently, the dish is spoiled and goes to waste. A similar situation occurs with other foods.

If the Prussians are permanent residents, then it is unknown what they have already managed to run through. This means that all food that is not cleared from the tables must be thrown away. Often left uncovered: fruits, sweets, bread and rolls. If at least one got into the refrigerator, then there is a high probability that he marked most of the food supplies.

Cockroaches are omnivorous creatures, so their food is not only crumbs and leftovers from the common table. In extreme situations, they do not mind profiting from insulation, glue and book binding. They are endowed with a gnawing mouthpart, so they can handle hard objects. Such tricks damage electrical appliances, leading to short circuits and even fires.

What is the danger from a bite?

The danger of bites lies in the possible penetration of a serious infection. An inflammatory process often develops under the dried crust. The presence of an inflammatory focus is indicated by hyperemic skin around the wound, as well as the presence of swelling.

The lack of adequate treatment leads to the development of a purulent-inflammatory course. The victim's temperature rises; when feeling the wound, the patient feels pain, as well as constant pulsation.

Currently reading: Photo of an American cockroach in an apartment: how to remove it, how it bites, can it fly?

Cockroaches are carriers of various parasitic, fungal and intestinal infections. The latter can develop as a result of eating foods with the excrement of the pest.

Rarely, but there is a possibility of a dangerous disease – myiasis. The disease consists of the penetration of a cockroach larva into the thickness of the skin and its further development. Myiasis is treated surgically by desiccation of the larva with healthy tissue structures and applying an antiseptic bandage.

Often a bite wound becomes infected as a result of scratching or the presence of pathogenic organisms on the cockroach's legs. Cockroach saliva contains toxic components that can cause a severe allergic reaction.

Can a cockroach crawl into your ear?

The news that cockroaches end up in people's ears will be perplexing for some, and a skeptical smile for others. But for those who experienced first-hand what a cockroach in the ear is, believe me, it was no laughing matter.

The online version of the British publication The Guardian published the story of a man named Hendrik Helmer, who one night felt signs of a cockroach in his ear, and as a result experienced a real nightmare. He tells:

“I woke up at 2 a.m. and realized I couldn’t hear in one ear. In my sleep I was still not thinking clearly, but I realized that there was something inside. It was difficult to understand what it was, my finger didn’t go deep enough to feel, but I felt that my ear seemed to be swollen from the inside. It later turned out that it was a two-centimeter cockroach, which apparently fell on my head from the ceiling.

As I later learned, if a cockroach got into the ear (and the signs indicated that it was large), then it could no longer move in the opposite direction. The cockroach's legs were caught between his body and the ear canal, and his only option was to move forward, so he clawed and burrowed deeper, gnawing his mouth into my eardrum. The pain felt as if someone had stuck a knitting needle into my ear and was pressing on it.”

Then this man described how he tried to get a cockroach out of his ear on his own: he shook his head so that it fell out, sucked it out with a vacuum cleaner, placing the nozzle directly to his ear, poured water into his ear, but to no avail, the pain only intensified. He's writing:

“I writhed in pain until I eventually fell into a fetal position and my muscles started to spasm. My head was bursting from tension, I clenched my teeth with all my might so as not to cry.”

Then he woke up his friend, and he took him to the hospital - the doctor was surprised to find a cockroach in his ear. She poured olive oil into the ear to deprive the insect of oxygen, and after 15 minutes the cockroach stopped moving. The man recalls:

“The pain I felt up to this point was nothing compared to the pain I felt as the cockroach struggled in its death throes. Then the doctor slowly pulled it out with long tweezers, and I finally felt relief."

Agree, it is unlikely that anyone is prepared in advance for such a situation and knows what to do if a cockroach gets into the ear. Meanwhile, despite its apparent exoticism, this problem is not so rare, and some ENT doctors have already accumulated extensive experience in how to get a cockroach out of the ear. Here, for example, is a short video of one such case:

Cockroach in the ear - video

“Cockroaches look everywhere for food, and earwax may be attractive to them.”

Coby Schal, entomologist at the University of North Carolina

Another publication described a similar story that happened in Florida (USA) with a woman named Katie. Also in the middle of the night, she woke up from discomfort in her ear, went to the bathroom, carefully inserted a cotton swab into her ear, and felt that someone was moving inside there. In addition to this horror, when she pulled out a cotton swab, she saw stick-shaped pieces that looked like insect legs...

At first, Katie's husband tried to remove the insect with tweezers, but only pulled out a couple more legs; the cockroach had already climbed deep inside. They went to the hospital, and the doctor removed fragments of the cockroach's body from Katie's ear. But after a week and a half, Katie still wasn't getting better and felt like her ear was numb.

During the next hospital visit, the therapist examined the ear with an otoscope and discovered another cockroach leg. The doctor removed six more insect fragments, but fearing there was more to come, he referred Katie to an ENT specialist, who finally removed a huge marzipan cockroach (Eurycotis floridana) from her ear.

The marzipan or Florida wood cockroach lives in the USA (Florida), and looks like a black cockroach, only with a reddish tint. The adult size reaches 3-4 cm

But if this is a nightmare for an adult, then imagine what a shock it will be if a cockroach ends up in a child’s ear. To avoid getting confused in such a situation, take note of the recommendations below.

What to do if a cockroach gets into a child's ear

From the cases described above, it is clear that when a cockroach is in the ear, this is indicated by clear symptoms: the sensation of a foreign living organism, difficulty hearing and acute pain in the ear. Even if the child is not able to explain, parents can understand from his behavior what is bothering him.

So, if you realize a cockroach has crawled into your child's ear, consider these tips from the University of Rochester Medical Center:

• Calm your child first
• Do not poke the insect in your child's ear with a Q-tip or anything else. You can damage the middle ear and eardrum, and in addition, push the cockroach deeper inside.
• Tilt your baby's head to the side and gently . Don't hit your child on the head.
• If after this the insect does not fall out, pour a small amount of baby oil into the ear canal. This will usually kill the cockroach.
• If you think the cockroach has died but remains inside, gently rinse the ear canal with warm water using a syringe. The cockroach should swim out.
• Do not pour water into the ear canal unless the object in the ear is an insect.

Contact your doctor immediately in the following situations:

• The child has a history of ear infections
• Are you afraid of pouring oil or water into your child's ear?
• Only parts of the insect's body were recovered
• If your child shows signs of infection: odor and/or discharge from the ear, fever

Myths about cockroach bites

There are widespread opinions about cockroaches that are often untrue.

First myth

Many believe that since cockroaches are not harmed by the radiation they accumulate within themselves, their bites can cause mutations.

The truth is that these whiskered pests can withstand 15 times the amount of radiation allowed for humans. But accumulation and mutation as a result of a bite are a fantasy.

Second myth

It is believed that cockroaches love to eat earwax, nails and human hair.

In fact, cockroaches are omnivores and can bite a sleeping person anywhere. They can crawl into a person's ears, creating a serious danger to health and life.

The third myth

It is often said that a cockroach bite can cause anaphylactic shock.

The appearance of such a pathological condition is possible in rare cases. Most often, a person who has been bitten by a cockroach experiences an allergic reaction, which manifests itself in the form of itching, watery eyes and shortness of breath.

In what cases can a cockroach bite?

Because cockroaches can bite people, hostility towards them increases. The reasons for attacks by domestic insects are:

• There are crumbs or organic residues on the bedding.
• Pests can also bite if sleeping people get in the way of food. At night, they absorb dry epidermis.
• At night, the biting arthropod pest goes in search of water. If access to all sources of moisture is blocked, then insects climb into the nose or approach the lips. After all, cockroaches examine a person in order to find droplets of saliva or sweat.
• Insects also attack in cases where their population is excessively large. In this case, there is a lack of food and water. Therefore, they replenish their reserves using the human epidermis and saliva. And the symptoms of an attack are easy to spot.

Preventive measures to combat cockroaches

The destruction of cockroaches is the main condition for preventing their bites. A radical way to solve the problem is disinfection, which can be organized either independently or with the involvement of special organizations.

To prevent pest bites, you must:

• Keep the bed clean and avoid getting crumbs and grease on the sheets;
• Take a shower before going to bed and do not eat after water procedures;
• Spray with insect repellent spray or use creams with a similar effect;
• Treat the walls and floor near the bed with a special insecticidal pencil.

It is also important to monitor the cleanliness of the premises and the serviceability of the sewage system. It is necessary to seal all the cracks in the floor, walls and ceiling, install fine mesh grilles for ventilation, and regularly take out the garbage. Food should be kept closed and dishes should be washed immediately after eating.

Cockroaches are synatropic parasites. To prevent their occurrence and further troubles, it is important to monitor household sanitary and hygienic conditions. If signs of the presence of pests are detected, the premises should be promptly treated with special means.

Prevention of bites

Cockroaches are not just unpleasant neighbors, but also carriers of infections that can bite humans. We must try to prevent insects from appearing indoors.

For this it is enough:

• keep the house clean;
• store food in containers with walls inaccessible to damage by insects;
• eliminate stagnation of water in flowerpots;
• if necessary, treat the barbel penetration routes with special means.

If prevention does not help, cockroaches appear inside the house, it is better to contact a specialized company engaged in pest control of premises. Exterminators, using professional insect control products, will clear the house of uninvited guests quickly and effectively.

You can try to get rid of cockroaches yourself, using traditional methods of fighting barbels. The most popular is a solution based on boric acid, honey and sugar. Poisons sold in stores are effective - gels, aerosols (Raptor), special crayons, powders, smoke bombs.

Are they capable of attacking and biting?

Cockroaches are not endowed with predatory instincts, so humans are not of interest to them as prey. There is no direct harm from them. This is compared to bedbugs or mosquitoes, which feed on human blood.

But from time to time they are not averse to biting, which causes trouble:

• There have been cases where, in the absence of a water and food source, cockroaches ate the skin of the fingers and in the area of ​​the nasolabial fold on a sleeping person. There are documented facts that sailors were forced to sleep with gloves to escape cockroach infestations at night. Insects also tend to eat the remaining crumbs on the lips and discharge in the eyes.
• Being dependent on water, without it cockroaches are able to absorb human saliva from the lips and gnaw the epithelium. Children are especially at risk in this regard. If pathogenic bacteria are present on the paws of such a visitor, then infection occurs.
• Domestic red Prussians can climb into the ear flap in an attempt to hide from danger. Having squeezed through the ear canal, they cannot get back out. As a result, moving and moving the mustache can injure the walls of the hearing aid and harm the ear membrane. It is problematic to remove them from there on your own, which forces you to seek medical help. At the medical facility, the unwanted resident is carefully removed with a special tool. It follows that cockroaches do not bite regularly and deliberately. They do this only in emergency situations, since food and water are always available in the apartments. Another reason for the attack is that the population has grown to incredible sizes and there is no longer enough food for everyone.

Arthropod bites have dangerous consequences. With their jaws, insects gnaw through soft tissue, leaving deep wounds on the eyelids, neck, cheeks, and ears. The marks take a long and painful time to heal due to infection. A secondary infection may occur, which penetrates through the saliva of the Prussians. There is a substance in saliva that causes side effects - the affected areas become red, itchy and painful.

Dermatitis on the skin develops from the following types of cockroaches: red, black, American. All of them are frequent guests in human homes. American and Egyptian arthropods, biting off particles of epithelium, contribute to the development of erosions and papulovesicles (rashes), accompanied by an unbearable burning sensation. Later they become covered with purulent discharge.