Never squish a cockroach! These are the health risks you’ll face if you do
Roaches love the summer
During the warm summer months, cockroaches make more appearances than normal and the chances of encountering one are much higher. But what should you do if you have a cockroach in your house?
Roaches love the summer
During the warm summer months, cockroaches make more appearances than normal and the chances of encountering one are much higher. But what should you do if you have a cockroach in your house?
Resist stepping on the invader
Well medical experts advise that if you find a cockroach in your house, there is one you should definitely not do –don’t squish it!
Medical warning
Scientists have started to make dire warnings about the detrimental health effects crushing these bugs has on human beings.
A WHO warning![]()
The World Health Organization (WHO) has warned that once crushed, the remains of the cockroach can release some potentially harmful bacteria into the environment.
Be careful while breathing!
These bacteria, which are more common cases than they may seem, can cause asthma attacks or allergies when inhaled.
Carrying diseases![]()
The WHO, among other organizations, has highlighted all the diseases the common cockroach can carry.
Salmonella and other bad things
Bacteria such as salmonella, streptococci, and staphylococci are just some that cockroaches can pass on to humans after being stepped on.
Right in the stomach![]()
These bacteria can also lodge in the intestine and lead to ailments such as diarrhea, cholera, typhoid fever, and dysentery, among others.
Only a flesh wound!
Sometimes when we squish a cockroach, we might think it’s no longer a problem. That’s not true. For starters, it might actually be alive!
What do you do with the body?![]()
What do you do with a cockroach after you squish it? Do you leave it there to clean it afterward or pick it away and throw it in the trash in a paper napkin?
Not quite dead…
Regardless of what you do, cockroaches are resilient little foes. They can pretend that they are no longer alive, wait for any danger to pass by, and crawl to their hiding place. Even if they are squashed!
The little heavylifter ![]()
Just because they are little, you shouldn’t underestimate these insects. According to expert entomologists, your average cockroach can lift up to 900 times its own weight!
Night of the living cockroach
So, don’t freak out if you see any cockroaches coming back from the dead! These aren’t zombie cockroaches (which are a real thing, look it up!)
Universal adaptor ![]()
Entomologist and pest control expert Ryan Smith told the Spanish newspaper ABC that cockroaches have “extreme adaptability” and a higher survival instinct than many living beings.
Six-legged escape artists
The flexibility of their bodies allows cockroaches to shift their energy on their legs, helping them escape dangerous situations.
Not our best option![]()
Overall, it seems that squishing a cockroach might be our first instinct, but it’s not our best option.
Lurking in your home
After all, a cockroach can survive several months without food and still shed bacteria while being seriously injured. Who knows how many of them lurk while you mind your own business in your kitchen?
Fumigation could be the answer![]()
