How Roaches Influence Your Kids’ Behavior
Having cockroaches in the house is nothing pleasant. They’re disgusting, often reproduce at a breakneck pace and once you let the situation get out of control, your cockroach problem may turn into a full-blown catastrophe. This is why it’s important to take proper precautions and maintain the right level of cleanliness at all times, but it may prove to be very difficult sometimes. Especially when children come into play.
Even just one kid in the household can make it nearly impossible to keep the place clean and organized at all times. Children are messy, and it’s something that parents simply need to put up with until their babies are old enough to be held responsible for all the mess they’re causing.
If you find yourself with a cockroach-infested house, your life may flip upside down in a matter of days, depending on the species of roaches that have moved into your place, their life cycle, as well as the way you should tackle the issue and explain it to your kids. Regardless of the reason behind the infestation, your little ones may come under increased stress and pressure due to these unwanted visitors. You should also remember to contact the right authorities regarding cockroach extermination in Las Vegas, New York City, Seattle, or wherever you live. Don’t try and sort out the difficult cases by yourself, since you may make it worse!
This kind of anxiety can change their behavior and significantly impact the way they go about their day. Let this article be the starting point for your roach-related research, and how to look out for your kids while the right people handle the bugs.
The Health Hazards
You may consider cockroaches to be purely a cleanliness-related and aesthetic issue, but that is not the case. Roaches drop off liquids and saliva out of their bodies while they’re still alive, and even their decomposing bodies may release dangerous compounds that can affect children disproportionately.
The most prominent health hazard that a roach infestation can pose to your kid is caused by the allergen proteins contained within the excrements of the American cockroach. They can not only trigger allergies but also intensify more long-lasting issues, such as asthma severity. Scientific research concerning cockroaches is quite advanced and adamant about the air pollutants that may linger in your house as roaches run rampant around it.
If you’ve got two or more children, you may consider moving them out for the duration of the infestation and its eradication. It will be hard to keep control of them all, especially considering that the pollutants are invisible. If they’re really young, you should not linger on this decision, as roach-derived chemicals may not only increase the severity but also cause asthma in those who have not had it before!
Depending on the species of the intruder, roaches may also bite human beings. As you try and get the invasion under control, watch your kid’s body for any marks or changes that may indicate coming into contact with a cockroach. If you happen to find any, gather this information and take your child to a pediatrician.
The Psychological Strain
Once they’re aware of the cockroaches roaming around their house, your children’s behavior will most certainly change, not necessarily for the better. People have a difficult relationship with bugs, and dealing with roaches is tough enough for adults. Imagine how frightening it must be for a 5-year-old!
For your children’s sake, you should never show signs of roach-induced panic or fear in front of them. We fear that which we do not understand, which is why it would be a good idea for your entire family to familiarize yourself with information regarding different species of cockroaches, their life cycle, and how they utilize human houses to live and reproduce in.
Another, less prevalent, but still quite common issue with roaches and children is the natural curiosity of a child. Once they find a cockroach and kill it, they may feel tempted to play around with their body, break off a limb or two, and simply treat it as a novelty. While this thirst for knowledge and experimentation is admirable in children, it might be a good idea to stifle it a little bit during your infestation and explain to your kids why live bugs don’t make for the safest toys.
Bottom Line
A roach infestation in any household should be dealt with as quickly and swiftly as possible. If you have children, then the severity of the situation is increased. But the work doesn’t stop once the entire family of cockroaches is eradicated. In order to prevent something similar from happening in the future, you should instill roach-deterring practices in the minds of your family members. Things like keeping a clean and empty sink, thorough cleaning of all carpets, and careful examination of fillings every couple of weeks are all really effective when it comes to keeping cockroaches and other species of bugs from infiltrating your household.
