Cockroach control methods, which are known as anti cafard to the French, are an extremely necessary part of modern life, especially in urban areas. Humans and cockroaches have a long history between them, with humans expressing revulsion and contempt for these vermin. There are good reasons for the typical human revulsion felt toward these insects. They carry disease and can easily foul stores of food and make them unsafe for human consumption.
About the Roach
Cockroaches are one of the oldest species of insect, or any other creature, on the planet. They have been around, in substantially the same form, for many millions of years. People have often joked that these bugs will be around for a lot longer than humans, just as they existed before humans occupied the planet. One belief about roaches which may be true is that they could survive a nuclear war which would eradicate the human population. Scientists have actually exposed roaches to high levels of radiation and found that they survived in sufficient quantities and preserved the ability to procreate.
The cockroach is a large insect, compared to most others. The average roach of the species which most commonly interact with humans is about half an inch long. They are very flat and broad-bodied however. They have no stinger and do not usually inflict bites. The danger they carry is in the germs and bacteria which their bodies and their feces can pass on to humans.
History of Cockroach and Human Relations
Humans have suffered cohabitation with cockroaches for thousands of years. Once people began to settle in villages, sanitation and pests became everyday problems. The species of roach which molest humans nowadays have practically lost their wild counterparts since they have spent thousands of years taking advantage of human habitations and the opportunities that they provide.
They are attracted to human settlements because of the easy access to stored food and the concentrations of waste found there. Unfortunately for people, this is not a happy symbiotic relationship. Besides being physically repellent to people on sight, these insects also spread disease and are responsible for a variety of human illnesses.
Why Roach Control Is Important
Methods of roach control, or anti cafard as the French call it, have been in use for thousands of years. The ancients used varieties of smoke or incense to drive the bugs away. Modern methods focus on improved hygiene and the use of poisons to eliminate or drastically reduce populations of this insect. Exterminating these insects has become a profession for many and is unlikely to lose its importance because of the terrible impact of runaway populations of cockroaches.
These bugs carry bacteria and germs which they pass to the human food with which they come into contact. They can also cause allergic reactions in some people. By eliminating roach populations, people can avoid many illnesses and even dangerous diseases.