Cockroaches and Mice linked to Asthma

The Journal of Black in Higher Education (JBHE) published an article in its weekly online bulletin last month regarding a case study released by researchers at the Columbia Center for Children’s Environmental Health (CCCEH) at Columbia University’s Mailman School of Public Health. The study specifically identified exposure to mice and cockroach allergens as being one of the leading causes for the high racial disparity of asthma cases among black versus white children.

The report obtained from the Columbia University website also states that and urban children as young as the age of three are at risk if they develop antibodies to the proteins of these mice and cockroaches furthermore, they are more likely to have asthma and other respiratory problems. The website also states that the study, published in the November 2008 issue of the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, is the first to focus on the links between antibody responses to cockroach and mouse proteins and respiratory and allergic symptoms in such a young age group.
This news served as quite the wake up call for this parent of two black children with the upper respiratory disease better known as asthma. These household pests are common throughout the southern region of the United States particularly because of urban development. My natural curiosity led me to find new ways to not only get the word out to the people but also equip them with some tools to help reduce the new asthma cases in our communities and protect our babies.

The Cooperative Extensive Service of the University of Alaska lists two really great tips in their PMC-10071 that you can use to help reduce the cockroach population in your home or apartment.

1. Eliminating hiding and breeding places, including cracks and holes around plumbing fixtures and along baseboards or ceiling moldings. They prefer narrow cracks or crevices for hiding.

2. Removing access to food is also a good preventative measure. Do not leave unwashed utensils or exposed foods overnight. Keep food storage areas clean and keep pet foods in containers with tight-fitting lids.


The Professional Wildlife Removal website suggests the best way to get rid of mice and rats is to never use poison. Poison will never kill all the rodents, and it's only a temporary attempt at a solution - once you kill a few rodents, new ones will just come and take their place. They reproduce very quickly, and space or food supplies will dictate populations. Plus, the use of poisons will frequently mean dead and smelly rats in the attic or walls. The only surefire way to get rid of a rat or mouse problem is to find out how they are getting into the dwelling - seal off all of those areas, up to 1/4 inch wide, with steel, and this will keep them out. Once you prevent ingress/egress, you can trap and remove all the rats for a permanent solution. It's much easier said than done. Even experienced pros can miss the dozens of tiny spots that a home might have that will allow rat or mouse entry. Trapping is another art unto itself. You can't just slap a couple of traps near the attic hatch, they must be placed, dozens of them, strategically on the rat or mouse runways in the attic, on pipes, etc.

Truly the best ways to protect your kids from these common house pests is to have knowledge and remain vigilant in your efforts to keep your home clean and free of garbage and open food containers.