An Elementary School Is Closing Due To Cockroaches That Were Discovered In A Classroom
Cockroaches are one of the most common household pests. While cockroaches are not pleasant to look at, they are not disease vectors, which is a good thing, as several cockroaches have recently been found within an elementary school located in Portage Township, Michigan. Although the roach presence within the school has not reached infestation levels as far as the administration knows, the roaches are, nevertheless, proving difficult to eradicate.
While it is extremely unlikely to fall ill from pathogens that could be carried and transmitted by a filthy cockroach, officials with the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences claim that cockroaches are, in fact, the most common allergenic indoor pests. Roach saliva is particularly allergenic, but a cockroaches’ body and droppings also contain allergenic proteins. This is why Melissa Deavers-Lowie, director of communications for Portage Township Schools, wasted no time calling a pest control service upon finding a few cockroaches within a classroom.
Last Monday, pest control operators treated the classroom for cockroaches, but sure enough, the resilient insects reappeared a mere two days later. According to Deavers-Lowie, the school’s kitchen is free of cockroaches, but pest control professionals will be spraying the entire building on Friday. State law demands that a building should remain free of all inhabitants for a period of 24 hours following an insecticide treatment. Normally this would mean that the students would get a day off, but as it happens, this Friday happens to be an administrative day that students have off anyway.
Although finding cockroaches within any building is not uncommon, the school’s staff are curious as to how the cockroaches accessed the classroom, especially after the insecticide treatment. Several teachers and staff members will continue to investigate how the roaches wound up in the classroom. Classes will be back in session on Monday.
Do you think that a student brought cockroaches into the classroom in order to get a day off?