You Thought It Was Harmless: An Item We All Have at Home Is a True Cockroach Infestation Magnet

That pile of cardboard delivery boxes in your basement or attic might be more than just clutter; experts warn it could be a magnet for cockroaches, posing a serious health risk. Cardboard, often stored without much thought, provides an ideal habitat and breeding ground for these common pests.

Scientists, including Aaron Ashbrook, a professor of urban entomology at Louisiana State University, note that researchers even use cardboard to create habitats for cockroaches in laboratory settings. While not all cockroach species prefer cardboard, common household invaders like the German and Oriental cockroaches, found in Croatia, are particularly drawn to it.

Cardboard offers cockroaches a combination of three essential elements for survival and reproduction: food, water, and shelter. If the cardboard is damp, which is common in basements or garages, it can serve as both a food and water source. The material is also highly absorbent, easily picking up pheromone scents that signal safety to other cockroaches, making it an attractive "home."

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In their colonies, I regularly see insects eating cardboard, and they also consume it for water.

Matt Frye, a pest control expert from Cornell University, points out that corrugated cardboard, typical of delivery packaging, is especially problematic. Its grooves and folds offer ample hiding and living spaces, facilitating reproduction. Furthermore, cardboard's sound-dampening qualities allow cockroaches to move and breed undetected. Often stored in forgotten corners like attics or closets, these boxes can remain unnoticed for months or years, allowing cockroach populations to grow and spread throughout the home.

Beyond the common revulsion towards cockroaches, their presence signifies a significant health threat. Cockroaches are known mechanical vectors of disease, typically inhabiting unsanitary environments like sewers and trash cans. They pick up dangerous pathogens on their bodies and in their digestive systems, which they then transfer to food preparation surfaces, kitchen counters, and tables through regurgitation and excrement.

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The fluted cardboard... provides enough space for cockroaches not only to hide but to literally live and reproduce.