Roaches have plenty of space on this planet to live and thrive. But yet, most of them tend to enter human bodies and lay eggs there. Unfortunately, that’s not a horror movie’s prologue but a disgusting reality!
Cockroaches can live inside your body and survive there for days. They primarily target your ears since they are easy to enter, especially when you’re sleeping. Also, your ears are warm, dark, and humid, offering ideal conditions for these bugs to thrive.
Do you know what’s even worse? Cockroaches can even multiply in your ear and give rise to many babies. If not treated on time, these insects can cause irritation, pain, and swelling in your ears.
Let’s learn more about it and see how you can safely get rid of roaches from your ear.
Is It Possible for Roaches To Survive Inside a Human Body?
As displeasing as it may sound, roaches can survive inside a human body. These creatures can invade your body and thrive there for days. Some cases show that a cockroach’s egg can develop inside a human body.
Their main entryways are all the open parts of your body, including the nose, ears, and mouth. But that’s not it; these tiny bugs can even enter your body through open wounds.
You may not feel it initially, but you must get rid of the bug as soon as possible. If a cockroach stays in your body for a long time, it may cause anaphylactic shock, which can be lethal.
Besides, cockroaches can also transfer various diseases, such as typhus fever, salmonella, and many more severe illnesses. So, if you have an infestation at your home, seek immediate medical attention for any unusual activity inside your body.
A Legend Says: Cockroaches Can Live Inside a Human’s Tongue
Legend tells many despicable stories about cockroaches invading houses and even human bodies. One famous story is about a woman who got a cockroach egg on her tongue. The egg led inside her tongue and stayed there until its hatching day!
The woman used to work in a post office where she had to seal the envelopes. One day, the sponge wasn’t available, so she licked the envelopes for sealing. After that, she continued her day and didn’t observe any unusual symptoms.
However, a week later, she noticed a painful swelling in her tongue out of nowhere. She rushed to the hospital and went straight to the operation theater. The doctors cut her tongue, and a cockroach popped out. Yes, that’s true.
She came in contact with the cockroach when licking those envelopes. But practically, this story doesn’t make sense, and there are no authentic reports that confirm a roach living in a human mouth.
It’s Not a Myth! Cockroaches Do Live Inside a Human Ear
The legend must seem untrue for the cockroach living inside a human’s tongue, but they were not wrong about the bug nesting inside humans. In 2019, The New York Post reported that a roach was seen moving inside a Chinese man’s ear.
The man was feeling a sharp pain in his ear. He was taken to the Sanhe Hospital in Huiyan for immediate medical attention. Shockingly, the doctors found about ten more baby cockroaches inside the man’s ear, and they were all actively running around.
The doctors identified these roaches as German and removed them with a pair of tweezers. The patient only had a few minor wounds on his ear canal and was dealt with ointment later. Once he felt better, he was discharged.
But how did roaches enter the man’s ears? It was found that the man used to eat food on his bed and sleep without cleaning the remains. He also habitually used to leave the food packets near the bed. Cockroaches saw this as heaven and somehow found their pathway to the man’s ear.
Another incident was reported in China where a 60-year-old man got cockroaches in his ears. The bugs stayed in his ear for three days. After that, the man sprayed pesticides in his ear to kill the roaches and succeeded in it.
Some similar news was also reported in Florida, USA. According to The Tallahassee Democrat 2018, a man got a roach in his ear while clearing out the German cockroach infestation from his house. The doctor treated the man’s ear with Lidocaine to kill the bug.
During the treatment, the doctor found that the cockroach had laid an egg inside the man’s ear! Luckily, it was removed before hatching. Otherwise, an entire family of roaches would come out of his ear.
Why Do Human Ears Attract Cockroaches?
As nocturnal creatures, cockroaches are more likely to enter your body at night, especially when sleeping. This is because these tiny bugs always look for food and small, dark places to hide and thrive. And unfortunately, human ears have all these qualities.
Moreover, our ears release a specific smell, similar to beer, cheese, or fermented bread. Cockroaches love the smell of all these things. Thus, they try to enter your ear when you’re defenseless.
German cockroaches are more likely to invade human ears since they are small household roaches. American cockroaches are too big to enter an ear, but their babies may succeed.
How To Get Roaches Out of Your Ear?
Getting rid of roaches out of your ear as soon as possible before they start laying eggs is better. When we suspect something is getting inside our ears, we immediately scratch the area. Unfortunately, that pushes the roach deeper inside our ears, making the bug impossible to remove later.
So how can you get roaches out of your ear immediately? Here are a few tips to keep in mind:
- Never use a Q-Tip to remove the roach. It will push the cockroach deeper inside your ear.
- Avoid spraying your ear with a pesticide as it contains chemicals that could damage your skin and eardrum.
- First, tilt your head slightly to allow the bug to crawl or fly out of your ear.
- If this doesn’t work, pour olive oil or baby oil inside your ear and pull your earlobe upward or backward. This will suffocate the bug and make it float out.
- Even if the bug comes out, it’s good to check with a professional doctor. It could be possible that the insect’s eggs or parts are still in your ear.
FAQs
Can Cockroaches Live in Human Ears?
Yes, cockroaches can live in human ears. Since roaches love to nest in dark, warm, and narrow spaces, our ears provide the ideal place to do so. Also, earwax fulfills their nutritional needs as long as they are in a human ear.
Why Are Cockroaches Attracted To My Ear?
Human ears release a fermented bread or cheese-like smell that roaches love. Unfortunately, ears also provide a dark and warm environment for insects to live in. This is why these bugs mostly attack your ears while sleeping at night.
How Long Can a Cockroach Survive in Your Ear?
A cockroach can live for weeks without water and food. Thus, it’s unknown how long the bug can survive in your ear.
Conclusion
Cockroaches can live in the human body. Legends say these bugs can live inside your tongues. But reported cases say that they actually enter and thrive in your ears. Since our ears are warm and dark, cockroaches love to stay there and even lay eggs.
Not only that but:
- Our ears release a distinctive bread or cheese-like smell that roaches love.
- Roaches may thrive on your ear wax.
- Cockroaches may grow in number in your ears.
- It’s better to get rid of these bugs before their eggs hatch.
- These bugs may spread many diseases once they enter your body.