Having a cockroach infestation is not only stressful, it is also horrifying…unless, of course, you think that cockroaches make for loveable pets. However, there are worse types of insect infestations. For example, a bed bug infestation can result in physical injuries, and eradicating these bugs from homes can be time consuming, inconvenient and sometimes unsuccessful. Then there are termite infestations. These infestations can go unnoticed for years and can result in thousands of dollars in damages. In some extreme cases, homes can be demolished as a result of irreparable termite damages. On the other hand, cockroaches do not typically bite humans, nor do they cause structural damages. Also, due to their relatively large size, cockroach infestations are usually noticed relatively quickly. Although, on the surface, it would seem that many types of insect infestations are more undesirable than cockroach infestations, there is something about a houseful of roaches that many people cannot tolerate. There are very few people in the world that know this better than the residents of one neighborhood located on the Northside of Alliance, Ohio. Due to the careless and unsanitary habits of two residents in the area, a cockroach infestation within their homes has spread to several nearby houses. Surprisingly, the resulting infestations have proven difficult to eradicate, as this problem has persisted for a period of two months.

For quite some time now, literally thousands of cockroaches have been skittering out to two homes located on the 400 block of West Wayne St. Back in July, a resident living in the area reported a long-running cockroach infestation that had been noticeable in the home located at 474 West Wayne St. A short time later, a house located a few doors down also become a haven for cockroaches. Now the cockroaches have infested multiple houses in the area, and the insects have even managed to travel to the end of the block. The city health commissioner is currently working with the home’s owners as well as pest control authorities in order to get the enormous infestation under control. According to the commissioner, by the time he received the complaint, the infestation was already a neighborhood-wide problem. The cockroaches, which can be seen in people’s yards, clearly number in the thousands.

If you were one of the affected residents living on Wayne St., would you consider a lawsuit against the owners of the two roach-infested houses?