Amazon Customer Warns People Not To Open Their Packages Inside the House: "We Had to Get..."
Cockroaches are generally associated with poor hygiene and considered unsanitary because the pesky crawlers transmit and carry pathogens and spread diseases. Better Health Channel suggests that roaches may be a living reservoir of bacteria like Salmonella, Staphylococcus, and Streptococcus. Hence, homeowners across the globe spend hundreds of dollars on pest control, spraying every crack and crevice with pesticides to prevent such infestations. Even then, their houses may be susceptible to future infestations. Recently, TikTok user Niamh (@niamhzocco) disclosed the risk that Amazon packages come with in a viral video, viewed more than 1.5 million times.
In the bit, Niamh rants about how an Amazon delivery unleashed a few cockroaches into their house and soon turned into a massive infestation, forcing them to pack their whole kitchen. “Putting back my entire kitchen on a Saturday morning because we opened the wrong Amazon package in our house and had to get every corner and crack fumigated,” she wrote in an overlay text on the video. The TikTok creator showed empty shelves of kitchen cabinets while all of her kitchen items were scattered on her couch and around other parts of the house. She captioned the post with a warning and wrote, “Open your packages outside…”
Naturally, people in the comments were curious about her ordeal. One person (@hellolexxxx) asked, “Ma’am, you’re going to have to provide more detail because what was in the package?” Niamh swiftly responded, sharing her bizarre experience. “Freakin’ German roaches,” she revealed. Apparently, Niamh had initially spotted five of them but quickly spread around the house, becoming a matter of concern for her and her family. “It went from seeing like 5 to them scurrying everywhere fast. The exterminator said they usually come in via packages, and Amazon packages are known to be bad,” she explained.
“Opening boxes outside now. Thanks,” wrote one internet user (@thewhitecan1210) who took her advice. “Omg! That happened to me! I called Amazon and they paid for the fumigation!” wrote another person (@stormy.weather96) with a similar experience. Many other people shared their dilemma with not only Amazon, but also other brands like Costco that tend to bring cockroaches into the house. “We had the same problem in NJ with a walking pad, opened it with tons of baby roaches in it. $400 later for Orkin to come,” said someone else (@tbone916).
According to Tabor Pest Control, cardboard boxes are the perfect home for roaches to live, make nests, and lay eggs. The organic fibers that make up the material provide sustenance for the insects and a nightmare to humans obsessed with online shopping. These crawlers also breed and lay eggs in or around cardboard. To prevent this, Home Paramount Pest Control suggests an array of measures that would keep these bugs out of your house.
To start, opening the cardboard packages outside your home and in a bright location can be helpful. It will help notice any movement. Also, roaches are nocturnal and like staying in the dark; thus, bright light will force them to come out and hide in other areas. Keeping an eye out for brown, crescent-shaped, purse-like objects that are essentially egg sacs is another measure to prevent any future infestations. Recycle the boxes and do not store them inside your homes.
You can follow @niamhzocco on TikTok for more videos.