Cockroach infestation cancels community’s trick-or-treat festivities

Creepy-crawly fake bugs are usually part of the Halloween decor but in one community, the cockroaches were real and they’re the reason there is no trick-or-treating this year.

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Officials in Wyandotte canceled Halloween festivities to prevent a cockroach infestation from spreading from a vacant home, The Associated Press reported.

The city’s engineer said that now closed sidewalks will prevent the roaches from being transported on costumes, the Detroit Free Press reported.

Officials were also afraid that if the trick-or-treaters stepped on the bugs and killed them, they could carry the cockroach eggs to the rest of the neighborhood, the newspaper reported.

WXYZ reported that a letter was sent to the neighborhood residents that said:

“It is in the best interest of citizens to close 20th street and the sidewalks from Eureka to Grove on Monday, October 31, 2022, from 4:00 pm to 8:00 pm. Barricades and signage will be placed on the street and at sidewalks at Grove, the intersections of Orchard and Pine, and at Eureka, closing the street and sidewalk to vehicles and pedestrians. It is recommended that Trick ‘r Treating be discouraged in this area.”

The city council voted to cancel trick-or-treating, USA Today reported.

The issue started in August when trash haulers threw a bag of garbage into a garbage truck and noticed the bag was moving, and filled with roaches. Police performed a wellness check and neighbors said a family was living in the home in question, which has since been vacated.

The family was told to place their contents outside, wrapped, but they didn’t wrap their belongings, so the roaches spread throughout the neighborhood.

They had been given 30 days to get the house up to standards but an inspection showed that they did not, WDIV reported.

It may take a year to get rid of the roaches in the neighborhood, WXYZ reported.

Not only are roaches creepy for some, they also can be a danger to your health and transmit diseases, USA Today reported.

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