Latest news with #cockroaches
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Health
- Yahoo
Infestations close 7 Fresno food businesses. ‘An entire colony of cockroaches'
Infestations close 7 Fresno food businesses. 'An entire colony of cockroaches' Reality Check is a Fresno Bee series holding those in power to account and shining a light on their decisions. Have a tip? Email tips@ Cockroaches were a major issue for Fresno County restaurants and food service businesses in June. Seven businesses were closed, some for a week or more, after health inspectors found infestations, according to public data reported by the Fresno County's Health Department. Those closures included: Valentino's, an Italian restaurant in downtown Fresno's Galleria building, where an inspector found a live cockroach inside a paper towel dispenser while trying to wash his hands. According to a June 16 inspection report, 'an entire colony of cockroaches at various stages of life emerged from the paper towel dispenser,' the report shelves were covered with the body parts of dead cockroach and their waste and live roaches were 'observed throughout facility.' The restaurant was ordered closed and had to undergo a full cleaning of cabinets, counters, equipment, utensils and shelving, along with a professional pest control treatment. It reopened June 25. Chalio's, a Mexican restaurant on Front Street in Selma, where a June 2 inspection found both live and dead cockroaches throughout the building, including several in the prep kitchen area. The restaurant was ordered to clean any contaminated areas and repair holes in a wall at behind a mop sink and another near a hand wash sink, where roaches were seen. It was allowed to reopen June 6, according to the health department records. The service bar at the Double Tree at the Fresno Convention Center, following its inspection on June 30. It remained closed into July, according to health department data. Pho Lau Vieng #2, a Lao and Vietnamese comfort food restaurant on Olive Avenue. It was also closed after failing a June 30 inspection due to 'cockroach and rodent infestation.' Birreria Mi Ranchito, at Butler and Orange Avenues. The Mexican restaurant was inspected on June 30 and remained closed into July. Coco's Produce, on Orange Avenue south of Butler. The facility was inspected July 17 and closed for at least two weeks. Cuquita Mexican Food truck, which was closed for a week following a June 3 inspection. Other inspection violations for June 2025 In all, a total of 11 restaurant/food businesses were temporarily closed following inspections in June. The others were: School House Restaurant & Tavern in Sanger, which was closed for two days following an alert from California State Water Resources Control Board. According to a report from the board, the restaurant's water supply system had been contaminated with E. Coli. The restaurant had to discard any food or drinks that could have been made with the contaminated water and 'disinfect food contact surfaces and food-handling utensils.' The Fosters Freeze in Reedley, which was closed to two weeks after inspectors found several sinks were not properly draining. El Taco Loco/Kerman Market on South Madera Avenue in Kerman. The market facility was partially closed following a June 2 inspection due to 'vermin activity,' according to health department data. El Taco Loco was closed due to lack of hot water. Typically, a lack of hot water is one of the more common (and easily fixed) violations. Last month, four restaurant were closed following routine inspections. That included a Fresno market that had what the health department described as a backroom chicken coop. On the year, 36 restaurants and food businesses have been temporarily closed (and allowed to reopen) by the health department. What inspectors look for The Fresno County Department of Public Health has about two dozen environmental health specialists who monitor almost 5,000 restaurants, snack bars, grocery stores, commissaries, delicatessens and food vendors across the county and make unannounced visits several times a year. Restaurants also are inspected following fires, or in response to complaints or other concerns from the public, including when people report what they believe are health or sanitation issues at restaurants. When inspectors visit a restaurant or other food service business, there is a lengthy and detailed list of more than 50 things that draw their scrutiny. They include: Whether the manager and all employees have the required food safety or food-handling certificates. Hygiene of individual employees. Ways to keep cold food at or below 41 degrees and hot food above 135 degrees. Use of proper sterilization for counters, tables, utensils and cookware. Overall cleanliness. Proper drainage of sinks and floor drains. Restrooms stocked with supplies. Whether the business has the proper license or permit. Inspectors chronicle their findings in reports, which are made available to the public. In most instances, if an inspector finds a problem, it's something that can be fixed on the spot. This can include having enough bleach or sanitizer in the water used to wipe down food-preparation areas, replenishing soap, paper towels and toilet paper in the restrooms, or reminding employees to wash their hands and wear gloves and hairnets. As shown this month, insect or vermin infestations are violations that can result in immediate closure of restaurants or food businesses when they are observed by health inspectors. Among other serious concerns are refrigerators that don't keep food cold enough or steam tables that don't keep food hot enough to inhibit bacterial growth, or clogged sinks or drains that cause contaminated water to back up into kitchens. 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Yahoo
06-07-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
How did cockroaches survive the asteroid that led to the extinction of dinosaurs?
Curious Kids is a series for children of all ages. If you have a question you'd like an expert to answer, send it to curiouskidsus@ How did cockroaches survive the asteroid that led to the extinction of dinosaurs? – Kinjal, age 11, Delhi, India When the rock now known as the Chicxulub impactor plummeted from outer space and slammed into the Earth 66 million years ago, cockroaches were there. The impact caused a massive earthquake, and scientists think it also triggered volcanic eruptions thousands of miles from the impact site. Three-quarters of plants and animals on Earth died, including all dinosaurs, except for some species that were ancestors of today's birds. How could roaches a couple of inches long survive when so many powerful animals went extinct? It turns out that they were nicely equipped to live through a meteoric catastrophe. If you've ever seen a cockroach, you've probably noticed that their bodies are very flat. This is not an accident. Flatter insects can squeeze themselves into tighter places. This enables them to hide practically anywhere – and it may have helped them survive the Chicxulub impact. When the meteor struck, temperatures on Earth's surface skyrocketed. Many animals had nowhere to flee, but roaches could take shelter in tiny soil crevices, which provide excellent protection from heat. The meteor's impact triggered a cascade of effects. It kicked up so much dust that the sky darkened. As the sun dimmed, temperatures plunged and conditions became wintry around the globe. With little sunlight, surviving plants struggled to grow, and many other organisms that relied on those plants went hungry. Not cockroaches, though. Unlike some insects that prefer to eat one specific plant, cockroaches are omnivorous scavengers. This means they will eat most foods that come from animals or plants as well as cardboard, some kinds of clothing and even poop. Having appetites that aren't picky has allowed cockroaches to survive lean times since the Chicxulub extinction and other natural disasters. Another helpful trait is that cockroaches lay their eggs in little protective cases. These egg cartons look like dried beans and are called oothecae, which means 'egg cases.' Like phone cases, oothecae are hard and protect their contents from physical damage and other threats, such as flooding and drought. Some cockroaches may have waited out part of the Chicxulub catastrophe from the comfort of their oothecae. Modern cockroaches are little survivors that can live just about anywhere on land, from the heat of the tropics to some of the coldest parts of the globe. Scientists estimate that there over 4,000 cockroach species. A handful of these species like to live with humans and quickly become pests. Once cockroaches become established in a building, it's hard to rid every little crack of these insects and their oothecae. When large numbers of roaches are present in unsanitary places, they can spread diseases. The biggest threat they pose to human health is from allergens they produce that can trigger asthma attacks and allergic reactions in some people. Cockroach pests are hard to manage because they can resist many chemical insecticides and because they have the same abilities that helped their ancestors outlive many dinosaurs. Still, cockroaches are much more than a pest to control. Researchers study cockroaches to understand how they move and how their bodies are designed to get ideas for building better robots. As a scientist, I see all insects as beautiful, six-legged inspirations. Cockroaches have already overcome odds that were too great for dinosaurs. If another meteorite hit the Earth, I'd be more worried for humans than for cockroaches. Hello, curious kids! Do you have a question you'd like an expert to answer? Ask an adult to send your question to CuriousKidsUS@ Please tell us your name, age and the city where you live. And since curiosity has no age limit – adults, let us know what you're wondering, too. We won't be able to answer every question, but we will do our best. This article is republished from The Conversation, a nonprofit, independent news organization bringing you facts and trustworthy analysis to help you make sense of our complex world. It was written by: Brian Lovett, West Virginia University Read more: To help insects, make them welcome in your garden – here's how Why are moths attracted to light? The invasive emerald ash borer has destroyed millions of trees – scientists aim to control it with tiny parasitic wasps Brian Lovett does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
ABC News
19-06-2025
- General
- ABC News
Migrant worker's home infested with cockroaches
A video from the home migrants working in the NSW Riverina region under the PALM scheme shows an infestation of cockroaches. Supplied: Paul Maytom
Fox News
19-05-2025
- Fox News
Flight passenger spots cockroaches crawling in airplane cabin: 'Never again'
A passenger on board a Spirit Airlines flight in Florida said she was horrified after spotting several insects crawling inside the plane cabin. Symone Berry told Storyful she was sitting in one of the airline's "Big Front Seats," the equivalent of the airline's first-class seats, on May 11. That's when she "saw roaches crawling on the plane," she said. Berry posted about the dismaying episode on X and TikTok. "Never again will I fly @SpiritAirlines," she wrote in her X post. "I've flown over 500,000 miles on Delta and have never in my life seen roaches on a plane." She added, "This is crazy." Footage from Berry shows what she said were two different cockroaches crawling around the cabin. The airline gave Berry a voucher — but that didn't change her mind about never flying with the airline again, she said in a subsequent TikTok video. For more Lifestyle articles, visit Fox News Digital reached out to Spirit Airlines for comment. In a statement provided to USA Today, Spirit said it "is aware of the video, and our maintenance team thoroughly inspected the aircraft involved and addressed the issue." The airline added, "We maintain high standards of cleanliness across our fleet and want all of our guests to feel comfortable when traveling with us."
Daily Mail
17-05-2025
- Daily Mail
Passenger makes disgusting discovery in Spirit Airlines plane cabin
A routine flight on Spirit Airlines turned into a nightmare for one passenger when she spotted a swarm of cockroaches scurrying across the cabin's walls. Symone Berry, a passenger on a Spirit Airlines flight from Miami to Tampa, was shocked when she saw multiple cockroaches scaling the walls of the plane's cabin shortly after takeoff. The appalling incident, which occurred on Sunday, was captured in a video that Berry shared online. The footage quickly went viral, sparking outrage and disbelief among viewers disturbed by the unsettling sight. 'Today was my first and last day flying Spirit,' Berry says in the now-viral video. 'There were multiple roaches on my plane, and the flight attendants did not care whatsoever.' At first, Berry, who had purchased the flight as a last-minute option to visit her mother for Mother's Day, noticed a single roach crawling up the wall. Though grotesque, she hoped the problem would resolve itself. 'The first roach I saw was right in front of me,' Berry recalled, adding that she bought a 'big seat.' 'As you can see, this roach is huge and it keeps climbing up and it keeps going up until it goes over the wall. At this time I didn't say anything to the flight attendant because I figured you know, maybe it is going to go away.' However, it wasn't long before the grossed-out passenger spotted another 'big roach' crawling inside her seat, heading toward the plane's emergency exit. That's when she decided to alert the flight attendants. 'That's when I started to talk to the flight attendant and say, 'Hey, there are roaches in here. Is there something we can do to clean it up?'' The crew member's response, according to Berry, was less than helpful. 'He just gasped audibly and said he didn't know what to do,' Berry recalled in an interview with People. In the video, she is seen pointing out the insects as they scuttle across the cabin. Some of the roaches even crawl onto the seat backs, while others climb across the walls and make their way toward the ceiling. Still on the flight, Berry posted videos of the insects to X, formerly Twitter, which quickly gained traction. Many pointed out that such an issue is especially troubling for an airline that markets itself as a budget-friendly travel option. '10 years ago, I made a decision to never fly with them,' one user wrote on X. 'These roaches are not new to this, they look too comfortable, they're in the Spirit lol.' Another user added, 'This would be my version of hell, omg.' 'Paying for a Spirit Airlines ticket at this point is willful stupidity. You are paying for inconvenience and filth,' another commented. Others jokingly quipped, 'Spirit Airlines turning into a whole new adventure - bugs included for free with your ticket!' Spirit Airlines later reached out to Berry in response to her horrifying initial post, though she claims the response was automated. 'I DM'd them immediately around 7:50 am, and they kept sending the same automated message,' she said. 'Four hours later, someone else responded. I gave them my flight information, and later that night, I received an email offering a $60 credit.' Spirit Airlines has since issued a statement apologizing for the situation and confirming that the plane underwent a thorough inspection. A Spirit Airlines spokesperson confirmed that their team is 'aware of the video' and the airline's 'maintenance team thoroughly inspected the aircraft involved and addressed the issue,' in a statement to People. 'We maintain high standards of cleanliness across our fleet and want all of our guests to feel comfortable when traveling with us,' the statement added. Despite the airline's apology, Berry remains shaken by the experience. She emphasized that while occasional issues can happen, the fact that passengers were allowed to endure a flight with visible cockroaches was unacceptable. In a follow-up TikTok, the popular content creator reaffirmed that she would 'never fly Spirit again,' calling it a 'one and done' experience. has reached out to Spirit Airlines for comment. Berry's negative experience is far from unique - many other Spirit Airlines passengers have taken to social media to share their own 'horror stories,' calling out the budget carrier for similar issues. One user on X claimed the airline 'destroyed' his bag and sent it to the wrong destinaiton. Another wrote the embattled airline, surfacing complaints over a broken stroller, as the dissapointed passenger alleged the airline returned her stroller - which she claims was 'only used once' - broken and in pieces. Meanwhile, another unsatisfied passenger called out the airline for not having proper staffing for a scheduled flight. The passenger claimed there was 'no pilot or co-pilot' for his flight.
