Cockroaches are major pests in homes, restaurants, hospitals, warehouses, offices and other structures with food-handling areas. These insects can contaminate food and eating utensils, destroy fabric and paper products and impart stains and odors to surfaces they contact. Cockroaches haven't been found to be direct carriers of disease; however, they will mechanically contaminate food or utensils by transporting filth or disease organisms on their bodies or by way of their excreta.