The Health Threats Posed by Pests
Pests will not only damage your home, but they can also damage your health. The threats that pests pose to your health vary depending on the pest you are dealing with. It is important that you know what the potential health risks are of the most common pests found inside your home.
Health Threats Posed by Rodents
Rats and mice can enter your home through the smallest gaps and will do so for many reasons. When they enter your home, they will leave droppings in areas that you do not regularly use such as under baseboards and along the back walls of the house. These droppings create serious health issues for many people.
There are many people who have an allergic reaction to rodent droppings. While this can be mild, there is a more serious threat from droppings. Droppings can cause diseases such as Hantavirus which is potentially deadly.
Rodents are also carriers of many diseases and bacteria. They can contaminate puppy food, equipment, and surfaces leading to illness. One of the bacteria that rodents can bring into your home is salmonella which can be very dangerous. There is also the chance that the rodents bite people in your home and this can lead to other diseases depending on the health of the rodents.
Health Threats Posed by Cockroaches
Cockroaches are a common pest, particularly in homes with areas that are not cleaned regularly or close to areas that attract these pests. If you have cockroaches in your home, there are a lot of health risks that come with them. According to the National Institute of Environmental Health Science, one-in-five children are severely sensitive to cockroach allergens.
Some children will have mild reactions to these allergens, but others will have serious problems including an increase in asthma symptoms. Cockroach allergens in the house come from droppings, cockroach saliva and the decomposing bodies of dead pests. These allergens are not the only way that cockroaches can affect your health or the health of your family.
The body of a cockroach can carry a lot of bacteria including E. coli and salmonella. When these pests get into food or run over cooking equipment, the bacteria are transferred and contaminates everything that comes into contact with equipment. These bacteria can lead to serious illness and are in some cases fatal.
Health Threats Posed by Mosquitoes
Mosquitoes are a nuisance in the summer months, but they are becoming a bigger threat to the health of your family. According to the CDC, West Nile Virus infections have been increasing over the years and are being seen across the country. This is a serious issue and should not be taken lightly.
There are also other illnesses that mosquitoes can transfer to people. Other than these illnesses, mosquito bites are also itchy, and some people have allergic reactions to them. The severity of the reaction will vary depending on the person.
Health Threats Posed by Fleas
If you have pets, there is a good chance that you could have fleas in your home. While you should be taking precautions to protect your four-legged friends, fleas also pose a threat to humans. In the warmer months, these pests will feed on any warm-blooded body whether it is human or not.
Flea bites can be itchy and, like mosquito bites, can cause an allergic reaction in some people. As fleas move from one warm body to another, they can also transfer illnesses and diseases from one body to another. This includes from rodents to you or your family. This is made worse if you have a rodent problem to start with.
Health Threats Posed by Ticks
Another pest that could come into your home via your pet is ticks. You can also pick up ticks while hiking in the summer months. The main threat from ticks is Lyme disease which is generally transmitted between May and October.
Lyme disease is found in large parts of the country and can be very dangerous for certain people. Some of the symptoms of this disease are a bull’s eye rash around the bite and flu-like symptoms. Extreme fatigue is another common symptom of Lyme disease.
Health Threats Posed by Ants
Ants are a common household pets and when you see one, there are going to be others around. This is due to ants being social insects. While they do not pose the same severe health risk as other pests, they can cause food contamination. Ingesting contaminated food can cause mild to serious illness depending on your overall health.
There are a lot of health threats posed by common pests. It is important that you understand these threats and take steps to stop pests from entering your home. While some of these threats are mild there are others than can be potentially fatal.
