Health Threats by Pests. Having pests on your property is never a fun ordeal for all owners. Aside from the potential destruction and inconvenience they bring, they can also pose serious risks that threaten your and your family’s lives and health. Pest control benefits everyone in the household by getting rid of pests-, and protecting you and your family from disease. Below, you can find more information on the most common household pests and pest health issues that they pose.

Health Threats by Rodents

Rodents such as mice and rats are a common problem found in residential and commercial buildings and are notorious for bringing disease. This is because they are flexible and agile, making it easy to enter the building through small openings and cracks.

Although small mice may seem harmless, they constantly scamper about in search of food, leaving droppings and urine on everything they come in contact with and spreading disease in the process. Rats are known for the same behavior, although they leave behind significantly more droppings. Ingestion or inhalation can lead to various diseases, including:

  • Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome
  • Leptospiroses
  • Tularemia
  • Lassa Fever
  • Rate-Bite Fever
  • Lymphocytic Choriomeningitis (LCMV)
  • Salmonellosis

Cockroaches

Cockroaches are one of the most common pests at home. They usually reside in dark, damp spaces, such as garbage dumps and sewers. When entering the home, they often scurry around the area searching for food or water, leaving behind saliva and excrement that can cause disease. 

Aside from roach droppings, their bodies themselves are also known carriers of at least 33 kinds of bacteria and pathogens, along with different types of parasitic worms, that can cause various pest health issues. These include:

 

  • Diarrhea
  • Dysentery
  • Cholera
  • Leprosy
  • Plague
  • Typhoid Fever
  • Poliomyelitis

Mosquitoes

Mosquitoes are most active when temperatures start getting warmer. Every year, they start to come out during spring and summer and will winterize right before the winter. During the day, they tend to be most active in the morning and later afternoon, although some species are active at night.

Because mosquitoes are vectors (living carriers of disease-causing organisms), they can transmit viruses and pathogens through their saliva, causing a range of illnesses. These include:

 

  • West Nile Virus Disease
  • Malaria
  • Dengue
  • Chikungunya
  • Yellow Fever
  • Zika
  • Encephalitis

Housefly

As a non-biting insect, our aversion to the common housefly mostly stems from the fact that they are notorious for inhabiting unsanitary areas. However, this bad reputation is well-founded, given that houseflies frequently come in contact with garbage, decaying matter, and excrements, among other things. 

A single housefly can easily carry more than one million types of bacteria in the body. These microorganisms are often carried on the fly’s body hairs across its entire body and are transmitted through contact with food or when they are regurgitated onto food when the fly attempts to liquefy it when it feeds.

Some common health issues that arise thanks to houseflies include:

  • Diarrhea
  • Dysentery
  • Shigellosis
  • Typhoid Fever
  • Traveler’s Diarrhea
  • Cholera

Health Threats by Fleas

Similar to mosquitoes, fleas also appear most commonly during the warmer months. They can enter your home during these months while looking for warm bodies to feed on, such as your pets and your family members. 

As disease vectors, they can carry bacteria and pathogens inside their bodies that can cause various illnesses. These pathogens are transmitted to the host through their poop that enters the skin as they bite or through open wounds. These diseases include rickettsia, fleaborne typhus, and cat-scratch disease.

Fleas also serve as intermediate hosts for other pathogens and parasites, indirectly causing you, your family, or pets to be infected with heartworms and tapeworms.

Health Threats From Bed Bugs

Bed bugs are relatively harmless when compared to other pests on this list. They have not been known to transmit any disease directly and are not carriers of bacteria. However, a bed bug infestation still needs to be taken seriously. 

There have been some documented cases of individuals getting allergic reactions from bed bug bites, which can be life-threatening. Moreover, people have also reportedly developed symptoms of psychological conditions such as insomnia, depression, and stress, among others, due to bed bug infestations. Immediate relief from bed bugs and these issues is one of the most significant pest control benefits you can enjoy.

Secure Your Health with Expert Pest Control

It’s never a fun experience when facing a pest infestation. They can wreak havoc on your home and pose serious health risks to everyone in your household. Although one or two pests can be quickly dealt with, an infestation should always be left to the experts. So, when you’re faced with a rodent, cockroach, bed bug, or any other pest infestation, call in the experts at Pest Control Unlimited. 

At Pest Control Unlimited LLC, we believe that no one should ever have to live in fear of pests that threaten their health and security. Armed with this belief, we follow proper protocol and practice safe and effective extermination practices when controlling pest infestations on your property. Protection from disease, damage mitigation, and complete eradication are some pest control benefits that you can enjoy from our services. Give us a call today at (888) 649-9919, or contact us here to know more about how we can help.