House pests are more than just little critters that are a nuisance. Many of these guys can cause serious health problems for you and your family. Take note of these 5 common house pests to protect you and your loved ones.
Mice
Mice are common pests in most rural areas and even some urban ones. The cute faces on these little guys makes them seem less harmless than they really are. Mice love to look for food and will search high and low in your house for a bite to eat. Even if they are unable to find a found source, they will still leave behind a huge mess. They constantly dribble urine, leaving every surface they meet contaminated. Mice commonly carry salmonella and meningitis, both of which can have a significant impact on your health. To make matters worse, the urine dries extremely quick, becoming invisible and opening you up to disease, without you even knowing it.
Cockroaches
Roaches are some of the grossest looking pests around. Although their appearance is abhorrent, their health risks are even worse. Roaches live and thrive in sewer environments, only coming into homes in search of food and warmth. While they roam around your home, they contaminate your countertops and cupboards with bacteria, parasites and pathogens. The lovely treasures they carry with them pose a significant risk to you and your loved ones. The worst part about roaches is that they do not even need to contaminate a surface to harm you, their presence alone does that. Droppings, urine, decaying bodies and shed skin break down to become airborne particles in your home. These particles are especially dangerous to individuals with asthma or other lung problems.
Bed Bugs
Remember the age old saying, “Good night, sleep tight, don’t let the bed bugs bite.”? Turns out it’s true. Bed bug bites can cause rashes, scars and lesions but fortunately they are not carriers of harmful diseases or parasites. While these little critters pose less physical health issues, the mental health issues they can cause are significant. Because an infestation is very hard to get rid of and takes an extended period of time, individuals can be sharing their bed with these guys for awhile. People who have suffered through a bedbug infestation have been shown to suffer from anxiety, stress, sleep deprivation and even depression.
Fleas
These critters make up for their lack of flight with extremely powerful legs and can jump onto your pets without anyone’s knowledge. Fleas are blood drinkers and will attach themselves to anything living including you. Their bites can cause allergic reactions of varying degrees depending on the individual who has been bit. The biggest health threat caused by fleas is, when accidentally swallowed, they can grow in your digestive system as a tapeworm. Tapeworms are parasitic worms that live in the intestines, munch on your food and can grow to upwards of 50 (yes 50!) feet long. This rare problem can be very serious for both humans and pets.
Rats
As one of the most dangerous pests out there, rats carry some of the most serious transmittable diseases on the plant. They have powerful teeth and can chew their way through pretty much anything easily reaching food and water supplies resulting in contamination. Their fecal matter and urine can also spread many diseases such as leptospirosis. Much like cockroaches, you do not even have to be exposed to their contamination to be affected; inhaling their evaporating and decaying waste is enough to make you ill. These critters are on the larger end of the pest spectrum and are significantly more aggressive. They are more likely to bite and scratch humans which could result in other infections including rat-bite fever.
When you encounter any of these pests be sure to take all precautionary measures and call Premier Pest Management to effectively handle the situation from the start.