The following was written by guest blogger Tom Dunkle.
Pests aren’t just a nuisance. They can threaten your health and property. Without the right approach to pest control, many property owners may face unexpected repair and healthcare expenses.
To help protect your property from pests and the dangers associated with them, it’s essential to focus on pest control.
Read on to learn about the importance of pest control, why you need pest control, and how it can help to preserve your home and health.
Pest control to prevent damage to home and health
Pests are active 24/7 throughout the entire year. Some pests, like ants, can live for many years, setting up colonies and nurturing millions of young.
While it’s possible to eliminate pests once they take up residence in a home, prevention is the real key to pest control. As a property owner, you can help keep pests out by following a few simple tips:
How to help prevent pests from getting into a house
There are a few ways to help pests from invading your property. Tending to areas where they may enter your home from the outside is a good start in keeping pests at bay.
- Seal all holes and cracks in windows and doors.
- Cover vents with wire mesh.
- Keep gutters and drains in good shape.
- Minimize the use of wood for landscaping.
- Manage any produce in your backyard so it doesn’t attract pests.
How to make your property less attractive to pests
While making sure the outside of the house and yard are not hospitable to pests, it’s also important to make sure that your property is as unattractive as possible to any critters who may be looking for a place to crash. Here are a few tips to deter pests from taking up residence in a home:
- Clean the home regularly to eliminate food particles.
- Wash clothes and linens often to help keep them clean.
- Clean mattresses at least once per year.
- Keep food covered, preferably in airtight containers.
- Keep the garbage can closed, and empty it as often as possible.
- Fix leaking pipes and faucets.
- Eliminate clutter from corners.
While these can help tremendously, they still aren’t always successful. Unfortunately, pests can find the smallest opening to crawl through or survive on tiny amounts of food for weeks. If the neighbors have pests, no matter how well you follow the rules, those pests may make their way to your property next.
That’s why it’s imperative to arrange for regular pest control. Pest control experts can inspect your property for signs of infestations and determine what needs to be done to begin to eliminate the threat. They can also give valuable advice about preventing future pest issues.
Why do pests need to be controlled?
Many property owners mistakenly believe that they should deal with a pest problem only when they see evidence of it. However, pests may start infesting a home long before you ever see them. They need to be controlled because a small infestation can quickly develop into a much bigger problem.
They can cause health problems
Some pests can cause health problems. Not only can some pests, like cockroaches, trigger allergens, but others, such as rodents like mice and rats, can also carry pathogens that can cause serious diseases.
Rodents
Rodents don’t just eat and contaminate 20 percent of the world’s food supply every year. They can carry pathogens that can cause diseases like tuberculosis, salmonella, and leptospirosis. Their urine, feces, and saliva are known to contribute to the spread of disease among humans.
Rats and mice can also bring fleas, mites and ticks with each infestation, increasing the number of pests in a home.
Cockroaches
Regardless of your age, pest control is important for those who might have certain conditions like asthma. A 2015 literature review included several studies that discussed the presence of cockroaches and asthma symptoms.
These pests can also carry bacteria, which when left in food could cause salmonella, streptococcus and staphylococcus. According to the World Health Organization, cockroaches can carry organisms that contribute to the spread of such diseases as dysentery, leprosy, cholera and typhoid fever. Although these diseases are not common in the United States, if you are traveling abroad, you should discuss your travel plans with your doctor to get advice on disease prevention.
Ants
While they may appear harmless at first sight, just like other pests, ants can cause certain health issues. They can transmit food-borne disease organisms like E. coli and salmonella. While living inside a home, ants can also pick up harmful bacteria from your garbage and carry it over to food and utensils.
Pests can damage your property
Besides being a threat to your health, pests may also damage your property. For instance, rats and mice can damage the internal structures within a home. They can gnaw on drywall and may burrow in insulation to make a nest. Additionally, rodents can chew on wires, which can lead to a fire hazard. The majority of this damage is well hidden, but a trained pest control professional can discover it before it’s too late.
Effective pest control with Terminix®
The importance of pest control is hard to ignore. The problems they can cause vary from minor damage to spreading disease. With timely control, it’s possible to discover and eliminate dangerous pests. Look to the professionals at Terminix to help you control a problem with pests in your home and investment properties.
About Tom Dunkle
Tom Dunkle is Business Development Manager/National Accounts at Terminix.
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