Pest can be insanely dangerous for people and their pets. They cause food poisoning, spread diseases and can cause huge damage to your property. Here is how different pests affect your health and how you can get rid of them. 

What Pests Can Affect Your Health?

Mice such as deer mouse and common house mouse can spread diseases like salmonella, listeria, and Hantavirus. They spread them through their droppings, saliva, urine, and nesting materials. Since their teeth keep growing over their whole lifespan, they always need to chew on something to maintain their teeth. Not only can their chewing damage your property and start electrical fires, but this is also how they will keep their saliva behind on things you may accidentally touch and get infected.2

Rats such as Norway rats and Roof rats can transmit serious diseases to pets, people, and livestock by biting, contamination, or physical contact. Just like mice, rats also keep chewing things and causing damage to the property and personal belongings. They also bring fleas and ticks into your house. Fleas are concerning due to the fact that they carry various types of bacteria. They can also transit tapeworms and the deer tick that poses a serious risk for causing Lyme disease. Rats can also cause food poisoning and transmit diseases such as Murine typhus, Leptospirosis, Rat-Bite Fever (RBF), Trichinosis and Plague. 

Cockroaches such as small German cockroaches are not only creepy and disgusting. They are also highly unsanitary. They are actual little scavengers who crawl through trash and sewers and eat anything they find on their way to survive. Their saliva, dropping, and decomposing bodies contain allergen proteins that are linked with causing various health issues like childhood breathing issues like asthma. There are 33 known kinds of bacteria that can be spread by cockroaches and that includes food borne illnesses like E. coli and salmonella. Also, there are 7 kind of human pathogens and 6 types of parasitic worms that can be spread by cockroaches. They can usually enter homes through cracks in the flooring, through the drains and they live in dirty floor drains. 

Bed bugs can be just as problematic as other pests. If you end up having bed bug infestation, it can take even up to one year to fully get rid of the bed bugs. The problematic side of them is that they feed off of you while you sleep, so you won’t be able to rest properly during the night. While they can’t transmit and spread diseases, you can still have allergic reactions from their bites. For instance, some people had large uncomfortable, itchy blood or fluid-filled welts. Luckily, they are harmless and temporary. 

How can you protect against these concerning pests?

The best solution is prevention. You need to pest proof. 

These are some of the most effective pest-proofing ways to protect your home and your health from pests:

• Always store dry food items such as grains, cereals, bird seeds, pet food, and so on. Use lightly sealed glass, metal, or plastic containers with secure lids. 

• Avoid using cardboard boxes and use quality rubbers or plastic containers instead. 

• Regularly clean and sanitise your kitchen sink, floors, and counters. 

• Invest in a quality bed bug mattress covers, pillow encasements, and box spring covers.

• Wash your kids’ backpacks, pencil cases, spare clothing, and pencil cases frequently.

• Fix any water and plumbing leaks both indoor and outdoor.

• Seal up crevices and cracks around your doors, windows, eaves, and chimney.

• Make sure your windows have weather stripping and tightly fitted screens. 

• Use weather stripping under doors.

• Make sure you cover attic vents, dryer vents, and soffits with fine mesh metal screening.

• Secure your garbage, compost, and recycling bins with tights lids.

• Maintain your lawn – trim the trees, cut the grass, take care of shrubs and bushes. Also remove dead wood and yard waste.

Conclusion

In conclusion, pest can be very damaging both for you property and your health. Not only can they cause huge damage to your living area but they can also transmit serious diseases and cause food poisoning. The best remedy is to prevent the infestation from happening in the first place. The above-written tips will help you easily keep your home pest-free and healthy for living.