When we see a cockroach crawling on the wall or floor, we either hit them with a slipper or flee in terror. If you’re the type to bravely kill roaches, do you also look around for its companions? Although many cockroaches just enter a home by chance, sometimes, that roach is about to lay eggs. And if those eggs hatched in one of your crawlspaces, you’d be dealing with a colony of roaches that would also reproduce, until they invade their home.
An invasion may sound like an exaggeration, but that can become the case if you don’t tackle a pest problem well. One pest is one too many. Besides their rapid reproduction abilities, here are the rest of why you shouldn’t ignore pests in your home:
1. They Might Carry Diseases
According the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), cockroaches carry bacteria that can transfer to food. Those bacteria can cause salmonella, staphylococcus, and streptococcus.
World Health Organization (WHO) says that cockroaches have been known to act as carriers of intestinal diseases, including diarrhea, cholera, dysentery, and typhoid fever.
Mice and other types of rodents are the same. A common house mouse can transmit hantavirus, salmonella, and listeria. They release those bacteria through their urine, droppings, or saliva.
Mosquito, another common household pest, is of course the deadliest animal in the world. A single mosquito bite can cause life-threatening dengue fever or Triple E. Hence, if any of these pests seem to linger in your space, take measures to get rid of them at once.
2. They May Bite
Cockroaches, thankfully, do not bite, but their sharp leg spines may cut your skin. If the cockroach is carrying bacteria, the cut it left may become infected.
Rodents, on the other hand, may bite if threatened. And besides the bacteria their saliva can transmit, rodents can also be infected with rabies. If you get bitten by a rabid rodent, you should seek medical attention immediately.
Spiders, though mostly harmless to humans, may also bite if you found them at the wrong place. Bites from a black widow, tarantula, and brown recluse spiders are thankfully non-fatal but can cause uncomfortable symptoms. And a bite from a brown recluse, in particular, is deadly for children under seven years old.
If you have pets, watch out for ticks, too. They may bring deer ticks, a breed that’s known for causing Lyme disease.
And if ants are the only pest problem in your abode, don’t be assured right away that they’re harmless. Those could be fire ants, which can be found from picnic grounds and playgrounds. Their stings would hurt, and if left untreated, they can be fatal.
3. They Can Damage Your Property
Rodents like to chew on wires and other household items. You’d find evidence of their nibbling when you check your crawlspaces and find frayed wiring. They can also invade your kitchen and bite on fruit or food packaging.
If termites are the pests that found sanctuary in your home, the consequences could be catastrophic. Termites don’t just chew on wood, but also on paper. If you have a library or any wooden storage space with books in it, termites will mercilessly destroy them. They’d also leave mud tubes, small, tunnel-like debris that’s made of dirt, liquid excretions, and fecal matter.
As such, termites are one of the pests that you should never ever ignore. Unfortunately, they can be hard to spot. The only time you’d discover their presence is after they’ve left mud tubes. So if you live in an area where termite invasion is common, seek termite treatment services. It will tackle the root of the problem, helping you prevent termites from accessing your property.
4. They Don’t Make Good Pets
This is for those who wonder if they can accept the mice in their home as part of the family. Rodents like mice do make good pets, but those that come from the sewers may carry dangerous bacteria, not to mention rabies. If you’d like to adopt a rodent, choosing a domesticated one from a registered breeder is your best option. But if you developed a fondness for the rodent on your property, don’t handle them without consulting an animal expert first. That rodent should be brought to the vet first so that you can confirm if they’re safe. If the rodent is feral, just drive it away from your home and let it live in the wild. It would be better off in its natural habitat.
Now that you know the potential impact of pests, stay alert once you see one. Don’t let the problem grow before fixing it.
