Why it is Important to Control Pests
Pests are common in both domestic and commercial settings, but are they really that bad? The short answer is a resounding yes! In this article we explore why it is important to control pests and give you some handy preventative advice.
Danger to Health
First and foremost, pests are a danger to health. Rodents (rats and mice) and insects such as flies and cockroaches carry and can transmit harmful bacteria and diseases. Diseases such as salmonella, Tuberculosis, Listeria, Foot and mouth disease to name just a few.
Cockroaches and flies also carry similar diseases as rodents. Exposure to Cockroach droppings can also cause Eczema and asthma. Then you have insect infestations like bed bugs, they feed on human blood and to get that they bite, they don’t spread disease but the bites themselves are a bit more than a minor irritant, the skin becomes very itchy and sore.
Damage to Property
As well as the risk to human health, pest can cause considerable damage to buildings and belongings.
Rodents in particular are likely to cause substantial damage to your property. Rat’s incisors continually grow, so to keep them under control they gnaw on hard materials, wood, concrete, copper pipes (like your gas and water pipes) and electric cables. It is quite common for an infestation of rodents to be the cause of an electrical failure, a fire or a flood!
Carpet beetles feed on natural fibres like wool and they can cause significant damage to your carpets and soft furnishings. Insects such as flies, stored product insects and weevils, on the other hand, will contaminate your food stuff.
Silverfish are destructive insects, whilst they are not harmful to humans, they will leave yellow stains on clothing and fabrics and make small holes in books and wallpaper. They will eat books, photos, wallpaper, plaster and any other household items containing starch or cellulose.
Moles can dig up to 18 feet per hour and this extensive tunnelling can cause a lot of damage to lawns, garden plants, disturb underground pipes and cabling and cause the ground to become unstable.
Business Risks
In a commercial setting pests are very bad news, especially for food businesses. An infestation of cockroaches for example, can put the business at risk of immediate closure by the local authorities. Rodents will cause costly damage to stock and birds can be the bane of any warehouse manager.
Escalation
The trouble with a pest infestation is that if you do not control it quickly it can escalate to a major problem in no time at all. For example, ants live in colonies which can hold up to 500,000 ants!
Typically, a female house mouse will give birth to a litter of 3-14 young at a time, the average size of a litter is 6-8. Each female will have 5 to 10 litters per year, so within a year you could have 80 mice from a single pair. Rats are not quite as prolific breeders but a single pair can produce up to 48 offspring a year and these multiply exponentially!
Pest Prevention
As with everything, prevention is better than a cure. Good hygiene habits, not leaving food exposed, blocking holes and access points and ensuring waste is disposed of in sealed containers will all help to prevent a pest infestation.
iX5 Pest Control
We offer pest control services for domestic premises and businesses in Northampton, Daventry, Rugby, Market Harborough, Towcester, Brackley, Wellingborough, Kettering, Corby, Olney and all of the surrounding areas. Our team of pest control specialists are available both evenings and weekends at no extra cost. Should you require pest control then call us on 01604 328545, email [email protected] or use our simple contact form.