The health of both humans and animals is threatened if they encounter some of the most common pests out there, like ticks, for example. For pets, life gets easier when their owners brush their hair every day and find harmful invaders. But who is going to take care of humans? Unfortunately, or maybe, fortunately, it is up to us to take care of ourselves.
As time passed and society has developed a more effective way to fight diseases, it may be a fair thing to say that we have eliminated most of the dangers in our external environment, but the ecosystem has its own way of taking care of itself and some of our enemies in nature still exist.
Some of the most common pests out there sometimes seem indestructible, but, at least, we can do something to protect ourselves. Ticks, cockroaches, mosquitoes, bed bugs, mice and rats, even though they seem harmless, can cause a lot of damage to our health and we are going to tell you all about how they can cause disease.
General thoughts
Pests are insects and animals that can cause damage to your crops, food, livestock, and health. If you think about the damage an insect or an animal can cause to your crops or home, it’s not a surprise that you can find a lot of ways in which they can do that. But when we talk about health, the most damage comes from the fact that they carry bacteria.
Because of all the diseases pests can carry, it is important to keep your home pest-free and try to identify all of the problems that might appear while you are doing that. Finding the most appropriate solutions for every type of pest after you identify the most common ones in your area is essential for a healthy home environment.
Cockroaches
Cockroaches are ugly and disgusting, but if that was the only problem, we could live together happily ever after. Don’t think that because Asian people eat cockroaches, they are safe to eat. First of all, they are not the same kind of cockroaches and they usually cook them first.
Cockroaches are dangerous because of two main reasons: they carry bacteria and they can cause allergies.
The most common bacteria that they can carry are Salmonella typhi and the bacteria that cause dysentery, but also the virus that causes poliomyelitis. Salmonella typhi is known to cause typhoid fever and there is no need to talk about poliomyelitis. Dysentery is a disease that can cause diarrhea and it might even lead to bleeding stools.
The other concern when it comes to cockroaches is the allergies they cause. You might think that if you do not touch them or directly come into contact with them, they can not cause allergies, but we are not talking about skin allergies. We are talking about air allergies.
A disgusting thing that you might have overlooked is that cockroaches leave their poop and their urine wherever they go. These fecal and urine matters contain substances that can cause allergies to some people and it is really important to get rid of cockroaches in your environment if you know you have asthma or any kinds of allergies.
Bed bugs
You might have heard of bed bugs and you have probably thought that you cannot have these critters in your bed because you can not see them. Well, you will be surprised that this pest is also called “the invisible enemy”. That’s right, it’s because it is so small that you can hardly see it, especially when it is in its early stages.
Bed bugs cannot kill you and they don’t carry any disease, but the main problem they can cause is allergies. Bed bugs are known to bite people, and some of them develop allergies. As with cockroaches, their urine and fecal matters can cause respiratory allergies so it is best to try to avoid sleeping with these small creatures.
Even though many people believe that bed bugs only live in people’s beds, you have to know that they can live in theatres, public transportation, and all sorts of buildings. So, that means that you can get them from the bus, from a hotel room or a sleepover. You can get them even at your office.
Bed bugs live as long as they have something to feed on, and you, sleeping in your bed all night, are their perfect source of food.
Mosquitoes
All over history mosquitoes have been known to be one of the most dangerous pests out there. Besides the fact that they can be annoying at night while you may be trying to sleep, and even though after they bite you, the rash you get is very itchy and can last for a few days, that is not the danger. Rashes pass and the discomfort passes at the same speed.
But mosquitoes are known to carry viruses that can cause a lot of deaths. It is not surprising to know that in the past they have been known as the insects who bring death. They can carry the West Nile virus, the Dengue virus, Eastern Equine Encephalitis virus or the Zika virus.
West Nile fever is very dangerous because it has no treatment. It is spread by mosquitoes only. However, you can get infected with the virus, but not develop West Nile fever. Only one in 150 people develop the fever and it can become fatal. The Dengue virus has flu-like symptoms and it weakens the immune system.
There are several ways to protect yourself from mosquitoes during the summer when they are active. That involves wearing skin repellents and wearing long-sleeved clothes. That is not always possible, so it might be a good idea to find solutions to keep them out of your homes and office spaces.
Mice
Mice are tiny lovely creatures that can make you say “aww” when you watch a funny video on social media. Women usually scream if they see one around the house, but for the wrong reasons. Mice can not attack you, they usually run away when they see humans, but during their visit inside your home, they leave urine and fecal matter.
The problem is that mice’s urine dries in about 30 seconds. That’s a problem because you can not spot it so that you can clean it and it can make your home a bacteria friendly environment. A good idea is to try to cover all the holes that may be an entrance for mice and use pest repellants specially made for mice.
Rats
Rats may seem as harmful as mice, but they are a little bit more harmful. They are more aggressive and they can bite you and, even if they don’t pee all the time as mice do, the vapors from their urine can be harmful to your health. Their poo may also contain pathogens.
Children might be harmed by playing on the floor in places where rats have peed, so it’s a good idea to keep your home rat-free.
If you find a rat inside your home, don’t think it is a good idea to remove it yourself. Like we’ve said before, they can be aggressive and they might attack you during the process. So a good idea would be to contact specialized teams who deal with these kinds of problems and, in the future, to invest in some rat repellent systems that can keep you safe.
Conclusions
In the past, people’s homes sometimes became one of their worst enemies because they didn’t have the resources to get rid of the most dangerous pests for their health. That is why there were a lot of epidemics and a lot of people died because of all sorts of diseases like the bubonic plague.
Since then, it has been the main concern for scientists to find out how diseases are transmitted and how we can prevent them. Pests are one of the most common disease spreaders.
Children are the most exposed to the diseases pests spread because they play on the floor all the time. That is why it is essential to keep your home healthy and pest free. A good idea is to invest in healthy pest repellents and find solutions to keep away these enemies by researching before buying and by purchasing good quality and effective products.
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