Besides causing a foul odor in your home, pests also bring damage to the home as well as health risks. Living with pests mean having contaminated surfaces, and some people might even develop strong allergies to these pests.
Keep reading to learn more about how pest infestations can affect your health.
Looking for pest infestation control services?
The Impact of Pest Infestations on Your Health
Allergies
Whether you have a rodent infestation or an insect infestation, there is always the risk that someone in your household has allergies. Some species, in particular, may even aggravate asthma. Just by being present in your walls, pests can cause and worsen allergies through their droppings, dander, and decaying remains. They may also create dust that causes allergies.
Diseases
Many pests spread and cause diseases. Coming into contact with cockroaches or rodents, for example, may lead to salmonella, dysentery, or gastroenteritis. If you’re exposed to rodent droppings or urine, you could also be at risk of hantavirus and Weil’s disease. Bird droppings can lead to pneumonia, e-coli, and listeria.
Although some of these diseases are rare, it’s still a risk when there are pests of any kind living in your home. Even if you try, you may be unable to prevent them from coming into contact with your water supply or air vents and filters, which can still lead to dangerous diseases.
Bites and Stings
A lot of pests either bite or sting if they come across humans. Even if you aren’t allergic to them, any pest that bites or stings presents a serious danger to you. You never know what diseases or germs these pests are carrying, and when they bite or sting you, these diseases and germs may spread to you.
Pests such as bed bugs, spiders, and wasps or hornets are responsible for the most bites and stings. Although you may think of these bites or stings as just a nuisance, it’s important to note that wasps, hornets, and spiders are responsible for thousands of hospitalizations every year.
Even if you aren’t allergic, some wasps can leave nasty stings. Some spiders are poisonous, and a bite from one may require immediate and urgent medical attention.
Mental Health
Pests may not directly cause a decline in your mental health, but they can impact it. After getting rid of a pest infestation, many people suffer from anxiety or insomnia as they worry that the pests will come back. Some people may even develop a phobia of certain pests and find it harder to go about their day than before.
If a pest infestation is allowed to get out of control, the stress and strain of repairing damages can also have an effect on your mental health. Even if the damage isn’t too extensive, spending time and money on repairs can be draining and stressful for anyone.
Contaminated Water
Any type of pest, whether rodent or insect, can get into and contaminate your water without you knowing. Drinking or ingesting this contaminated water can lead to both diseases and other health problems.
If you drink contaminated water, you may suffer from stomach problems and vomiting or diarrhea, or you may feel faint or dizzy. If you’re allergic to the contaminant in the water, you may also have trouble breathing and see hives, rashes, or swelling appear. Not knowing what’s contaminating the water can make it harder for medical professionals to help.
Conclusion
Even for those who have no allergies, pest infestation can cause drastic health problems. You may develop new allergies because of them, suffer from worse allergies, or contract a disease such as Lyme’s disease. The longer you go without treating a pest infestation, the worse your health will be impacted.
Many pests bring diseases and toxic contaminants with them that can be hard to avoid or treat. While you may not always be able to prevent an infestation, reacting as soon as possible reduces the negative effects that the infestation has on your health.
In order to prevent and reduce the risks of a pest infestation, it’s important that you have a qualified professional examine and treat your home. With the proper care and prevention plan in place, you can do a lot to keep you and your family safe from the many dangerous health risks that pests pose.
Brandon is the President of Drake Lawn and Pest Control in Orlando, FL . He has over 30 years experience in the Orlando Pest Control Industry. He attributes his achievements to living by these rules: continuous training and education, providing honest work and striving for the pursuit of perfect service.
