Effects of Pests on Human Health
Your home should be a haven for you and your family. There’s nowhere else in the world where you should feel safer.
But it shouldn’t be a haven for insects, rodents, and other pests that can cause disease and affect your family’s health. These pests can cause a range of health problems, some of which you may not even be aware of.
Here are a few of the effects of pests on human health.
Pests Trigger Allergic Reactions
Pests can trigger allergic reactions when in close contact with an allergic person.
For many, being bit or stung poses the greatest risk of a reaction. Wasps, hornets, and bees are the biggest culprits.
A severe allergic reaction to a bee sting is potentially life-threatening and requires emergency treatment. It can result in anaphylaxis, leading to difficulty breathing, swelling of the throat and tongue, nausea and vomiting, dizziness, and loss of consciousness.
Even if you aren’t allergic, someone else in your family might be. In addition, these stings are painful to humans and pets.
Pests Compromise Food Sources
Even if you don’t directly interact with pests, they can still make you sick. One such way is through compromised food sources.
The CDC has a list of nasty (and sometimes hard to pronounce) diseases spread by rodents. One you have probably heard of is Salmonellosis or salmonella infection. This infection is caused by drinking or eating food contaminated by rat droppings.
Symptoms of salmonella include fever, stomach cramps, and diarrhea. Young children, the elderly, and those with a weakened immune system are especially vulnerable to infection. But even a healthy adult can become infected.
This is just one example. Even if they don’t make you sick, do you want to discover rat droppings in your house? Or open your food to find cockroaches have compromised it?
Dangers Through Touch and Inhalation
Various rodents such as rats and mice leave behind the fecal matter, which can be dangerous when inhaled and touched. Their saliva, feces and urine carry bacteria that spread viruses and diseases. The hantavirus is one virus and can be life-threatening.
The Effects of Pests on Human Health Aren’t Only Physical
The effects of pests on your health are more than the obvious physical effects. Having an infestation in your home is stressful and damaging to your mental health. It can cause insomnia or exacerbate anxiety.
Plus, pests can trigger existing phobias such as chiroptophobia (fear of bats) or ophidiophobia (fear of snakes).
Contact NJ Pest Control for Your Pest Control Needs
These are just a few of the effects of pests and rodents on one’s health. That’s why you need expert pest control; these pests are more than just icky creepy crawlies you don’t like seeing.
Applying the wrong methods of pest control can also contribute to health problems. That’s why at NJ Pest Control we use environmentally friendly pest control methods and use non-chemical treatments whenever possible. We’re also licensed and insured, so you know your home is in good hands with us.
NJ Pest Control is your local expert in pest control. We can create a customized treatment plan to protect you from pests, keeping your family and pets safe. Don’t hesitate to contact us for your pest control needs so you can avoid the dangerous effects of pests on human health.
