10 Dangers of Avoiding Pest Control
Ants, ticks, fleas, cockroaches, and rodents are some of the many pests that can invade your home any time of year. Vermin can be detrimental to your overall health and your property structure. Ignoring the problem and thinking it’ll go away on its own may be one of the biggest mistakes a homeowner can make. Here are 10 dangers of avoiding pest control services.
1. Infestation
It only takes one cockroach, tick, or termite to get into your home before they quickly begin multiplying. According to Get One Desk, nearly 50% of American homeowners deal with an ant infestation annually. Rodents are some of the fastest-multiplying vermin to deal with, as they have a very short gestation period of between 21 and 23 days, according to Science Direct. Therefore, a mature female rat can have several litters in one year. As her litter matures, they too can quickly reproduce.
In the insect world, termites have a rodent’s fertility beat. According to Pest World, underground colonies of subterranean termites can number in the millions. With millions of termites eating away at your home, you may quickly find that you no longer have a livable structure. Early intervention by pest control services can help.
2. Property Damage
Termites and carpenter ants are some of the most destructive insects to invade a structure. It only takes two years for a mature termite colony to destroy a home, according to Bug Master Pest Control. One termite eats about 2% of its body weight in wood every day, according to Today’s Homeowner. So, imagine how much wood millions of termites can eat. Remember, termites and carpenter ants like any wood, so your classic wooden furniture can also be in danger.
Rodents have sharp teeth that allow them to burrow through most materials with ease. They can even chew through electrical wires. Frayed wires can be a fire hazard and expensive to repair. When you notice any of these things, immediately contact expert pest control services.
3. Food Contamination
When roaches and rodents enter your home, food and shelter are at the top of their list. Because of the diseases they spread, any food supply they infiltrate becomes contaminated. Rodents tend to urinate and defecate all over the place, including areas where food is stored. Therefore, you can expect to throw out any food these pests have infiltrated to protect you and your family’s health. Depending on how bad the infestation is and how much food is ruined, it could be detrimental to your home budget. Regardless of the financial toll it may take, always dispose of contaminated food to protect your household.
4. Lower Property Value
For most people, a home is their largest asset. That’s why people are constantly working on increasing their home value. With more home value, you have more equity, greater net worth, and more to leave your heirs in the future. What if the home you’ve worked so hard to buy and maintain suffers decreased value because of pests? This can happen if you ignore an obvious pest infestation due to all the damage and contamination they can cause to your structures and surrounding landscape.
5. Disease
One of the worst aspects of avoiding pest control services is exposure to illness. Rats are the most common carriers of leptospirosis and can spread the potentially fatal hantavirus, according to the NYS Department of Health. Turning to pest control services will help you and your family avoid these illnesses.
Mosquitoes spread the West Nile virus, dengue fever, Zika virus, yellow fever, chikungunya, and malaria. While many of these diseases are rare in the United States, exposure to any of them can make you ill with fever, rashes, vomiting, chills, joint pain, and more. Pest control solutions help to eliminate large populations of mosquitos on your property.
Humans can get Lyme disease from ticks. According to Public Health JHU, Lyme disease treatment in the United States costs between $712 million and $1.3 billion annually. The early signs of Lyme disease may include a rash, fever, chills, and headache. However, late-stage severe complications can include neurological and heart problems.
6. Stress
Your mental and emotional health is as important as your physical health. As noted, pests can be a major detriment to your physical health and safety due to the spread of disease and food contamination. However, imagine the emotional trauma it can also cause.
After all, it may be hard to sleep soundly at night, knowing that bed bugs can come out at any time and bite you. It may be hard to peacefully enjoy the outdoors or your landscape with fleas and ticks hiding there. Luckily, pest control services can help any homeowner reduce stress and have peace of mind thanks to their professional methods of removing existing infestations and preventing further ones.
7. Disturbed Pets
Pests aren’t just a problem for humans. If you have beloved animals on your property, they may also be disturbed by certain insects, such as ticks and fleas. Ticks and fleas tend to hide in your landscape, so if you have overgrown grass, you’re providing an easy habitat for them. They tend to latch onto your pet and suck their blood.
Ticks must be carefully removed; otherwise, you risk their needle-like mouths getting stuck in the animal’s skin. If you notice your beloved pet excessively scratching or developing sores, it may be due to being overrun by these annoying insects. Your poor pet may need a few visits to the vet due to an infestation of ticks. Care may include blood work and antibiotics.
8. Forced Relocation
The earlier you handle your pest problem, the less likely you are to need to move from your home. If your home becomes overrun with an infestation, you may need to leave while pest control services fumigate temporarily. However, you may have to move permanently and suffer a financial loss after termite destruction.
9. Expenses
Don’t think you’re saving money by avoiding pest control services. It’s often the opposite due to the property destruction and health issues that can result from an invasion. According to Pest World, termites cause more than $5 billion in property damage annually. Imagine how much you’ll pay in medical bills if you or someone else in the home develops Lyme disease, West Nile virus, or an infection from too many bedbug bites.
10. Bites
Even if you don’t get sick, the bites that result from a pest infestation can be annoying, stressful, and cause skin problems. A bedbug infestation can result in waking up with several welts that resemble chickenpox. Mosquitoes can lay up to 100 eggs at once in standing water, according to the CDC. Therefore, if you have drainage issues that cause hundreds of mosquitoes to gather on your property, you may spend the summer trying to heal several itchy bites. In some cases, rats have also been known to bite.
As you can see, a pest problem is never something to ignore. Pests can quickly multiply and overrun your home. Before you know it, you may have contaminated food and develop an illness. Termites can eat away at your home, while ticks and fleas can stress your pets. Thanks to professional pest control services, you, your family, and your pets can live comfortably, knowing that suspected vermin will be eradicated and prevented from returning. To get rid of pests in Memphis, Tennessee, call All-State Pest & Lawn, our family-run pest control business today.