Why Pest Control Is Important?
Pest control is important for a multitude of reasons. The cleanliness of the home, the prevention of damage, and the safety and well-being of your family all hinge on eliminating rodents, vermin, and insects from your household. This is not a matter of inconvenience, but rather a matter of keeping yourself and your family safe.
Shockingly enough, Nashville takes its place as number seventeen on Consumer Affairs “Top 20 cities most common for mosquitoes” list while Memphis is listed as number six on “Top 20 cities with the most termites” (Parkman).
These common Tennessee pests can prove to be as destructive as they are unsettling. According to the Smithsonian Museum Conservation Institute, “Termites can pose a threat to furniture, but are usually more interested in the wooden building” (Wachowiak). Keeping them around would be detrimental to the house and costly for the owner.
Mosquitoes cause of millions of deaths each year as they are the most disease ridden of insects (Parkman). These winged pests can carry diseases including Eastern Equine Encephalitis, West Nile Virus, and Zika Virus: each of these diseases have frightening symptoms (Parkman).
Bedbugs can make life unpleasant. These creatures thrive on the blood of both animals and humans. Their bites are not only irritating, but also “… increasing the chance of a secondary skin infection” (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) as scratching the bumps they cause can leaves skin vulnerable to germs.
According to the CDC, ticks can carry a vast array of disease including rickettsiosis, tickborne relapsing fever, southern tick-associated rash illness, tularemia, lyme disease, Rocky Mountain spotted fever, Powassan disease, bourbon virus, colorado tick fever, ehrlichiosis, heartland virus, anaplasmosis, babesiosis, borrelia mayonii, and borrelia miyamotoi (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention).
It is important to address the necessary removal of local wildlife. Although they look benign, racoons carry disease. Waste caused by raccoons carries the airborne disease raccoon roundworm. Even if you do not come into contact with these creatures, simply having them live near you puts you at risk of this extremely dangerous virus (Lim). Rabies, leptospirosis, and salmonella are all especially concerning diseases that racoons can carry (Lim).
Squirrels not only can damage your property but also can carry rabies, tularemia, lyme disease, leptospirosis, and salmonellosis (Critter Control). Finally, moles can destroy the appearance of even the most perfectly maintained lawn. A pest to both your garden and your health, moles can potentially introduce rabies or ticks and fleas into your life (Critter Control).
Although small and, quite frankly, adorable voles can do an outstanding amount of damage. These creatures also referred to as “meadow mice” eat away at tree bark, potentially cutting off the necessary water and nutrients (Critter Control). Furthermore, they can destroy a prized garden, tunnel through a well-kept lawn, and spread the ticks and fleas they harbor (Critter Control). Each of these animals can spread disease to you, your children, or your pets, lower property value, damage the exterior of the home, create potentially dangerous situations, or just drive you and your dogs out of your mind.
Author: Briana Hiatt
Arizona State University
References
- AustinPUG Health. 4 Common Infectious Diseases Spread by Raccoons. 9 July 2013. 4 May 2021.
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Bed Bug FAQs. 16 September 2020. 4 May 2021.
- Diseases Transmitted by Ticks. 2 April, 2020. 4 May 2021.
- Critter Control. Diseases That Squirrels Carry. n.d. 4 May 2021.
- Voles. n.d. May 4 2021.
- Parkman, Kathryn. Pest Control Statistics and Trends: We Surveryed Consumers to Learn Which Prests Bug Them the Most. 28 April 2021. 4 May 2021.
- Wackowiak, Melvin. Biological Deterioration &Damage to Furniture & Wooden Objects. n.d. 4 May 2021.
