The harmful effects of rodents to your health and home
Wherever you go, you will always miss home. Everybody wants to stay in a safe, comfortable, and healthy environment. How we interact and work is a result of where we live. Therefore, our homes should offer us a haven from all the harm. In fact, for us to function to optimum efficiency, we need to be healthy. As they say, real wealth is not gold and silver, but health is. Let’s look at the effects of one common pest in our homes, the rodents.
Diseases
A rodent is a collective name for mammals with a single pair of incisors in the upper and lower jaws. These are rats, squirrels, mice, porcupine, among others. Due to their small bodies, they live among humans in homes, and they spread several diseases. There are numerous unwanted diseases pets can bring right to your doorstep. Here are a number of them:
Weil’s disease
It features a bacterial infection, contacted by people from rat’s urine, which contaminates surfaces, food, or water. Mostly this ailment thrives in warm climates. It is easy to get the disease as one goes about house chores like cleaning.
- Rat-bite disease
If infected rodents bite or scratch you, apart from the pain you are likely to suffer a rat-bite fever, you could contact the same from consuming contaminated food or water and merely handling it. This disease poses a high risk as anyone can be a victim in homes.
- Plague
Fleas on rats cause a type of plague which has adverse effects on humans. Being a severe infection poses a health risk to people and, as such, contributes to the many harmful impacts of rodents on our health.
- Hantavirus
Infections may be acquired when droppings and urine from rodents stir in the air. Additionally, touching the nose, eyes, and mouth with infected hands cause the spread. Other than that, if you get a bite from the animal, you are not safe either.
Economic effects
Who would ever think that such a small mammal can be behind the loss of 1% of grains in the world? Yes, we greatly underestimate their impact; it poses a threat to food production, which will not allow meeting the world market demand for agricultural products. These pests invade plantations, which significantly affects the harvest, and also storage facilities where food stays before distribution for consumption. Apart from a quantity reduction due to wastage and spillage, the farm produce may be a totally a waste if contaminated and hence unsuitable for use. The cost of controlling pests has a toll on the economy.
Structural damage.
Gnawing and nesting are natural with rats. They need to make a pleasant place to stay, offices, and any building destructs, as the rodent makes a hidden nest. More damage incidentally occurs as insulation suffers too; they go after any material, whether wood, plastic, or metal. As a result, we may experience water leakages is they decide to chew water pipes or short circuits if these pests chew through to the wire. Fires and floods in homes may come up due to the rodents. Furniture and other valuable items at home are compromised if the rodent reaches them. More often than not, essential documents and expensive clothing suffer some damage.
Environmental effect
To control the rodents, you will turn to reliable experts like Monroe pest control services. Chemicals put into use affect other species, which are not the target. Additionally, when there is an invasion, there is a decline or extinction of different species in the ecosystem during elimination, which is not suitable for the environment. The air we breathe is not safe, and people may contact allergies from the surrounding. What about the noise? Rodents are a nuisance considering they live on ceilings or far corners. As they chew materials and play around, it makes one very uncomfortable.
Pests Are Not Your Friends
In conclusion, there are numerous effects of rodents on our homes and health. It is critical because our health being the most important, is at stake. As the rodent invade our homes, they are carriers of diseases and pests that are harmful to our bodies. The environment we live in becomes risky, considering that most people are ignorant of the dangers posed by this pest. Our economy shakes too; some resources go to control these invasions since the food production needs protection. Failing to meet the demand for agricultural produce is blamed on the Rodents.