Do you have a rodent, spider, ant, or wasp infestation in your home walls, floors or roof? If so, do you know that it is not a good idea to live together with these pests in your living space?
Why?
At the outset of this article, before we answer the “why”, it is important to remember that each of these creatures was initially designed with a specific purpose and role in the natural ecology. They only become pests when they move into our living spaces.
For example:
- Ants, especially carpenter ants eat the cellulose in wood and in so doing they break down dead trees and return vital nutrients to the soil.
- Spiders, on the other hand, play an essential role in reducing the numbers of other insect pests like mosquitos.
- Thirdly, wasps play a vital role in the global ecology in that they destroy caterpillars and other pests that are known to destroy crops.
- Lastly, rodents such as mice play a leading role between predator and plant. Furthermore, they are the primary food source of predators like owls, eagles, and hawks.
Why pests are dangerous when they cohabit with humankind
Now that we have discussed the ecological importance of the pests mentioned above, let’s look at why each of these creatures can be a dangerous pest:
- Ants: As mentioned above, species like termites and carpenter ants break down old wood by digesting the cellulose in the wood. Therefore, they are capable of destroying wooden walls, floors and roofs as well as wooden furniture and fittings when they move into your home. Worst case scenario, if an ant infestation is left unchecked, it will destroy your home.
- Spiders: The spider bite itself is not harmful to humans; however, some spiders contain necrotic or neurotoxic venom which can, depending on the strength of the venom, cause anything from painful bite wounds to even death of the person bitten. It is also worth noting that children, especially babies, can succumb to venomous spider bites before adults do.
- Rodents: Mice can carry diseases like Hantavirus, listeria, and salmonellosis and spread them to human populations via their droppings in urine. Worst case scenario they can, and have been known, to carry plagues like the Bubonic Plague. Additionally, mice urine is also known to cause asthma and other allergies that can cause difficulty in breathing.
- Wasps: Individual wasps are not necessarily dangerous. However, they can give you a nasty sting. Their danger lies their numbers. They are incredibly aggressive when their nests are approached and will not hesitate to drive people (and animals) away from their nests. Wasps are different from bees in that they do not die after they have stung their prey once. Wasps can sting multiple times. Like bees, people are sometimes allergic to wasp stings. And, when stung enough, can go into anaphylaxis shock and die.
Final words
Based on the above content, it is easy to conclude that it is critical to remove pest infestations before they get out of control. Thus, it is best to contact a pest control company like Pointe Pest Control as they have the tools and knowledge to remove all of these pests safely and professionally.