First, what is a pest?
In the simplest form, the dictionary defines pest as destructive insects or other kinds of animals. They attack livestock, food, crops, and they even cause diseases. Bird droppings have been linked to more than 60 diseases.
Why Pest Control Is Important
Unfortunately, pests have become a part of human lives despite their disadvantages. Whether in your residential apartment or your office premises, you need pest control services. Here are some of the reasons you need pest management.
Avoid Property Damage
It may not be a problem when you see a pigeon hanging in a part of your roof. The problem is that their number will increase tremendously within a very short period. Therefore when you see just one bird, you should be thinking of how to remove it. When they become too many, their nests will also increase in number, and since nests are made of twigs, it is possible for them to block your trough and that may lead to flood or roof leakage. You don’t want to deal with flood and mold issues.
Apart from the fact that birds can damage your roof. Their droppings are acidic; they can damage your properties. They can even jeopardize the look of your property. When it gets to that stage, after removing them, you may have to re-paint your whole building. Do you know how much that will cost you? Prevention is always better, easier, and cheaper than cure.
Prevent Diseases
Bird droppings alone have been associated with more than 60 diseases and here are some examples of the diseases.
- Histoplasmosis: This is a fatal disease of the respiratory system. It is caused by fungi found in dried bird droppings.
- Candidiasis: It is a disease of the skin, urogenital tract, intestines, and respiratory system. It causes pain and itching. It also causes discharge in the vagina. It is a fungal infection spread by pigeons.
- Cryptococcosis: This ailment affects both pulmonary and central nervous systems. The yeast and fungi responsible for the disease are found in the intestinal tract of starlings and pigeons. They are usually found in roosting and nesting sites of pigeons.
- St. Louis Encephalitis: This disease is an inflammation of the nervous system. Its symptoms are fever, headache, and drowsiness. At a critical level, it may lead to paralysis, coma or death. It occurs in all age groups. This disease is spread by mosquitoes that have fed on the droppings of infected house sparrows and pigeons.
- Salmonellosis: This disease usually occurs as food poisoning which has been linked to bacteria found in bird droppings.
Birds are also carriers of ectoparasites that are harmful to humans and domestic animals. Find some examples of ectoparasites found in birds below.
- Bed bugs: These insects can suck the blood of humans and domestic animals making them weak and anemic. Starlings, pigeons, and house sparrows are usual carriers of bed bugs.
- West Nile Virus: This virus is not transmitted to humans directly. They are transmitted by mosquitoes that have bitten infected birds. So, if there are no birds around, there will be no infection to spread.
- Yellow mealworms: This is a very common parasite in the United States. It is usually found in grain products like cereals. It causes hymenolepiasis and canthariasis. The parasites live in pigeon nests.
- Chicken mites: These parasites are carriers of encephalitis, and it also causes ascariasis and fowl mite dermatitis. They are usually found around house sparrows, starlings, and pigeons.
Pest control does not only prevent diseases, but it also prevents accidents like slip and fall. Bird droppings are slippery, and when anyone steps on it, he or she may slip and fall. It could get even worse. What if the person is holding a bottle, a glass cup or any breakable item? The item will not only get broken, but it may also cut through the person carrying it. It is also possible that someone is carrying dangerous chemical or hot water slips and falls. The liquid substance will spill all over him or her.
Whether it is a slip and fall accident or disease-related issue, both will incur hospital bills. Are you ready for that? It stops at that if it occurs to you or your family member. If it happens to any of your tenants, you may face serious litigation also. The point is, you can avoid all the issues with regular pest control.
Penalty From Health Officials
If you run an eatery, a restaurant, an accommodation facility, or a food processing plant, you should never take the issue of pests lightly as the sight of insects or birds around your facility can lead to serious sanctions. You may be fined, your business may be shut down and the worst of all, you may lose your customers. As mentioned earlier, you can avoid all with pest management.
Maintain The Value Of Your Building
Having pests all over your building will reduce its value. It will reduce the value by an amount that is much more than what it will cost you to get rid of the pests. One thing you should bear in mind is that people use the exterior of buildings to assess its interior. If the walls of your home have been defaced by nests and bird droppings, the chances are high that the interior will not be in good condition too. So, if you plan to sell your home anytime soon, having pests around may jeopardize your chances of selling it and reduce its value.
Reasons You Should Not Handle Pest Control Yourself
Having learned of the advantages of having pests around, you will find yourself at the crossroads of either to hire a professional pest control service provider or handle it yourself. The truth is, whatever is worth doing is worth doing well. Do you realize that when you successfully get rid of some pests, they may return after a while? Therefore pest control experts usually offer a guarantee.
Apart from that, it is against the law to kill certain birds. You could find yourself at the wrong side of the law if you mistakenly kill some birds while trying to get them away from your home. Here are other reasons you should not handle it yourself.
You Don’t Understand The Behavior Of Certain Pests
Since it is not your field, you may not understand how certain pests behave and as such you may also not be aware of the best chemicals or methods for each type of pests. Even if you know the chemical to use, it is also better you understand the right dosage.
Yes, you may decide to do research but whatever information you come across is general information, and every pest infestation is unique. If you use repellent insecticide for Pharaoh’s ants, it won’t repel them. It will only force them to break their colony into several parts making them more difficult to control.
Coming In Contact With Strong Chemicals
Some chemicals are dangerous for pets and humans, and you may not be able to handle. They may come in contact with your skin. Apart from that, some of these chemicals give off harmful gases. Only certified pest controllers can handle such chemicals. They understand how to get rid of pests while causing the least damage.
Lack Of The Right Tools For The Job
Even if you have a little pest control knowledge, you may not have the right tools for the job. Without good tools, you can’t get the best results from your efforts.
Not Getting To The Main Cause Of The Pest Problem
Before professional pest controllers get rid of pests, they usually find out what attracted them in the first place. If you get rid of pests without removing their attraction or without blocking their point of entry, you will have them back sooner than you expect. You may be able to kill off cockroaches with spray, but you may not be able to find out what attracted them. On the other hand, professional pest control service providers will not only find out the cause of the infestation, but they will also work on the cause to prevent re-occurrence of the infestation.
In summary, it is important to hire professional pest controllers as quickly as you start seeing pests around. The earlier you contact them, the easier it is for them to get rid of the pests and the cheaper it is for you.
Alliance Pest Services can solve and prevent your pest problems. Give us a call today and let us know how we can be of assistance.