Why Pest Control Matters

Learn Why Pest Control Is Important

Pest control is defined as the management of a species referred to as a pest. As there are many ways to regulate them (including using chemicals) therefore a professional pest control company is usually hired. The controlling process can take place in a residential home, commercial or public building. Many different techniques (baits, traps, insecticides etc.) are used to manage pests.

This removal process aims to destroy insects and other pest that have established a presence in a given area. Pests may bite, destroy property and destroy food. As we all know, a pest can make life difficult for human beings. Most pest species can also cause disease which is why it’s crucial to remove and prevent them from breeding.

To be able to regulate pests effectively, you have to understand their life cycle and habits. The first step in pest control is the identification process. Once a pest species has been identified correctly, it will be easy to take the appropriate steps to eliminate them.

The Importance Of Pest Treatment

It’s a fact that a pest can have harmful effects on you and members of your family. Sharing your home with pests such as cockroaches, rodents, mosquitoes, ticks, termites, fleas and mosquitoes can put your family at a great health risk.

Some pests such as cockroaches carry allergens and disease in their bodies. Fleas will feed on your blood and the blood of any other warm blooded animal in your home. Rats and mice can eat and destroy your food. Termites feed wood and can destroy the structural integrity of your property.

Pests tend to attract each other. If your home has been infested by one pest, other types of pest colonies will soon follow. In addition, they multiply very fast. This is why it’s necessary to take the steps that will help you eliminate them as a soon as possible. You can visit the pest control guide to learn more about different pests in Brisbane.

Common Pests in Queensland – Australia

Bed Bugs

Bed bugs got their name from their habit of feeding on humans while they are asleep in their beds. These insects can also feed on the blood from pets and other animals. Bed bugs feed at night. They hide in dry, dark places during the night. Bites from bed bugs are usually not dangerous to human beings. However, the bites can cause serious irritation. You can get an infection from scratching the areas that you have been bitten by bed bugs.

Bed bugs can infest any place where humans live. A bed bug infestation can occur in apartments, single family homes, hotels, nursing homes, college dorms, day care centers, public transportation, hospitals and other places. Bed bugs are always considered to be among the most challenging pest to treat. Although they are not seasonal pests in Australia, pest experts say that they receive the most bed bug related calls in the summer.

• Dangers to health

Bed bugs lay 1 to 5 eggs in one day. A bed bug can lay up to 500 eggs in its lifetime. These organisms can survive for several months without feeding. They draw blood from humans and other animals for about five minutes nonstop before they retreat to digest the blood. They can consume blood that is up to 7 times their own weight.

To avoid getting an infection from a bed bug bite, you should not scratch the area that you have been bitten. Bed bugs can be destroyed by washing and drying clothing and beddings at high temperatures. However, it is important to try and figure out where the places where the bed bugs hide.

They often hide in furniture and walls. If you believe that you have bed bugs, take a close look around your bed. Carefully analyze your mattress, headboard and bedframes. Bed bugs are reddish-brown in color and their eggs are white in color.

• Prevention

Using a professionally qualified pest control contractor is always a safe option. For DIY solutions please use the following technique. To prevent bed bug infestation in your home, double check second hand furniture before bringing it in your house. Avoid buying second hand clothing, mattresses and furniture. When traveling within Australia or overseas, take time to check your hotel room before settling in. When you get back home, wash your clothes with hot water and vacuum the inside of your bags. Empty the content in the vacuum cleaner in plastic bag. Seal the bag.

Cockroaches

Female cockroaches can lay hundreds of eggs through their adult life. Cockroaches undergo three developments stages: Egg, nymph and adult. The nymph looks just like an adult cockroach. It takes a few weeks to a year for a nymph to develop into a fully reproductive adult.

Cockroaches prefer living in damp and dark places. In most cases, they are found behind household appliances, inside walls, and in cupboards. Most homeowner despise cockroaches because of their creepy appearance. Cockroaches like living in warm and damp environments. They can’t survive in an environment that is too dry. They can survive for several months without food. However, they can only live for 4 weeks without water.

• Dangers to health

Cockroaches can transmit several disease including dysentery, diarrhea and salmonella. Their eating habits expose people to a host of other serious diseases. They can eat a wide range of things, from fecal matter to food that people intend to eat. Cockroaches also cause allergic reactions and can trigger asthma attacks in children. When cockroaches contaminate the surfaces that you use to prepare your food, there is a high chance that you can become sick.

• Prevention

You can prevent cockroach infestation by fulling up the cracks in your walls, keeping your home clean, disposing garbage and removing human waste from your home as soon as possible. To kill the cockroaches that are already in your home, you can set up baited traps or apply an effective insecticide in the affected areas. Insecticides should be applied in the places where the cockroaches hide during the day and in the areas where they pass at night.

Fleas

The flea species fund in Australia pose a serious health risk to humans because of their ability to transmit infectious diseases. They are about 3mm in size and their bodies are flat, shiny and tough. These pests are very common in Australia. In most cases, they are in associating with dogs and cats.

• Dangers caused by fleas on health

Fleas can host tapeworms. You should take antibiotics if you swallow a flea by mistake. Although fleas are capable of transmitting infectious diseases from one host to another, people are more concerned with them because of the irritation they can cause. A flea bite can cause a rash. You should see doctor if you develop a rash because of a flea bite.

• How to prevent infestation by fleas

There are many things that you can do to reduces the chance of being infested by fleas. If you have pets in your home, make sure that they have been treated for fleas. Vacuum your furniture and carpets to get rid of the fleas in your home. Empty the contents of your vacuum cleaner in a plastic bag and seal it. Use pest control based insecticides to kill them when you find them.

Ticks

Ticks are a common pest that feed on blood to survive and reproduce. They feed off a wide range of hosts including cats, dogs, reptiles, animals, birds and amphibians.

• Dangers caused by ticks

The ticks present in Australia have the ability to transmit pathogens like viruses and bacteria. Ticks usually latch on their hosts and feed off them. They create a wound in the process.

As they suck blood from their hosts, they regurgitate excess water from their bodies back into the blood of their host through the wound. This process makes it possible for disease to be transmitted between the host and the tick. The process of transmitting diseases does not start immediately. It takes place after the tick has fed for 24 hours. Although the risk of getting a disease from a tick in Australia is low, it not impossible. Lyme disease can be caused by tick bites.

• Prevention of tick infestation

A tick attached to a person’s skin should be removed immediately. The area that was bitten by the tick should thoroughly cleaned and disinfected. You should consult a health professional if the area bitten by a tick becomes infected. There are a few simple things that you can do to prevent tick infestation. The things that you should do include;

1. Cover up your feet and ankles when stationary.
2. Always apply an insect repellent when going outdoors.
3. Avoid taking walks in places with dense vegetation.

Mosquitoes

Not all mosquitoes can carry and transmit diseases. The mosquitoes that you should be concerned about are those which are vectors of microorganism that cause diseases. A single female mosquito is capable of laying up to 200 eggs at a given time.

Some mosquito eggs can be desiccation resistant and can survive for several months or years. Not all mosquito species prefer to bite humans. There are some species that prefer to bite birds, horses and other animals. Female mosquitoes need blood to be able to lay eggs. Mosquitoes have caused more deaths of human beings than any other creature on the face of the earth.

Life cycle of a mosquito

A mosquito goes through 4 stages before it becomes an adult.

• The female misquotes lays its eggs in water.

• Larva hatch out from the eggs and swim in the water. This is the most vulnerable stage in the life of a mosquito. You can easily eradicate mosquitoes at this stage.

• The pupa is the third stage in the life cycle of a mosquito. It is considered as the resting stage as a mosquito develops from a larva to adult. It is difficult to detect this pest at this stage.

• The adult is the final stage of development of a mosquito. An adult can fly, bite and lay eggs.

There are many insecticides that you can use to kill mosquitoes. You can prevent mosquito bites by wearing a mosquito repellent. Clear the bushes and get rid of stagnant water around your home to prevent breeding. You can also hire a pest control exterminator to take care of the issue for you. Of course there will be a fee involved in this process.

Rats & Mice

It is difficult to keep rodents out of your home and other structures. Rats and mice can be very destructive. They can also spread dangerous diseases. Rats and mice can squeeze themselves in your home through small holes and spaces.

How to manage rats & mice

There are simple things that you can do to control rats and mice. It is advisable to use a combination of techniques to keep these harmful rodents out of your home. Here are the things that you should do when you want to get rid of rats and mice;

• Use baits and traps

You can contain rodents effectively by using poison bait products that you can purchase from most hardware stores and supermarkets. Read and follow all the instructions given. You can also buy a rat traps which can be effective.

• Remove food sources

Store your food in thick plastic or metal containers with tight lids. Do not leave your plastic rubbish bags outside your house overnight. Do not leave extra pet food out for a long period of time. Try to keep the outside and inside of your home clear of rubbish and anything else that can be food for rats and mice.

• Reduce their habitat

Get rid of all things that can provide hiding places for rats and mice. Close all crack and gaps through which rodents come into your home.

Termites

Termites have been around for millions of years. They are commonly referred to as the “silent destroyers”. This is because of their ability eat through wood, flooring and wallpaper undetected. These small organisms can cause a lot of property damage in your home. Unfortunately, most home insurance policies do not cover the damage that can be cause by the termites. Subterranean termites are the only family of termites found in Australia.

Termites can travel underground and get into your home. Almost all Australian homes are at risk of being infested by termites. There are many things that you can do to prevent termites.

Prevention

• Remove and timber and other cellulose material stored in and around your property. Timber and other cellulose material are attractive food sources for termites.

• Fix all the leaking pipes and taps. High moisture level attract termites.

• Ensure that the subfloor areas are properly ventilated. This helps to prevent high humidity.

• Use timber that has been treated for termites in your garden and fence posts.

• Get rid of dead trees.

• Always check your termite shield to ensure that it is not breached.

• Remove form-work timber after construction.

• If the problem is extensive, find a local pest company that specialises in termites.

Final Verdict

There are many pests that can get into your home. You have to take steps to eliminate the pest as soon as possible to prevent them from multiplying and from causing serious harm to you and the members of your family. Follow the instructions carefully keenly when you buy pest elimination products. Safety must always be a top priority. If you want to prevent all the negative effects of a pest outbreak, you have to eliminate them as soon as possible.

This article was published by Nick Favreau from https://www.propestcontrolbrisbane.com.au/