When Pests Bug You: 5 Pests That Can Make You Sick
Most people don't mind seeing the odd bug or two in their yard. But health issues can arise when bugs take over a yard or invade a home. Some pests can make you sick. So, if you see these pests flourishing in your yard or home, swift pest control is necessary to ensure you and your family don't fall ill.
The following five household pests can make humans sick.
1. Houseflies
Houseflies carry germs that can make you sick. For instance, houseflies carry salmonella, a serious disease that affects the stomach and intestines and can cause vomiting, diarrhea, cramping and fever among other symptoms. Although one or two flies shouldn't be a problem, you should consider hiring a pest control service if houseflies are swarming in your home.
2. Fleas
When a flea bites a human, its saliva sets off an allergic reaction that causes itchiness. This is a well-known fact among people that have suffered from flea bites. But not many people know that cat fleas can also act as hosts for tapeworms that affect cats and dogs. A bite won't spread this tapeworm. But if a child ingests a cat flea with an immature tapeworm, that tapeworm will spread to the child.
3. Bed bugs
Bed bug saliva contains an anticoagulant compound that helps bed bugs feed on humans and animals. So when a bedbug bites a human, that anticoagulant compound often causes inflammation. Some especially sensitive people may break out in hives and itchy skin after suffering bed bug bites. In extreme cases, an allergic reaction can cause breathing difficulties.
And if a bed bug infestation is particularly bad, some people in an affected home may suffer multiple bites in a single night. If that person continually scratches at those bites, then infection could set in.
4. Cockroaches
Like houseflies, cockroaches spread disease and germs by contaminating the food and surfaces they touch. For instance, cockroaches can spread salmonella and E.coli by contaminating food. And the feces and shed body parts of cockroaches can cause or trigger asthma.
If you suspect that cockroaches have infested your home, you need professional pest control to eradicate them as soon as possible. Cockroaches breed quickly, which means the longer you wait, the more your health will suffer.
5. Ticks
You are most likely to encounter ticks in your yard if you have long grass or wooded or grassy areas. If a tick bites you, you could contract Lyme disease, which causes flu-like symptoms several days or weeks after the bite.
If these pests are bugging you, call a pest control service. With swift intervention, you can stop these pests from spreading and becoming a greater risk to your health.