Have you noticed an infestation of carpenter ants, mice, spiders, or cockroaches in your home or garden? If so, have you tried, albeit unsuccessfully, to get rid of them? Or, do you still need to make sure that the invasion is removed?

If you have answered yes to one or more of these questions, it is critical to make sure that these pests are removed as they are detrimental to you and your family.

Pests and the places they inhabit

Before we look at why these pests should not be left in situ, let’s look at a succinct definition of a pest:

www.merriam-webster.com defines a pest as “a plant or animaldetrimental to humans or human concerns (such as agriculture or livestockproduction).”

Pests, including rats, mice, fleas, ants, borer beetles, and spiders love to inhabit buildings and spaces where there is human habitation for the following reasons:

• These places provide ambient temperatures.
• There is enough food to eat that is also easy to find.
• Buildings and gardens provide secure living environments in harsh weather conditions (both hot and cold).

Reasons why pests should be exterminated or removed

Unfortunately, pests cannot live in harmony amongst human habitations. Thus, it is vital to ensure that these pests are removed timeously. Furthermore, it is vital to make sure that these pests do not return.

It should be noted at this juncture, that it is preferable to consult with a specialist pest remover like West Palm Beach Pest Control to ensure that the pests are removed humanely and correctly without damaging your home or harming your family. It is not a good idea to try and remove the pests yourself.

Here are several reasons why pests need to be exterminated:

Pests destroy food sources

Pests like mice and rats are drawn to grain storage facilities. Not only do they eat the grain, but they also leave droppings and urine in the grain, thereby, contaminating it, so it is no longer fit for human or livestock consumption. Therefore, it is vital to ensure that grain storage facilities are checked regularly for holes and other entry points where mice and rats can enter.

Pests carry disease

Insects like cockroaches and rodents like rats carry disease. Cockroaches are known to carry the Typhoid, Salmonella, Staphylococcus, and Streptococcus bacteria. They are also known carriers of the Polio virus.

Rats, on the other hand, are known carriers of the rat-bite fever, Leptospirosis that results in liver and kidney damage, Lymphocytic choriomeningitis, as well as the Bubonic Plague. As an aside, a variant of the Bubonic Plague, the Black Plague, is historically known as the most dangerous rat-borne diseases.

Pests damage buildings

One of the most common pests that has the capability to destroy wooden buildings, furniture, and fittings is the carpenter ant. They hollow out sections in the wood to build their nests, and they digest the cellulose in the wood to break down the wood.

Final thoughts

It is important to note that the pests noted above are only considered pests when they come into contact with human settlements. Each of these insects and rodents has a vital role to play in the natural eco-system. The best example of this is the carpenter ant. In the natural forest, carpenter ants break down rotten and old trees; thereby, enriching the soil by returning nutrients to it.