10 COMMON MISTAKES THAT ATTRACT PESTS TO YOUR HOME

A pest is any animal or plant which has a harmful effect on humans, their food or their living conditions. Pests include animals which: carry disease-causing micro-organisms and parasites, for example, mosquitoes. Pest includes animals with characteristics which people regard as injurious or unwanted.

We usually realize there are pests in our homes when it’s too late, and in most times we need to call pest control specialists or whatever. But it’s much more convenient and cheaper to keep these insects and other unwanted animals out of your house rather than trying to get rid of them when they are already in.

It’s highly unlikely that pests could just appear in your house by chance, NO! You invited them....and let them enter your premises. Usually, a lot of persons make some common mistakes and attract pests to their homes and houses. Let’s review the most common mistakes and learn how we can keep pests away.  

OLD UNDISPOSED REFUSE –  This is an open invite to COCKROACHES, rats (rodents), Ants, Spiders, flies, and even snakes that come to hunt rodents etc.

The pests mentioned above are said to be the most common pests all over the world. They are attracted to any place where they can find some food, reproduce and create a colony for themselves.

They can smell the odor emanating from refuse from kilometers away and they will surely find a way of getting into your house. So, make sure you provide refuse bins with tight fitted covers. Also clean your refuse bins regularly, and create an optimal way of collecting and disposing of your refuse always. 

NOTE: Never store refuse openly at home or workplace. 
Allowing your refuse to accumulate and overflow on bare floor in the backyard or side lanes of your premises is not a good idea. Pests that will surely appear there might easily sneak into your house and form colonies to aid their mass reproduction.

Your house keeping is very important too. Properly arrange all items at home. Your furniture must be spaced and without hiding spots for pests. Your kitchen and food store must be properly arranged and covered to disallow pests from accessing foodstuffs. Place all bags and heave raw foods on pallets to make underneath free and open to discourage harbourage.

Lastly, but very important too, block all holes and cracks as you see them. Holes and cracks provides safe haven to pests and vermins. Also, your doors and windows must lap properly to disallow pests from gaining entrance in. Install good quality window net on your windows and keep doors always closed.

There is a thin line between a pet and a pest. Control your pets before they become pests. 

NOTE: ONE MAN'S PET IS ANOTHER MAN'S PEST

LIST OF PESTS OF MEDICAL IMPORTANCE

Following is a brief description of some of the identified pests or category of pests and an explanation for designating each as a public health pest:

°  Cockroaches. The listed cockroaches are controlled to halt the spread of asthma, allergy, and food contamination.

°  Body, head, and crab lice. These lice are surveyed for and controlled to prevent the spread of skin irritation and rashes, and to prevent the occurrence of louse-borne diseases such as epidemic typhus, trench fever, and epidemic relapsing fever.

°  Mosquitoes. Mosquitoes are controlled to prevent the spread of mosquitoes bearing such diseases as malaria; Zika; St. Louis, Eastern, Western, West Nile and LaCrosse encephalitis; yellow fever and dengue fever.

°  Ticks: The various tick species transmit diseases such as Lyme disease, tick-borne relapsing fever, ehrlichiosis, and Rocky Mountain spotted fever.

°  Bed bugs: Controlled because their bites can cause allergic reactions.

°  Rats and Mice.  Rats and mice include those which are controlled to prevent the spread of rodent-borne diseases like Lassa Fever, Typhus etc and also cause contamination of food for human consumption.

°  Various micro-organisms, including bacteria, viruses, and protozoans. Microorganisms are the subject of control programs by public health agencies and hospitals for the purpose of preventing the spread of numerous diseases.

°  Reptiles and birds. The listed organisms are controlled to prevent the spread of disease and the prevention of direct injuries.

°  Various mammals. The listed organisms have the potential for direct human injury and can act as disease reservoirs ( rabies, etc.).

This list of pests of significant public health importance will not remain static. It is possible in the future, as there are new discoveries concerning the roles of species in spreading disease, that this list may need to be reviewed. Should any additional species (not in this list) be found to be  public health problems in your premises, do notify the relevant Environmental Health Authority such that they may determine that it should consider them to be pests of significant public health importance under.

The EHSadvisor shall deem it necessary, to update you on any new addition or new list of pests of significant public health importance as they emerge.