While some pests are not harmful, they can quickly become a nuisance and wreak havoc on the home. Prolonged exposure typically results in health sensitivities, and there can be emotional distress from the family members who live with pest infestations. An extermination expert, like moxieservices.com, agree that there are no pests that cannot be eradicated, but there are a few infestations that cause hardships and financial losses in the thousands.
Infestations That Cause Catastrophic Losses
1. Bed Bugs.
Just about every American has encountered bed bugs. They can be found in homes, hospitality areas, airplanes, stores, and places you probably wouldn’t think of. You couldn’t see them, but the bed bugs were covertly waiting to hitch a ride on your belongings, back to your home, where they reproduce and hatch new eggs every one to two weeks. A single bed bug today can easily turn into an infestation within 3 to 6 months.
Bed bugs are tiny nocturnal parasites that feed on human blood at night. Experts point out there are several factors that contribute to the rise of these bugs. These factors include an increase in travel, the transfer of furniture and clothing, and their resistance to insecticides. They don’t require food or water and can hibernate for over a year without preying on any hosts. What makes them so catastrophic is their ability to multiply and find shelter anywhere.
Bed bugs feed on you while you’re sleeping, and then return to their hiding spots, which are usually small crevices that go unnoticed for long periods of time. Electrical sockets, inside of books, underneath and in the corners of mattresses; experts have also found them hiding in old shoe boxes or the inside of lamps. These bugs spread within weeks throughout the home, going room to room, until your whole house is infested. This requires not only the services of pest control but requiring the replacement of furniture. Bed bugs are one of the most destructive pests on the planet. So, be sure to take assistance from pest control experts Jacksonville and get rid of the bed bugs.
2. Rodents.
Mice and rats are some of the most common squatters in both urban and suburban areas throughout the world. They live in a wide range of climatic conditions, in a variety of habitats, can adapt to living with people, and reproduce at a remarkable rate. These animals eat 20 to 40 times a day and can produce 15,000 mice a year. But the scariest element of mice and rats is their “take no prisoners” approach. They move into and share your home and create comfortable nesting areas in the walls, ceilings, and even inside the furniture. Exterminators say areas within the home filled with paper, cardboard boxes, and storage are sought-after by these rodents.
It’s common to find them infesting homes or school buildings because not only do they have room to grow their family, but they have an abundance of human food available. They eat what we eat, and although you could eliminate their food sources, you’d have to keep everything locked away in the refrigerator because they easily eat through wood doors. The pantry is no match for these predators. Mice and rats cause extensive damage to food, supplies, possessions, equipment, and wiring. They also transmit diseases and parasites to your family and pets.
Rodents also have another unpleasant habit of urinating and defecating wherever they eat, contaminating as much as ten times as much food as they actually consume. Both meningitis and hantavirus have been transmitted through contaminated foods, rodent droppings, and contaminated materials due to their nesting materials. Before you know it, every inch of your home can become contaminated.
3. Termites.
These bugs are very similar to ants because they live and work together to build colonies. Each species live differently and feed off of different food sources and materials, but the species that can be detrimental to homes are subterranean termites. They remain hidden for a long time, living underground and tunneling the wood in your home. They also have the ability to cover their tracks, leaving them hidden for a while. The cost of termite control can become staggering when this occurs.
Termites are the cause of nearly 90 percent of damage done to homes. In the United States, subterranean termites have caused nearly $5 billion dollars worth of damage. Unfortunately, even though they are common, they have become one of the most challenging to treat. They have the advantage of living underground, making locating and eradicating their colonies difficult. Experts have to locate the tunnels and look for indications like damaged wood.
When you think you have these pests, it’s best to call an exterminator to evaluate how bad the infestation has become.
