Pests are any animals or plants that tend to be destructive and troublesome to man or his interests. Pests usually occur in large numbers. Why are pests considered such a nuisance by humans?
Well, they cause the destruction of crops in the field and stored food in the granaries, they contaminate edibles by defecating on the food, and they are known to cause diseases or be carriers of some illnesses. Here are some of the common household pests found in Australia. *****
- <b>Flies.</b>
There are various species of flies from the world-famous house flies (<i> Musca domestica </i>) to fruit flies, flies are a common pest found in most homes. These brown-flying little creatures can be a nuisance in the house, with the most common species being the <i>Musca domestica</i>, popularly known as the house fly.
On average, a female house fly can lay up to 150 eggs on each occasion, increasing their numbers in a short period. House flies like a dirty environment and often thrive in rubbish, open septic tanks, dirty benches, and animal feces.
House flies are known to propagate infections and diseases such as cholera, typhoid, they worsen wound infections and can cause eye infection to humans and animals.
To avoid house flies in your home, ensure that you practice high standards of hygiene and cleanliness. Proper disposal of waste will also go a long way in prevention.
In case your home is already infested with house flies, you must do a thorough clean up. In addition, the use of insecticides can help in reducing the number of house flies.
- <b>Cockroaches.</b>
In Australia, there are three species of cockroaches: the American Cockroach, the German Cockroach, and the Australian Cockroach. Out of the three, the German Cockroach causes the most nuisance in homes due to its high capability to multiply in numbers quickly.
An adult German cockroach ( <i>Blatella germanica </i>) has a distinct brown color. It is approximately 15mm long and can lay up to 50 eggs in one egg sac.
Cockroaches like living in warm areas that have plenty of food lying around, they are thus found in kitchen pantries, storerooms, the fridge, kitchen cupboards, and other food storing and handling areas. They often hide in small crevices and cracks.
Cockroaches are known to be carriers of disease-causing micro-organisms. These micro-organisms cause gastro-infections like gastroenteritis, salmonellosis, shigellosis, and hepatitis A.
To keep cockroaches away from your home its is advocated that one should properly store all foodstuffs in tightly sealed containers and frequent cleaning of food storage rooms. Moreover, one can use a suitable insecticide while cleaning their houses to reduce the number of cockroaches.
- <b>Termites.</b>
According to research conducted in 2014, about 25% of all Australian homes have been infested with termites at least once, with the main areas affected being Cities such as Brisbane, Perth, Sydney, and Adelaide. The climate found in these cities provides a suitable environment for the breeding of termites.
Termites (<i> Isoptera </i>) are whitish six-legged insects that have shot antennae and biting mouthy-parts. They live in large colonies whose numbers can range from a few thousand to millions. They prefer a warm and wet temperate climate and live in soils. They feed off the wood of dead plants and trees, and occasionally they eat wood found in homes.
There are the subspecies of termites that are classified based on where they live. These are the damp-wood termite, the dry-wood termite, and the subterranean termite. Out of the three, the dry wood termite, also known as the <i> Cryptotermis brevis</i>, is known to be the most-notorious termite in Australia.
Termites do not cause diseases to humans or animals. However, they can cause insurmountable damages to houses. recommended that you notice a termite infestation, you should immediately notify the pest control team nearest to you. Some of the recommended home remedies include the use of Arsenic dust or Permethrin dust.
- <b>Fleas and Mites.</b>
For most home-owners with pets or families that practice animal farming in their homestead, then mites and fleas are a common problem. Cats or dogs carry these animals into the house. They then transfer onto carpets, furniture, and clothes.
On animals and sometimes humans, mites ( <i>Tetranychus urticae</i>) and fleas ( <i>Siphonaptera</i>) cause a severe itch or skin irritation especially at night, red spots, skin rash and in worse cases blisters and bumps.
Female mites burrow in the skin and can lay up to 50 eggs. They mostly inhabit warm areas in the human or animal body where they can easily bite and suck blood.
Mites are small insects of about 2mm in length and have eight legs. They are known to transmit rickettsial and other viral diseases to humans. The scrub typhus is the most common flea-transmitted infection in Asia and Australia.
Whereas, fleas are wingless insects about 0.1 to 1cm in size that possess a tough outer cuticle. They were famous for transmitting the bubonic plague in the Middle Ages.
To mitigate infestation, it is important for you to do a routine clean up of the pet’s habitat and frequently wash the dogs or cats.
- <b>Mosquitos.</b>
Mosquitos are slender insects that have a segmented body, a pair of wings, and three pairs of legs. They live in swampy bushy areas that have a warm temperate climate. Some mosquitoes feed off plant sap while others feed off the animal or human blood.
A mature mosquito has a proboscis that it uses to pierce the skin of animals and humans so that it can suck blood. They, therefore, can transmit a number of diseases from one animal or human to another.
Examples of such diseases are malaria known to be transmitted by the female Anopheles mosquito. They can also transmit dengue virus, kunjin virus, barmah forest virus, ross river virus, and Murray Valley Encephalitis. Mosquito-related illnesses are responsible for thousands of deaths in the world each year.
WHO recommends taking the following measures in the mitigation of mosquito-related illnesses.
Destroy mosquito breeding grounds by collecting all containers that can hold water.
All drums, water tanks, and septic tanks should be covered.
Sleep under a treated mosquito net.
Wear cover-up clothes and use of mosquito-repellants as a measure of self-protection.
Use of appropriate insecticides.
- <b>Rats and Mice.</b>
These are relatively large furred warm-blooded animals, they are armed with incisors teeth which they use to bit and nibble. They broadly classified as rodents. They mostly live in food stores, in ceilings, and in trash cans.
Rats (<i> Rattus</i>) and Mice (<i>Mus</i>) are considered a nuisance because they feed off stirred food in granaries and contaminate the food through their feces, urine, and fur. They can also cause destruction of building construction materials, clothes, wires, and cables. Moreover, they are known to cause or transmit a wide range of human diseases.
Examples of such diseases are rat-bite fever, salmonellosis, and leptospirosis. The common rodent species known to cause destruction in Australia are the house rat, the roof rat, and the house mouse.
Controlling rats and mice in the homestead involves practicing good hygiene practices, designing the house in a manner that will keep the pest out and use of rodenticides in case of rodent infestation.
- <b>Possums.</b>
Possums are closely related to the rodent family. They are however a bit larger than an average rat or mice. They mostly inhabit new homes due to the destruction of their natural habitat which is trees. Possums (<i>Didelphidae</i>) cause damage to electrical wires and cables and contaminate foodstuffs through their urine and feces.
In Australia, possums are protected by the law, therefore in case of possum infestation call the necessary animal control authority.
Possums are not associated with any human diseases. However, in order to keep the possums off your property, it is encouraged that one should cover up all food sources, and construct their house in such a way that it will not allow easy entry of possums.
- <b>Bed bugs.</b>
Bed bugs infestations are due to two species <i>Cimex lectularius</i> and <i>Cimex hemipterus.</i> On average a female bed bug can lay up to 500 eggs in their lifetime thus making the eradication of these pests expensive and cumbersome.
Bed bugs are small flat insects of about 6mm in length. They live in bedrooms, particularly in bed and beddings. During the day they often hide in dark spaces and crevices and only come out to take a bloody meal from its host.
Cimex species are not associated with any illness, however, when they bite they cause a skin irritation that may become infected.
Control of bed bugs involves thorough frequent cleaning of beddings, inspection of luggage for bebugs after travel and your bed.
Bed bugs infestation can be quite difficult to eradicate. Use of insecticides only will not be enough to kill the eggs and larvae of bed bugs. The degree of infestation will determine the number of fumigation treatment it requires to fully eradicate the bed bugs.
In conclusion, house hold pests can be a menace to handle. It is crucial to observe high standards of hygiene and sanitation in order to reduce the number and cases of pests.