April Is National Pest Management Month
The month of April is here and not only does it deliver us springtime beauty, the flowers blooming and creepy crawlies but it also delivers us national pest management month! National pest management month is a time to appreciate pest management as an entire industry. There are so many problems that pest management has provided solutions for over many years and April is a good time to reflect on those benefits. When you see your local PCO give them a wave and a thanks for keeping this world a little bit safer by managing the pests that carry so many diseases.
Problem: In recent news, the Zika virus is known to be carried in infected mosquitos. If a person is bitten by a mosquito that carries the Zika virus they may have symptoms such as fever, joint paint, amongst other symptoms. Some people may not show any reaction at all. Zika virus doesn’t cause many hospitalization and people will rarely die from it. The only issue is that if pregnant women get bit with an infected mosquitoes it can cause future health problems for the Fetus.
Solution: Pest Management agencies all over USA, brazil, puerto rico and many other tropical areas are currently educating the public about what to look for and how to prevent these cases. The PCOs are also treating mosquitos to keep these cases of viruses down to a minimum.
Problem: Not only are rodents good at spreading fear but they are also good at spreading germs and disease. They can climb, jump, and slip into tiny cracks the size of a dime. When left untreated, many rodents can spread disease such as hauntavirus, salmonella, and many other types of food bourne illnesses in food handling establishments. There have even been cases in public housing where children have been bitten by rats.
Solution: Pest control keeps these cases of food poisoning to a minimum with regularly scheduled rodent treatments to food establishments. Every rodent that has been eliminated means one less potential infectious disease spread.
Problem: Although bed bugs are quite creepy and very gross they don’t spread disease. That does not mean that they do not take a psychological toll on their host. Most homeowners in NYC will either get bed bugs or know someone who had them. Bed bugs are known to cause stress within families and ruin your natural sleep pattern due to disturbing the psyche of their hosts.
Solution: Pest management professionals all over the globe are fighting the good fight when it comes to bed bugs. Rather then ‘using what works’, PMPs stay on the cutting edge of current research to understand the biology of the bed bugs. What worked last year may not work this time around due to pesticide resistance and pest evolution. It is our job as PMPs to stay updated on current evens and understand what treatment methods are best for each situation.
These are just 3 problems that pest management has solved over the course of centuries. Evolving with current techniques are what keeps this industry going. Research being funded by chemical producers, seminars provided by pest associations are some reasons why PMPs are up to date. PMPs keep the food on your table by keeping your crops safe from pests. PMPs also keep your family members from developing allergies and asthma by ridding homes of pests like roaches and mice. One of the oldest professions, pest control, does many beneficial things for this country and the world.
