Health-Related Pests
The most immediate and important link between residential or commercial properties and health involves exposure to many agents (biological, chemical, or physical) that may affect the health and safety of the residents or employees.
People are concerned about housing-related health issues, such as asthma episodes triggered by exposure to bed bugs, cockroaches, fleas, flies, mosquitoes, dust mites, ticks, ants, lice, pets, and rodents. The existence of cockroaches, rats, and mice means that they can also be vectors for significant problems that affect health and well-being. They are capable of transmitting diseases to humans. Also, these pests destroy property or carry disease, or both, and can be a problem for rich and poor alike.
It is necessary to implement integrated pest management (IPM) techniques to reduce the number of pests that threaten human health and property. More than one technique can be used to reduce or eliminate pests. It involves monitoring, identifying, and determining the level of threat from pests; reducing the conducive conditions that attract pests (eliminating food sources, hiding areas, and other pest attractants); making the environment hostile to pests; and keeping the pests out by using pest-proof building materials; using traps and other physical elimination devices; and selecting appropriate poisons for identified pests.
