Pest Control – An Essential Business

By April 13, 2020Misc/Other

essential service COVID-19

Now that you have a little time on your hands, you may be considering tackling some of those household projects that you’ve been putting off since last spring.

You’re puttering around your house and you notice that the United States isn’t the only place that’s currently infested with an unwanted pest. Your home is too.

Then you realize that it would be a good time to call a pest control expert to have the matter taken care of, but you can’t be sure that they’ll be open while all “non-essential” businesses are forcibly closed.

Never fear! Pest control services have been deemed “essential” by most state governments and are allowed to remain open during the quarantine.

Why is Pest Control an Essential Service?

Pest control, or the lack thereof, presents several health problems for the public. Everything from contaminated food to reduced property value is considered a public health matter. It is not safe to live with rodents or certain types of insects on your property and those who have the time right now to invest some effort and money into maintaining the sanitary standards of their most important asset will find themselves in a better financial position and a better physical condition than those who don’t.

Pest Control Helps Protect the Food Supply

Pest control efforts to protect our food supply have shown very positive dividends both in the United States and beyond. Without the many forms of pest control, entire crops would be susceptible to pests and diseases.

From the farm, the food heads to stores and food-processing factories where it’s shipped all over the country to your grocery. At every stage, the vital cargo needs to be protected from potential pests.

Pest Control Helps Protect Medical Support

Medical supply and hospitals are both breeding grounds for pests and these places need to be kept absolutely sanitary to avoid infecting patients who may already have compromised immune systems. The threshold for pests in hospitals is obviously much lower than other places, so aggressive pest control strategies there help protect patients.

Pests Spread Diseases

The presence of pests in certain areas is associated with higher levels of certain types of infectious diseases.

These include:

  • The plague
  • Dengue fever
  • Leishmaniasis
  • Lyme disease
  • Malaria
  • Tularemia
  • Hantavirus
  • Yellow fever
  • West Nile virus
  • And more

Of course, these illnesses are easier to treat than COVID-19. Nonetheless, rodents, cockroaches, and other unsavory pests are vectors for several types of illness some of which are responsible for historical pandemics.

Can Pests Spread COVID-19?

While research on the novel coronavirus is still only at the beginning, health experts do believe that the virus was initially spread by animals in China. Since then, we’ve noted tigers, dogs, and cats can all contract the virus and spread it to others. It would be unwise to simply assume that rats or other non-insect pests cannot also spread the virus.

Worse still, the coronavirus is able to survive on surfaces for an extended period of time and insects are a known vector for certain types of pathogens.

Will the Coronavirus Cause a Surge in Pest Control Requests?

It’s plausible that the stay-at-home orders that are now in place will create an opportunity for certain species to invade areas that are typically inhabited by humans. These animals may or may not be considered “pests” but they may also bring pests with them.

It’s still important for farmers, health care providers, and food storage and manufacturing facilities to keep their areas free of pests which is why pest control is still considered an essential service.

Is Pest Control Helping Stop the Virus Spread?

Yes, in China, they have already begun spraying the streets with antiviral treatments that prevent COVID-19 from surviving on surfaces. These measures can be conducted on a large scale, as they are in China or on a smaller scale, like in your home.

Need Pest Control Services? Call Us! We’re Open!

Yes, pest control services are considered essential services during the pandemic. If you feel like it’s a good time to tackle a pest problem or need a problem solved quickly, please feel free to give Pointe Pest Control a call and set up a free home inspection.

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