Household Pests Can Be Controlled, but It Has to Be Done With Caution

Walt Disney and Saturday morning cartoons have done wonders for the image of the house mouse. Facing almost insurmountable odds in their battle against wicked cats, these irresistible creatures win the sentiments of viewers who can’t help but hope the little darlings are not driven from their happy homes.

The truth of the matter is that off the cartoon set, mice are not so adorable, particularly when their happy homes happen to be in our homes.

And although it is estimated that there is one rat for each person in the United States, most of us would not care to live with our allotment.

One mouse or rat alone can do a great deal of damage to a home, chewing wiring and clothing, getting into insulation, making nests in furniture, and destroying valuable paintings, books and leather. In fact, up to 20% of fires of unknown origin may be the result of rodents gnawing through electrical wires. Their razor-sharp teeth can chew through not only food containers but even glass, cinder blocks, aluminium, lead and other metals.

The presence of a mouse in the house is nothing to be taken lightly. Two mice can produce 2,500 offspring within a year. Their helpless little babies are not helpless for long. Within three weeks, an offspring is capable of doing as much damage as its parents.

The Prolific Cockroach

Even more prolific than the mouse is the cockroach, the nation’s No. 1 household pest. Under ideal food and moisture conditions, a female cockroach can produce 2 million offspring in a year.

And even more destructive than either of these are termites, which infest nearly 2 million homes, causing more than $1 billion annually in property damage.

“That’s more than fires, storms and earthquakes combined,” said Joel Paul, director of communications for the National Pest Control Assn.

It is little wonder that the sight of these household pests drives homeowners and apartment dwellers buggy.

Unwillingness to cohabitate with these not-so-little nuisances is the basis of a $4-billion industry--pest control. Each year , Americans spend about $400 million for do-it-yourself household products, $59 million for electronic bug killers, $520 million to keep pets pest-free and nearly $3 billion for professional pest control services.

Pest control operators service 10 million (or about 20 to 22%) American households, according to Dr. George Rambo, director of research, education and technical resources for the Pest Control Assn.

Unsanitary conditions may encourage some pests to take up residence in a home, but it is not the only criterion. “Cockroaches, rats and mice are found in some of the finest and cleanest of homes,” Rambo said.

Sometimes, it is out of the homeowner’s control, Paul said. Household pests can be brought in with deliveries or in grocery bags, or gain entry through small, unsealed crevices in the structure, holes in screens or frequently opened doors during warm months.

Warm weather seems to literally bring household pests out of the woodwork. They attack food and other stored products, destroy homes and buildings and transmit a variety of diseases, such as salmonella, dysentery, bubonic plague, malaria and Rocky Mountain spotted fever.

“Except for those who suffer allergic reactions to insect bites, most people tend to ignore the health aspects of household pests,” Rambo said.

Safety a Concern

One health problem that does concern consumers, however, is the safety of chemicals used by pest control operators, particularly in the kitchen and in areas where pets and children play.

All products used have been tested by the Environmental Protection Agency and many are the same as those sold to consumers at hardware and grocery stores, Paul noted, adding:

“By law, the professional is restricted to the directions on the label, but there is no requirement or law that says the homeowner” has to follow those directions.

Most reported cases of problems with pesticides are linked to misuse by consumers, Paul explained. “There’s more to pest control than just indiscriminately spraying. The concern is that they (consumers) don’t have the knowledge or training to know what they are doing and that they don’t follow label instructions. They have a tendency to over-apply, thinking if the recommended amount is good, more is better.”

But more can lead to disastrous results. Paul said a Florida man, trying to rid his three-room apartment of roaches, set off nine insecticide bombs before leaving for vacation. Unfortunately, he forgot to turn off the pilot light in his stove. It ignited the concentrated fumes and blew down the walls of the apartment. One bomb would have been more than adequate to resolve the pest problem.

Rambo also has received a report of a woman who set off five insecticide bombs in her mobile home and blew off the roof.

“We urge do-it-yourselfers to learn as much as possible about the pest, read labels carefully and call product manufacturers or county extension services with any questions they might have,” Rambo said.

Some household pest problems are easily resolved with do-it-yourself treatments, but others may require the service of a professional pest control operator who is trained to identify pests, know their living habits and safely handle chemicals necessary to keep pests under control.

Some chemicals may be inappropriate to use in a house with pets and toddlers, he explained. “The best attack to take is to use the least toxic material that will do the job properly, and use it only where necessary.”

The best efforts of a professional will do little good unless homeowners take preventive measures. The National Pest Control Assn. recommends that homeowners monitor moisture content of wood; check gutters for blockage; inspect screens, soffit vents, chimney seals and weep holes; try to eliminate trash piles and poor sanitation practices; examine door checks, weather seals and blocked dryer vents, and survey outside vegetation.

The area around pipes under cabinets and the cracks and crevices around baseboards can be, if not properly sealed, entry points for pests. Roaches can squeeze through a crack only 1/64th of an inch thick and mice can go through a quarter-inch opening.

Cockroaches thrive on small morsels of food and moisture. Amazingly resilient creatures, they can survive nearly a month without food but less than two weeks without water. If you keep your home free of their food and moisture sources, they’ll be discouraged from returning.

Some pests, like termites and carpenter ants, are difficult for the novice to detect. Often, by the time the homeowner suspects a problem, a great deal of damage already is done. Don’t expect a problem to be resolved forever with only one treatment by a professional. Household pests will be around forever. Cockroaches are so resilient that they have survived floods, fire and famine, outer space and nuclear tests.