Are Pests Triggering Allergy & Asthma Symptoms in Your Household?

This time of year, it’s common to suffer from sniffles and watery eyes caused by allergies to pollen or other irritants that are a hallmark of the blossoming of spring. But if your symptoms remain long after spring irritants are gone, you could be suffering from chronic allergies triggered by common household pests.

Pests.org, a resource for learning about pests, reports that over 80% of American households have experienced a pest control problem for over a year. This significant statistic makes it increasingly important for homeowners to be vigilant about maintaining a home free of pests, especially those that aggravate allergy and asthma symptoms, such as cockroaches, dust mites, and rodents.

3 Pests Are the Most Common Suspects

The National Pest Management Association (NPMA) names cockroaches, dust mites, and rodents the most common pests causing allergy and asthma symptoms. These pests are horrifying to find in your home and can also cause an unhealthy environment that requires immediate attention.

Cockroaches

Cockroaches produce a protein found in their feces, saliva, and body parts that are known to trigger asthma symptoms. This protein can be inhaled when cockroach particles become airborne and then settle on household surfaces like furniture and countertops. Children are especially affected, as their lungs are not yet fully developed.

Dust Mites

Dust mites occur naturally almost everywhere but are found in higher concentrations in places of high humidity because they absorb water through the air as opposed to drinking. The discarded skins and feces of dust mites cause respiratory constriction in those who suffer from allergies or asthma due to these pests.

Rodents

Rodent dander, feces, skin, and saliva are documented triggers of allergies and asthma. Allergies and asthma have even been linked to lab workers who handle rodents routinely as part of their work.

Prevention Tips

There are many things homeowners can do to make their homes less attractive to these common pests:

• Keep your home as clean as possible, especially kitchen counters and pantries.
• Keep food in air-tight glass containers where pests cannot penetrate.
• Change bedding often, washing sheets and blankets in hot water to kill mites and eliminate other particles that will settle on bedding.
• Enclose mattresses and pillows in hypo-allergenic casings.
• Seal all water leaks.
• Close gaps in windows, doors, and foundations where pests can gain entry.

Eliminating Pests in Your Home

Sue Fries founded Ecola in response to her son’s asthma, in which she began searching for a chemical-free answer to eliminating household pests for all those suffering without even knowing the cause. The result is a handful of alternative pest control solutions that are family-friendly yet effective in exterminating the common household pests that cause allergies and asthma. If you or someone in your home is having chronic symptoms, call “The Termite Lady” at 800-471-BUGS (2847) to schedule a free inspection of your home.