Pest Control
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Most people think of pests as a hygiene problem or a nuisance. For some, they are also a health problem. Several common pests produce allergens that can cause sneezing, itchy eyes, skin rashes or breathing difficulties, and a few can cause severe reactions. Here are the main ones, and what helps.
Dust mites
Dust mites are microscopic and live in every home, in mattresses, pillows, carpets and soft furnishings, where they feed on shed skin. The allergen is a protein in their droppings and in the remains of dead mites. Symptoms are much like hay fever: a blocked or runny nose, sneezing, itchy eyes and, in people with asthma, wheezing.
Dust mites are not something a pest controller removes. They are managed by keeping their numbers down: washing bedding hot, using allergen-proof covers on mattresses and pillows, vacuuming regularly with a filtered vacuum, keeping humidity down with good ventilation, and cutting back on soft furnishings in bedrooms. Your GP or pharmacist can advise on treating the symptoms.
Cockroaches
Cockroach allergens come from their droppings, saliva, shed skins and dead bodies. They build up in dust in kitchens and around appliances, and they are a recognised trigger for asthma, particularly in children. Symptoms include coughing, a blocked nose, wheezing and skin rashes.
Unlike dust mites, cockroaches are a year-round problem and they are not something to live with. If you see them, or find droppings like ground pepper near warm appliances, the infestation needs treating at the harbourage, followed by a thorough clean to remove the allergen-laden dust they leave behind.
Rats and mice
Mouse urine, droppings and dander carry allergens that can trigger asthma and allergic symptoms, especially where mice have been living undisturbed for a while. Mice urinate as they move, so the allergen spreads well beyond the nest. Clearing the infestation is the first step, and cleaning up safely afterwards matters just as much. Our guide to cleaning up after rodents explains how to do it without stirring contaminated dust into the air.
Wasps, hornets and bees
For most people a sting is painful and swells for a day or two. For some, it causes anaphylaxis, a severe allergic reaction that can be life-threatening. An allergy to stings can develop over time, so having been stung before without a problem does not mean the next sting will be the same.
Anyone who has been prescribed an adrenaline auto-injector should carry it, especially in late summer when wasps are at their most active. Signs such as swelling of the face, lips or throat, difficulty breathing, feeling faint or a widespread rash after a sting need an emergency call to 999.
If someone in your household has a sting allergy, do not try to deal with a nest yourself. A wasp nest close to doors, windows or play areas is worth having treated early.
Other pests that cause reactions
- Fleas and bed bugs. Their bites cause itchy red marks, and some people react far more strongly than others, with larger swellings or blistering.
- Carpet beetle larvae. The tiny hairs on the larvae can irritate the skin and cause an itchy rash that is often mistaken for bites.
- Birds. Dried droppings, feathers and old nesting material in lofts and roof spaces produce dust that can affect breathing. It should be cleared with dust suppression, not swept up dry.
- Bird mites. When young birds leave a nest in the eaves, the mites left behind can wander indoors and bite.
Reducing allergens at home
- Find out what is causing it. Identify the pest before you treat anything. A rash blamed on fleas can turn out to be carpet beetle larvae, and the fix is different.
- Remove food and shelter. Keep food sealed, clear crumbs and spills, and do not leave pet food down overnight.
- Close the way in. Seal gaps around pipes and cables, and fit mesh over air bricks without blocking them.
- Clean up after treatment. Allergens stay in dust after the pests have gone. Damp-wipe surfaces and use a filtered vacuum rather than sweeping.
When to call us
Call us if you can see signs of cockroaches, rodents or a wasp nest, or if you or someone in your family is reacting to something and you cannot tell what it is. We identify what is there, treat the source and advise on the clean-up. Our cockroach control and wasp nest treatment pages explain how we work. For the symptoms themselves, your GP is the right first call.