Cockroaches, rats… What is the most common pest, why do they increase in summer and what risks do they have for health?

This anniversary, which is celebrated every June 6, was a initiative of the Chinese Pest Control Associationand had the support of the World Health Organization (WHO).

Threat to health and well-being

And it is an important issue for the health and well-being of all the inhabitants of the planet, since In recent years we have experienced a worrying growth in pests, especially in urban spaces..

The cause focuses on a series of factors that influence the proliferation and expansion of these harmful organisms.

• Situations like Climate change, which has caused the length of summers to increaseis a decisive question, since it is in those months of heat when they really grow and develop the vast majority of these insects or animals.

• He too increase in human movements and the transport of goods between distant areas of the planet they have involved transporting animals that under other circumstances would never have reached so far.

What is meant by plague?

According to WHO definition:

• “Plague is when a group of species involved in the transmission of infectious diseases to humans, and in the damage or deterioration of habitat and urban well-being, maintain a continuous presence over time that is above the tolerance threshold”

And according to the organizers of World Day, some of the best-known pests that affect urban and rural spaces in the world are the following:

• Mites of the dust.
• Cockroaches.

• Rodents.

• Mosquitoes.

• Ticks.

• Flies.

• Bedbugs.

• Termites.

And the truth is that Urban pests are more common than we would like to think.

Above all, during the hottest months of the year, when it is common for mosquitoes, flies, rodents or cockroaches to become a problem.

And not only because of the obvious discomfort that these insects and animals cause, but also because of their ability to transmit bacteria and diseases.

And as for the risk we have, as stated Jacinto Díez, spokesperson for Rentokila company specialized in pest control and environmental hygiene:

• “Anyone can suffer a plague, It doesn’t matter if it’s a restaurant, a house on the beach, or on the fifth floor.”

What is the most common pest?

If we focus not only on Spain, but on Europe, the most common pest, are the cockroaches, According to Jacinto Díez,:

• “Cockroaches are the most widespread pest, and they also require extensive maintenance and control to ensure they do not reappear.”

Luckily, it is a pest that can be controlled very well, as long as we maintain an adequate level of cleaning, says Díez.

What risk do pests pose to health?

The main problem is that The pestswhether insects or animals, They transmit many diseases through viruses, bacteria and parasites.

And these risks increase even more when pests occur in food environments, such as hospitality.

And if we continue talking about cockroaches, Jacinto Díez explains to us:

• “The list of diseases that cockroaches can transmit is very extensive, and the most common are those belonging to the group of salmonellas. This can produce food poisoning relatively serious in humans” .

How are they transmitted?

• “Usually contamination occurs by contact, but it is not always necessary for cockroaches or mice to crawl over the food”

• “For example, if the pest has been on a table where you are later going to cut a steak, the trace of bacteria will contaminate the food.

• And the same thing happens with our own hands.”

How is a pest exterminated? Is it safe for health?

Currently, there is a strict European legislation on the use of biocidesto ensure that they are not dangerous to our health.

• “Europe imposes a registry, so that the products change depending on the case. For example, The biocides used in the food industry are not the same as those for domestic purposes.”.

Extermination processes are always carried out complying with all security measuresand in the vast majority of cases, it is not necessary to seal the place, although sometimes “there are treatments in which it is necessary to vacate the area for a time, around 12-24 hours.”

Warning signs of a possible pest

“Most pests, especially cockroaches or rodents, are nocturnal. Its period of greatest activity is at night. You should start worrying if you see them during the day” indicates Díez.

This is one of the biggest warning signssince it means that “the population pressure of the plague is so high, that they are leaving their usual refuge to look for new places.”

How to avoid cockroaches?

The main way to avoid pests is having good order and cleanliness. And Jacinto insists on this topic:

• “Evidently if there is a pest problem, where it is going to start is with the dirtier and more hidden areas, where there are places to hide”.

Besides, a dirty environment also reduces the effectiveness of biocides. To get rid of an infestation, not only treatment works.

• “There are no magic solutions. It is not just about doing an isolated treatment and forgetting about it. It is necessary to carry out maintenance and make an effort to keep the area clean”.

The rats

We have always heard that cockroaches are capable of continuing to live even if we cut off their heads. And the idea is also widespread that they would be able to survive a nuclear attack.

But Another of the great “terrors” of human beings are rodents, especially rats.and the danger is that They are becoming stronger and more resistant to poison.

So much so that, according to the British newspaper The Mirror, 78% of rats have genes that can allow them to be resistant to poisons most used, which are anticoagulants.

As Jacinto Díez explains:

• “Anticoagulants were until recently an effective method to control the rat population. But today legislation has greatly restricted their use since their massive application can make them immune.”

So, as the Rentokil expert explains:

• “According to the legislation Anticoagulants can only be used when rats are evidently present.and only for a certain time.

This reality may be the origin of the widespread claim that we have to go back to the mousetraps to fight the ratssince it is a formula of get a test.

The most dangerous rats, according to the WHO

The document made public by the WHO after its 11th Meeting of the Committee of Experts on Vector Biology and Vector Control includes the opinion of an International Group of specialists who speak about the three rodents that are important urban pests throughout the world:

• The black or roof rat.

• Rattus rattus or common rat.

• The house mouse.

Rodents consume large amounts of stored food, gnaw and destroy things, including electrical systems, and They contaminate food with excrement and urine.

In this process They are transmitters of diseases such as leptospirosis and salmonellosis.

And they can also be reservoirs of:

• The bubonic plague

• typhus

• Hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome

• Lassa fever.

Mites

Maybe the most frequent, although they do not transmit as many diseases. at least in Europe, and Since we don’t see them, they don’t give us the same disgust.

But it’s good to know that a mite is the etiological agent of scabies, which is a disease that continues to exist in our country.

He Sarcoptes scabiei var. hominis penetrates under the epidermis of man and reproduces thereespecially in the moistest parts of the skin, causing a so intense itching which forces the infested person to constantly scratch.

Mites present in household dust They give rise to respiratory allergies, especially in temperate countries.