We may not all have pets, but we all directly or indirectly harbour pests that reside in our homes and can pose a great risk to our health and property.

A pest can be defined as a plant, animal or micro organism (a small living thing that cannot be seen with the naked eyes) that:

•Reduce the availability, quality or value of human resources such as food, feed, water or space;

•Injure humans, animals, crops, structures, and damage possessions;

•Spread or cause disease;

•Interfere with our activities by causing annoyance, discomfort or inconvenience.

Some house-hold pests are cockroaches, flies, spiders, mosquitoes, ticks, fleas, rats and ants.

A single ant can lead the way for an entire colony to invade your home and damage valuable property.

A rat in the roof might gnaw through a wire, causing a short circuit which can result into a fire outbreak.

Rats are also a potential source of allergen (protein that triggers allergic reaction), as their dropping and shed hair can cause people to sneeze and experience other allergic reactions.

In disease transmission, rats also play a major role as host (an organism that harbours a parasite) to small tapeworms known as hymenolepis nana.

Rats serve as hosts to Leptospira spp — a bacterium that causes leptospirosis in man and animals. The mode of transmission is mostly via the ingestion of water that has been contaminated with the urine of an infected rat.

Again, fleas that live on rats infected with Yersinia pestis (a bacterium that causes Bubonic plague) can transmit the disease to humans via a bite.

Cockroaches can passively transport micro organisms on their body surface when they feed on human and pet food. They also carry an allergen known as Tropomyosin, which has been found to be linked with asthma.

Sand flies transmit Leishmania, a micro organism that causes Leishmaniasis in humans and animals.

There are different forms of Leishmaniasis, but the cutaneous form shows its symptoms as skin ulcers that spread and cause extensive tissue damage.

Tsetse fly serves as a host to Trypanosoma brucei gambiense  and Trypanosoma brucei rhodesiense, a micro organism that causes trypanosomiasis in man. This infection is also known as sleeping sickness or Chaga’s disease in man; and Nagana in animals.

Housefly (Musca domestica) is a recognised carrier of communicable diseases as a result of their indiscriminate feeding habits. They may settle on decomposing organic materials such as faeces, garbage, sewage, etc., which contain pathogens — a microorganism that can cause disease. These decomposing materials may adhere to the fly’s legs and the small hairs that cover its body. In a matter of seconds, flies transfer these micro organisms to food or surfaces they come in contact with. Mature houseflies also use saliva to liquify solid food before feeding on it. During this process, pathogens are transferred. Some diseases transmitted by houseflies include typhoid, anthrax and dysentery in humans and animals.

Mosquitoes transmit small thread-like worms known as Dirofilaria imitis to dogs and cats. These worms are called ‘heart worms’ because the adult stage lives in the heart, lungs and associated blood vessels of an infected animal. Symptoms include occasional cough and tiredness after mild activity, dyspnoea (difficulty in breathing) and signs of heart failure.

The female Aedes  aegypti  mosquito transmits the yellow fever and Dengue fever viruses; while the female Anopheles mosquito transmits microorganisms known as Plasmodium falciparum and Plasmodium vivax, which cause malaria fever in humans.

Controlling pests require conscious efforts and a lot of hard work. However, as difficult as it may seem, it is possible if you take the following recommendations:

•Seal entry ways: Deny your home access to new invaders by making sure potential entry points are sealed off.

•Use insecticide-treated nets and ensure that your windows and door nets are not broken.

•Destroy all breeding sites for flies and mosquitoes, by ensuring that all ornamental flowers, grasses and gardens are properly trimmed.

•You should also clean all drainages regularly and remove any object such as tyres, bowls, buckets, broken bottles, etc., that contain stagnant water which serves as breeding sites for mosquitoes.

•Pick up and dispose old newspapers, magazines, cardboards, shoes, bottles, etc.

•Dispose garbage in air-tight plastic bags or containers that are inaccessible to pests.

•Keep bathroom and kitchen areas as dry as possible. Fix leaky faucets and don’t let standing water accumulate. This is necessary because many insects and rats are attracted to moist areas.

•Store provisions in sealed plastic containers. You can place ripe fruits, rice and long-term storage items in the refrigerator.

•Clean counter tops and tables regularly, and ensure that you wipe all spills immediately with soap and water.

•Wash dishes daily or, at least, submerge in soapy water until you can get to them.

•Use appropriate pesticide (substances meant for preventing, destroying or mitigating any pest) and strictly follow the safety regulation.

Here are a few precautions that will help you to limit the exposure of everyone in your household.

•Don’t exceed the application rate indicated in the instruction.