Rat or Rodent urine is responsible for the spread of leptospirosis, which can result in liver and kidney damage. It can also be contracted through handling or inhalation of scat. Complications include renal and liver failure, as well as cardiovascular problems. Also, rodent bites and scratches can result in disease and rat-bite fever.

A viral infectious disease called Lymphocytic choriomeningitis (LCMV), is transmitted through the saliva and urine of rats. Some individuals experience long-term effects of lymphocytic choriomeningitis, while others experience only discomfort for a short period of time.

One of the most historically dangerous rat-borne diseases is the bubonic plague, also called “Black Plague,” and its variants. Transfer occurs when fleas from the rat bite human beings. Fleas transported on rats are considered responsible for this plague during the Middle Ages, which killed millions. From the transmission of bubonic plague to typhus and hantavirus, rat infestations can prove harmful to human health.

Rats also are a potential source of allergens. Their droppings, dander and shed hair can cause people to sneeze and experience other allergic reactions.
The diseases transmitted by rats fall into one of two categories: the diseases transmitted directly from exposure to rat-infected feces, urine or bites and the diseases indirectly transmitted to people by an intermediate arthropod vector such as fleas, ticks or mites.

Diseases Directly Transmitted by Rats are:

Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome. This is a viral disease that is transmitted by the rice rat. This disease is spread in one of three ways: inhaling dust that is contaminated with rat urine or droppings, direct contact with rat feces or urine, and infrequently due to the bite of a rat.

Salmonellosis. Consuming food or water that is contaminated by rat feces bacteria can cause this disease.

Leptospirosis. This is a bacterial disease that can be transmitted by coming into contact with infected water by swimming, wading or kayaking or by contaminated drinking water.
Individuals may be at increased risk of Leptospirosis infections if they work outdoors or with animals.

Rat-bite Fever. This disease may be transmitted through a bite, scratch or contact with a dead rat.

Diseases Indirectly Transmitted by Rats include:

Plague. This disease is carried by rats and transmitted by fleas in the process of taking a blood meal. Domestic rats are the most common reservoir of plague.

Colorado Tick Fever. This is a viral disease that is transmitted by the bite of a tick that has taken a blood meal from a bushy-tailed woodrat.

Cutaneous Leishmaniasis. This disease is a parasite that is transmitted to a person by the bite of an infected sand fly that has fed on a wild woodrat.

Hantavirus. Some species of rats such as the cotton rat or rice rat are known carriers of hantavirus. Norway rats and roof rats are not known transmitters of hantavirus. Victims may be debilitated and can experience difficulty breathing. Hantavirus is transmitted to humans when they inhale airborne particles from rodent droppings, urine or carcasses that have been disturbed.

Please note that the first symptoms of the virus can be mistaken for the flu. Patients then suffer breathing difficulties that may prove fatal if not treated effectively and immediately.
In order to avoid hantavirus, all mouse feces, nest materials and dead rodents must be removed from the home. Spray suspected areas thoroughly with disinfectant before sweeping to avoid having anything become airborne. Use gloves to handle rodent carcasses or droppings and a respirator must be worn with functioning cartridges. Buildings should be aired out following an infestation. Not all rodents have been found to carry hantavirus. Deer mice, cotton rats, rice rats and white-footed mice are the most common transmitters.

There is a big misconception that bed bugs are the result of poor sanitation and/or poverty. The truth is this; bed bugs do not discriminate based on one’s social status or the cleanliness of their home. Cleanliness has nothing to do with getting bed bugs as infestations can occur in the most expensive hotels, multi-million dollar estates as well as homeless shelters and everything in between, regardless of the existing sanitary conditions.

Most bed bug infestations happen when the bugs are brought in from an already infested environment and introduced to a previously un-infested one. Some occasions may include staying in a bed bug infested environment, having guests visit and they bring infested bags with them, purchasing an item or accepting delivery of an item that has bugs or eggs on it, and so on. As a result, bed bug infestations can affect anyone, anywhere, and are occurring in hotels, apartments, single family homes, upscale commercial office buildings, school classrooms, Laundromats, public transportation and the list goes on and on.

So, if someone has bed bugs, don’t assume their home is dirty or cluttered, but while sanitation may not have anything to do with the onset of an infestation, it can have a tremendous impact on the ability to control or eliminate an infestation.
Crowded and cluttered living conditions give a better breeding place for bugs and yet, they are one of the most challenging obstacles to overcome in an eradication effort. Bed bugs hide and lay their eggs virtually everywhere. As a result, clutter provides an unlimited number of areas where bed bugs can harbor and remain well-protected from control efforts.

The indoor pests most people are familiar with are ants, mice, and cockroaches. These pests are associated with poor sanitation; they get their food and water from our homes when we don’t clean up. But bed bugs are different. They only eat and drink blood, so they don’t care how dirty the home is.

But the reason why good sanitation and space in the home are important is because bed bug control may be more difficult in a cluttered and dirty home. Clutter gives bed bugs places to hide. When they hide, they are harder to find through visual inspection when there is dirt everywhere. In a cluttered home, pest monitoring is essential to detecting an infestation before it grows and spreads. There is a need for proper sanitation to eliminate bed bugs and to avoid the spread to other parts of the environment.

Any environment can be infested with bed bugs. Therefore, bed bugs are not a sign of poor sanitation. It is not a sign that you do not wash your sheets or take care of your home. Any socioeconomic class can get bed bugs as it is not a poor person’s problem. Bed bugs can be picked up anywhere, by anyone, at any time. If you get bed bugs don’t be ashamed, it only means that you left your house. Get help to eliminate the spread.

Cockroaches are omnivores that eat plants and meat. They have been recorded to eat human flesh of both the living and the dead, although they are more likely to take a bite of fingernails, eyelashes, feet and hands. The bites may cause irritation, lesions and swelling. Some have suffered from minor wound infections.

Cockroaches are not likely to bite living humans, except perhaps in cases of extreme infestations where the cockroach population is large, especially when food becomes limited. In most situations, cockroaches would not bite humans if there are other food sources such as in garbage cans or exposed food. One of their only beneficial roles is to break down organic matter, and cockroaches will eat just about anything they can find, such as paper, glue, leather and more. This is why thorough cleaning of areas like the kitchen and bathroom is so important to keep cockroaches at bay. Crumbs, trash and even hair offer an irresistible feast for cockroaches! When their numbers are left unchecked, the population may outgrow the normal food sources. Once the food becomes limited, the cockroaches will be forced to forage more and on things they would not normally consume like feeding on the human flesh. This is why it is of utmost importance that if an infestation is detected, it be controlled or exterminated as quickly as possible. Ordinarily, pest control would be contacted before the populations reach these levels.

The most serious cases of cockroaches biting humans have been on ships. It has been documented that some cockroaches on seafaring vessels have become so numerous that they gnawed the skin and nails of those on board. Some sailors even reported wearing gloves so that the cockroaches would not be able to bite their fingers.

Almost all of the roach’s species are capable biting humans. However, there are 3 species of cockroaches that are most known for their biting addiction. These are:

• Periplaneta American
• German cockroach
• Periplaneta australasiae.

German cockroach bite as well as the American cockroach bite is not fun. These ugly pests have chewing mouth parts due to which they can inflict painful bites causing mild skin reactions in sensitive people.
You can avoid being bitten by roaches.

Keep in mind that nearly the only reason a cockroach would ever bite a human is for food, therefore, it is advisable, if an infestation is detected, to avoid eating while in bed. Food residue on your mouth or hands while all the lights are off will be a strong invitation for cockroaches to bite.

Again, this would mostly occur when other prominent food sources are unavailable, but it is valuable to remember it when you think you may have an infestation.The most common areas for a cockroach to bite are around the hands, feet, fingernails, and eyelashes. These are areas where it can be easy for trace residues of food to linger, even in cases of good hygiene.

If you are ever bitten by a cockroach, dip a cotton swab in some rubbing alcohol and treat the bite. As far as these insects carry tons of bacteria, it is essential to debride a wound properly. Bites can get infected, become bigger and swell badly. Killing the infection by forcing the bacteria out of the bite is the first thing you are to do, but if symptoms do not go away in few days, consult with a doctor.

Cockroaches prefer to live and feed in the dark and they are nocturnal, so a cockroach seen during the day is a possible sign of infestation. Cockroaches tend to prefer dark, moist places to hide and breed and can be found behind refrigerators, sinks and stoves, as well as under floor drains and inside of motors and major appliances. Because they can flatten their bodies to fit into narrow areas, cockroaches may also be found hiding beneath rubber mats, behind wallpaper and within wall cracks.
Winning the war against these nasty invaders is determined by how early their infestation is detected. The longer you let them have their way the harder and more expensive it will be to get rid of them. To get them as soon as possible:

Watch out for Fecal droppings
When you find their feces, it is a sure sign you’ve got a problem. Smaller roaches will leave behind droppings that are similar in size and appearance to ground coffee or black pepper. Larger roaches will leave larger droppings. The more fecal droppings you find, the higher the number of roaches you are dealing with. Areas in your home with lots of feces are clear indicators of high traffic areas for roaches. They come through that area often to scavenge for food and water. Take note of these areas as they are critical areas to target when you try kill them off.

Watch out for Egg casings
Roaches produce egg casings, which actually holds multiple eggs inside it. These casings are called oothecae. Whether you find the unhatched eggs, or just the casings left behind, you can be certain that finding even one means you have roaches. Of the 3 out of 4 common roaches in the US, each ootheca can hold between 10-20 eggs inside. The German cockroach ootheca can hold 50 eggs inside. You can identify them visually from their long, rounded shape and their brownish color. Some roaches’ species will carry their eggs with them until they hatch. While others will leave them hidden in a safe place.

Watch out for their odor
While a single cockroach may appear to give off little to no odor, a large number of them combined will definitely get your attention. Once you are able to smell roaches, you already have a huge infestation. What does cockroach smell like? Most experts and victims agree that the smell can be described as oily and musky.

Watch out for the dead ones
Cockroaches are nocturnal as said before, so seeing them during the day may be a rare sighting (unless you have a serious problem, but you can read more about that later). To catch them during the night, when they are most active, you need to use cockroach traps. But the dead ones can no longer run and hide during the day, so you’ll see dead roaches if you have a large number of them. Check out the common areas they could hide, so it isn’t uncommon to find a few dead ones around them.

When you see them during the day.
The biggest sign that you have a very serious cockroach infestation is seeing them run around during the day. They typically only come out to scavenge for food and water during the night when you are usually asleep. They only come out when their numbers are so great that some of them gets pushed out from their nests.

The sooner you detect them and take steps to kill them, the better and cheaper it will be. Start treatment upon first detection of any of these signs. Don’t wait until it’s already too late that even a professional exterminator may not be able to kill all of them in just a couple of expensive visits. It’s imperative that you keep an eye out for these signs of a cockroach infestation.

Whether you like it or not, homes and business properties are ideal breeding grounds for certain species of cockroaches. With plenty of food, warmth, water and nesting sites, these formidable pests can remain active all year round. It is much easier to prevent roaches than to get rid of them. Preventing them all comes down to proper sanitation. Clean homes and businesses can become infested if small sanitation steps are missed.

Eliminating food sources is a constant battle in roach control. While this effort involves a great deal of work and vigilance, the results are well worth the effort. Clean Kitchen Appliances. The greatest problem spots usually include the refrigerator, dishwasher, stove, toaster, microwave, and underneath the kitchen sink. Empty Cabinets and Clean them out. Another common food source for Roaches are the crumbs and food spills inside kitchen cabinets. Limit food consumption to one room of the house. Allowing food to be consumed in all areas of the home leads to crumbs and food spills that often go unnoticed and make tasty temptations for Roaches. This practice contributes to the spread of an infestation to other areas of the home other than the kitchen.

Vacuum the kitchen floor thoroughly each night before bed. Roaches come out to feed at night. If you will practice your most rigorous cleaning rituals in the kitchen just before bed each night, there will be nothing or very little left for foraging roaches to feast on. Vacuum all other non-food areas of the home every 2 to 3 days. This practice contributes to overall sanitation and also helps to eliminate roach feces, skins, body parts, and egg casings, all of which contain pheromones that attract other roaches to the same areas.

Wipe off kitchen countertops and spray disinfectant every night before going to bed. Empty pet food containers at night, or place them on the back porch or in a plastic bag. Store Food in Sealed Containers. Roaches are small enough to slip into the cardboard packaging that many foods are stored in. Use a trash can with a tight fitting lid, and take out the trash each night before bed. Keep outside trash cans clean and moved away from the structure. Fix leaky faucets and pipes and repair sweating pipes. Before bed, stop up sinks in the kitchen and bathrooms and dry them completely with a paper towel. Dry out the bathtub and shower completely and stop up the drain before bed.

Place wet dish rags and sponges in an airtight plastic storage bag overnight, or place them directly in the washing machine. Wet toothbrushes should be dried as best they can and sealed in plastic bags. Roaches prefer a tight crack or crevice, or a dark wall void in which to hide out of sight during daylight areas. So, eliminating as many harborages as you can will set roaches on the run. Seal off cracks and crevices with a caulking gun and seal off holes surrounding pipes or other light and wall fixtures with a material such as copper mesh. Windows and doors should fit tightly and squarely within their frames to prevent both harborage and entry from outside.

Keep mulch turned and raked at least 6 inches away from structure to create a “dry zone” which will discourage insects from crossing over the area and also to create an ideal area to apply insecticides. Keep shrubs, bushes, plants and trees trimmed back so they do not touch your home. Eliminate as much yard debris as possible. Keep stacked firewood away from structures. Make sure window screens, door sweeps and weather stripping are fully intact to stop roaches from squeezing in. Caulk small crevices around door and window frames. Apply long lasting insecticide dusts to your wall voids to eliminate insects that may be harboring in these areas and spray the exterior of your home with a residual insecticide every 60-90 days to keep roaches out for good.

Here are quick facts about cockroaches: There are more than 3,500 identified species of cockroaches, with many more species yet to be discovered. Most roaches are tropical in distribution – occupying a variety of habitats in rainforests and other moist, warm locales. A total of about 69 species inhabits the United States. Of those, about two-thirds are not native to this country. While that may sound like a lot, only about 10 species are considered household pests.

Now to our question, can cockroaches fly?

Cockroaches evolved from a flying ancestor. They are related to mantids and earwigs, then to grasshoppers and crickets. Many species of cockroaches have wings, but not all are good flyers. In fact, most cockroaches do not fly at all. There are several species capable of flying short distances and a number of other species – including American cockroaches – that use their wings to glide from high elevations to lower surfaces.

Male Pennsylvania woods cockroaches and smoky brown cockroaches are both strong flyers. Australian, Asian and Cuban cockroaches are also capable of flight, but none of these could truly be labeled flying cockroaches. Many cockroaches don’t fly because of their size. For insects, cockroaches are relatively large creatures. Their large body mass and flight wings are not conducive to speed or maneuverability. A large, slow flying insect is easy prey for birds or bats. So even though many cockroaches can fly, they still use their highly effective legs for running rather than flying most of the time.

In fact, according to some researches, cockroaches are some of the fastest running insects, capable of covering several feet in a few seconds. The American cockroach has been clocked at 59 inches per second, which is equal to 3.4 miles per hour. At 50 body lengths per second, this roach is about three times the speed of a cheetah. Cheetahs, the fastest land mammal, only cover about 18 body lengths in the same amount of time.

Note that only adult insects have wings. While adults of many species of cockroaches are endowed with wings, adults of other species, and all nymphs (regardless of species) are wingless. So in winged cockroach species, the juveniles will be wingless while the adults will have fully formed wings, making them look strikingly different. So if you see lots of little wingless roaches together with a few, giant winged roaches, you are not looking at two species, but one big happy family in the same species. Those adults that have wings tend to fly mainly when disturbed. Generally, they’re ungainly in flight, a bit more than just falling with style. Even then, they fly better than do some kinds of birds (such as ostriches, emus, rheas and penguins). The latter, of course, ‘fly’ quite well underwater.

No cockroach is adept beneath the waves. So many roach species still have wings while other species have lost their wings. The Madagascar Hissing Cockroaches you see in pet shops or movies are examples. Do cockroaches fly? Yes, some can, but if you observe cockroaches flying in your home, call a pest management professional to bring them down.

When not well trained, mice can be one of the most erratic rodents in the planet; they invade humans and property carelessly, and this carelessness they extend towards their nourishment also, hence it cannot be said that mice feed on a certain type of food for nourishment. Mice eat a wide assortment of food. They have insatiable longings and will eat just about anything. They are genuine omnivorous foragers, however for the most part incline toward grain, domesticated animals food, and meat. Mice have likewise been known to eat soap, leather, furs, candy, milk, meat, vegetables, poultry, eggs, grain, seeds, fruit, nuts, calfskin, hides, treat, milk, meat, vegetables, poultry, eggs, grain, seeds, natural product, nuts, snails and different rodents. A rodent can eat 33% of its body weight every day. The rodent’s primary source of nourishment is water, as it can’t survive long without it. Mice need 1/2 to 1 ounce of water every day.

Two fundamental sorts of mice, brown mice and black mice eat about the same things. In any case, there are slight differences in inclinations between the two. Brown mice, also known to be Norway mice eat almost any kind of food, yet they lean toward amazingly high quality foods, for example, meat and healthy grains. These mice require 1/2 to 1 liquid ounce of water day by day when nourishing on dry food. Mice have sharp taste, hearing, and feeling of smell.

Rooftop mice or black mice for the most part incline toward vegetables, products of the soil (tubers), and devour 1/2 to 1 ounce food for every day from different sources. They don’t really acknowledge meat or fish. They like oat grains, slashed apples, sweet potatoes, melons, prunes, pineapple, treats, doughnuts, sweet chocolate confection, nutty spread, and tomatoes. They additionally expend an ounce of water for each day.

Mice are nutritiously somewhat superior to anything mice. Dissimilar to the mouse that snack a little at once, mice eat a great deal more food in one sitting. Like mice, mice can live in coolers and they want to eat solidified food.

Mice have a propensity for chewing when they eat. Their biting capacity helps them to bite and chew through nearly anything. They chew anything gentler than their teeth. They chew papers, garments, wood, plastics, water funnels, electric links and other building materials. Their propensity for biting and snarling at almost anything causes tremendous harm to humanity, for example; they can raise fires anywhere with that tendency, power deficiencies by biting at power lines and flooding when they tamper with pipes.

Now that we realize mice will eat virtually anything that comes in their way, especially for the wild mice (those which aren’t pets). So, a little advice is, feed your pet mice appropriately and do everything possible to keep your home or office free from non-domesticated rats. Surf the internet to find out about how you can properly care for your pet mice and also how you can eradicate wild mice.

As indicated by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, viruses like the hantavirus pneumonic disorder are regularly spread to people through bites from the deer mouse, cotton mice, rice mice and white-footed mice. Regardless of mainstream thinking, as indicated by ND Health, little rodents, for example, mice seldom spread rabies to people through gnawing. Most times for mice to chomp people incorporate when the mouse accesses a person’s home.

Regularly a person comes into contact with the mouse unintentionally when opening a drawer or all of a sudden going into a room. Mice aren’t forceful by and large, and by and large they keep running from individuals as a first plan of action. Be that as it may, if the mouse is startled or believes that it may be in threat, it frequently bites individuals reflexively. This additionally regularly happens for kids who attempt to keep mice as pets and handle them unreasonably. If a youngster crushes a mouse in their grasp, they can anticipate that the mouse will instantly chomp them.

Mice more often than not nibble people just if they are debilitated or cornered. If people attempt to catch or pursue mice, at times they pivot and nibble out of apprehension keeping in mind the end goal to protect themselves and departure. Mice that chomp people at times have infections that should be dealt with accordingly.

Field Mice:

Little field mice may look sweet and cuddly, however they are wild mice. Not just would they be able to nibble, they can likewise harbor maladies and get to be baffling bugs for property holders to battle with. Try not to endeavor to catch or hold a field mouse you find outside – paying little respect to estimate. Minimal ones display the same practices as huge ones. Try not to attempt to keep a field mouse as a pet. If you discover field mice living in your home, call an expert exterminator to trap or generally expel them before they do long haul harm.

While little field mice aren’t known for gnawing, they may nibble when frightened or cornered as and approach to shield themselves. You may run over basic field mice living in your home, animal dwelling place or basement. They can repeat rapidly and bite on protection, wiring and woodwork. If you’re attempting to destroy mice from a home, live traps are an empathetic approach. Wear gloves when handling live traps for mice to guarantee you don’t get nipped.

As the tides ride on we usually begin to see the need to improve our living condition; maybe more space, more warmth, a little coziness. Though it is a good thing to treat your home to a nice touch every now and then, however in the process we tend to attract unwanted housemates, the mice.

It so happens that as we improve our living conditions we help create a more favorable living condition for mice to thrive in; the shelter, coziness, warmth, and what seems like an endless supply of food to them. Mice have an awful lot of negative sides to them; asides from the damage mice make to our properties, they also have the potential to make us quite ill through some various forms of contact.

Though diseases caused by mice vary distinctly, it is an absolute possibility to contract these diseases via the same mediums. Most times, diseases caused by mice are spread through their urine, feces, and saliva amongst other factors coming into considerations.

o Inhaling – A key indication of a mouse infestation is hints of urine and dung. At the point when these excrement dry out, due to a few physical actions they blend with the natural air we breathe and contaminate it, thereby making it unhealthy as we take in deep breaths. This permits any infection found in mouse pee and dung to wind up airborne and effortlessly transmittable to people by breathing in the defiled air.

o Handling – Much the same as with breathing in, you can get to be contaminated with a mouse-borne sickness from handling mouse fecal matter, for example, feces and urine. The same can likewise be said for handling things that have ended up sullied with mouse excrement.

o Touching – A dead mouse is usually infected with numerous amounts of bacteria and viruses, all of which have the potential to make you fall seriously ill if you come in contact with them. That’s why it is advisable that one should never touch a dead mouse.

o Bites – Getting chomped by a mouse is another path in which a mouse-borne illness can be transmitted. A portion of the harmful bacteria and viruses examined above live in the spit of mice and are effortlessly transmittable once a mouse has chomped you.

o Scratches – A scratch from a mouse makes it simple for mouse-borne infections to be transmitted. Like mouse bites, this makes an open injury, permitting simple access for any of the bacteria or viruses hurtful to people to advance into your circulatory system.

o Consuming – Unlike us, mice don’t have a designated spot for their urine and feces, they will go anyplace and let themselves at ease and these places include in and around our drinking supplies and nourishment. Consuming nourishment and beverage tainted with the unsafe bacteria and viruses mice convey, can prompt you being contaminated.

Mice are harmful rodents because of their unsanitary nature, and should be kept at bay.

Mice are very efficient breeders; they attain sexual maturity at just five weeks old into their life. Unlike the human race, mice do not recognize the concept of incest, hence wherever a male and a female meet sexual intercourse will most likely occur and considering the population of mice; both male and female out there, that’s like mice engaging in intercourse every 2 days in a week.

Another factor is, mice do not have a particular breeding season; as long as the immediate living condition is bearable (not overly hot or cold). Female mice usually come into heat period at a rate of once in every four or five days and a few more times in the early stages of their pregnancy. One other factor that points at the rate at which mice reproduce is the fact that they have the tendency to mate across various species of their family (Rattus).

Mice take only an amazing 21 to 23 or 26 days for special cases during their gestation period to deliver their babies. Female mice are known to go right back into heat after birth of their baby mice. At this amazing rate of delivery, it is little surprise why mice are one of the most popular rodents in the universe. Then the process of child birth in mice requires no tangible external assistance; mice deliver their babies with minimum fuss and this works out as a favorable condition for mice to multiply all over.

Now, for the rate at which mice multiply, a female rat possesses the tendency to couple over 500 times within six hours with different partners too. This state of copulation is experienced by the female rat over 15 times annually, and two matured mice have the capacity to breed as much as 2000 offspring annually too. From this study it is pretty obvious the rate at which mice multiply is alarming. So basically, leave a rat without any disturbance and it will become a battalion in no time at all.

Rodents multiplying in numbers, and then having to hunt them in that great number later is something no one wants really, except scientists of course who have an interest in the particular rodent. Some other persons that may want to deliberately breed mice are the ones who exploit their cuddly and friendly feel to train them as pets (in truth they are amazing pets if well trained), but when they are not your visitors, they will take your home apart.

Mice are one of the most destructive domestic rodents out there; they attack books which might include very sensitive documents, foods and drinks and then there’s the risk of contracting one of the diseases they have to offer. One of the most prominent factors that hinder the reproduction rate of mice is deliberate human actions to halt their spread. So, if you see a rat in and around you, get to work immediately and send it packing with all its baggage.