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Dangers of Pest Contamination in Food

Dangers of Pest Contamination in Food

What are the dangers of pest contamination in food?

  1. Transmission of pathogens
  2. Rapid bacteria multiplication
  3. Cross-contamination
  4. Exposure to parasites
  5. Stored food contamination

 

Pest contamination in food is not only well-known in the food manufacturing industry but in regular households as well. Luckily, some pest control services offer free pest inspections to help prevent these hazardous instances that can endanger the health of individuals from happening. Pest contamination is bad enough, but when it affects your food supply, then it will pose many health risks that you could’ve avoided altogether. Together with a pest control expert, you should push efforts to prevent the dangers of pest contamination in food below.

 

Transmission of Pathogens

It is common knowledge that pests can be the dirtiest and deadliest creatures in the world. They are responsible for many of the well-known diseases which have ultimately caused the demise of countless people. For instance, just a small amount of their droppings or urine can cause diseases and even damage your home. When pests are the culprit of food contamination, the frequency with which they can affect people in your home increases astoundingly!

The transmission of pathogens can happen through one of three ways: bacterial contamination, viral contamination, or parasite contamination. This can happen when the saliva, droppings, blood, or fecal matter of a pest is transferred into your food. The transmission of pathogens can cause hundreds or even thousands of cases of food poisoning worldwide which is why it is essential to maintain the best food-handling precautions as recommended by pest control services.

 

Rapid Bacteria Multiplication

Rapid Bacteria Multiplication

Bacteria can multiply very quickly, especially in a warm, damp environment like containers full of food. Pests tend to defecate even while eating food but make no mistake, they do this no matter the food that they are eating. Once consumed, these droppings can be responsible for dangerous and often fatal diseases such as Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome (HPS),  Salmonella enterica infection, Listeriosis caused by Listeria monocytogenes, etc. Bacteria can spread pretty quickly, sometimes in a matter of minutes.

The velocity of their multiplication might seem exaggerated, but it really can multiply its size every 20 to 30 minutes. This is bad news especially if your food is constantly ridden by pests. The health risk that this poses for humans can be astounding because this multiplication will eventually lead to food poisoning. Pests can contaminate and destroy food worldwide that is enough to feed up to over 200 million people!

 

Cross-Contamination

Pests that contaminate food can be the cause of cross-contamination –  otherwise known as the passing of bacteria from a contaminated source to an uncontaminated one. This means that even if you are confident that your food was not exposed to the risk of contamination, it is still possible that you can contract diseases from it due to cross-contamination caused by pests.

Although there are cases where cross-contamination can be caused by improper food handling, pest contamination can also be the reason for this. An example of cross-contamination is when an uncontaminated piece of meat is placed in contact with a pest-contaminated one.

 

Exposure to Parasites

Exposure to Parasites

This type of hazard can be attributed to the presence of cockroaches and other insect pests. Cockroaches can spread at least 33 kinds of bacteria and 6 kinds of parasitic worms. When transferred to food, they can expose humans to diseases such as Escherichia coli and Shigellosis.

Pests can carry germs and bacteria which can easily be transferred to food, food surfaces, and other food processing equipment. Human pathogens such as Salmonella enterica, Vibrio cholerae, and Staphylococcus aureus are all harmful specimens carried by pests which causes dangerous diseases in humans.

 

Stored Food Contamination

The pests involved in this occurrence can range from flour beetles, weevils, cockroaches, and sometimes even termites. Food contamination in this category happens when pests leave body parts and cast skins or wings within the food that is stored. Also, another major concern about these pest body parts is that they can be ground up along with food products like grains and cereals making them almost undetectable, but just as lethal to humans.

 

Key Takeaway

Making the effort to prevent pest contamination in food should be done as early as the first pest detection that you have experienced. With that, a free pest infection will be delivered to you by a reliable pest control provider near you so it would do you good to contact one today.

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A Look at the Anatomy of a Termite

A Look at the Anatomy of a Termite

What should you know about the anatomy of a termite?

  1. Mandible
  2. Waist
  3. Antennae
  4. Wing Length

 

Oftentimes, pest control services need to be present before you are made aware that termites are riddling your home. If not for free pest inspections, termites will wander around your house unscathed and without the worry that you will deal with them. This is why it pays to know what termites look like so you can instantly deal with them at the first sign of their appearance.

 

Knowing the anatomy of the termite is a proactive way to prevent termite damage and ultimately, eradicate their presence in your home. It may sound too extensive to study about this particular topic, but when it brings significant advantages for you and your property, then you will know that you have made the right choice.

 

Termites can be extremely hazardous and invasive which is why you should know better and call pest control services to eliminate them as soon as possible. If you would like a closer look at the termite then this article is for you.

 

Mandible

Mandible

The mandible is another term for the termites’ powerful jaws — the primary reason why they are so destructive. These little mandibles of theirs can be used to strike at wood, cellulose, clothes, structural beams, foundations, books, and furniture. It is said that when they feed on their chosen food, they will perform a rapid, ballistic, and destructive movement – the reason for the damage done to your home and possessions. In addition, they use their head and mandibles to defend the colony against other invaders, capture prey, and evade predators. If they can do that to other insects, just imagine the damage they can do to your home.

 

Waist

Oftentimes, ants and termites are mistaken for each other. There is a way to avoid this, and it is to look at the termites’ waists. Termites usually have straight waists while ants are characterized to have pinched ones. This will come in handy if you are in doubt whether that pesky insect in your home is a termite or an ant.

Identifying termites can be hard, especially if you do not know what they look like. It becomes even more confusing when you learn of the three main castes of termites. The first and largest caste is the worker termite which acts as the provider for the colony. Second, the soldier termite protects the colony and is equipped with a large set of mandibles just for this task. Lastly, the reproductive caste may be one of the most important in the category because they are responsible for creating new termite colonies.

One thing is for sure, every single one of these insects have straight waists which you can identify if you take a closer look.



Antennae

It is said that termite antennae look like a string of beads; coincidentally, this is also one of their similarities with ants. Termite antennae serve a special function by helping them navigate their way through the area by detecting odors in the environment. The antenna shape is the common culprit among people who mistake termites for ants. However, one thing that you have to keep in mind is that termites have straight antennae while ants have bent antennae. The elbowed antennae shape in ants is what keeps their appearance separate from the termites’. The next time you see an insect with a straight antenna crawling along your walls, you should contact a free pest inspection real quick.



Wing Length  

Wing Length  

Now this is a tricky way to identify termites because their wings are too tiny and are sometimes difficult to see. However, you should always remember that termite wings have the same length while ants which have wings that are of different lengths. Ants’ front wings tend to be longer than their hind wings, which is not the case with termites. This is an important category of the anatomy of termites because termites tend to shed off their wings in the area that they are in which is an explicit sign that termites have entered your home. If you find insect wings strewn about in your home, then you should take this as a sign to call the nearest pest control provider to deal with the situation.

 

Key Takeaway

There you have it, these are the parts of the termite that you should pay attention to. If you find yourself agreeing with particular points in this list then you should pay attention and deal with the termite situation as soon as possible. Protect your home against termites at all costs, contact our team here!