How Do You Define a Pest?

As a pest control company, we have been called to handle most any and every annoyance you can think of in regards to wildlife and bugs. Most of the time we are able to provide a service and a plan which will eliminate a person’s trouble. If the problem is something out of the scope of work, we can provide the proper referral.

That got us thinking though, what exactly is a pest? In many cases, its subjective. One person’s pest may be another person’s “anti-pest”. Case and point: A group of geckos living on your porch can be an annoyance because they always seem to slip into your home when you enter or exit the house. They inevitably end up dying somewhere in your home. And if you don’t find the dead gecko right away, its corpse can draw other pests ie., ants and roaches.

Geckos also leave their dropping wherever they stay. This can be unsanitary for your family. But for some folks, the fact that the gecko feeds on bugs and flying insects is enough to strike it from the pest list.

The department of health defines a pest as: “A pest is any animal or plant which has a harmful effect on humans, their food or their living conditions.” This can be any living creature which causes a physical threat or annoyance. Pests can also cause expensive damage to your home. Some examples of this are:

1. Termites eating away the wooden structures.
2. Ants building colonies within the structure of your home causing it to weaken.
3. Rodents leaving feces and urine in the attic and behind the walls.

The list could go on but you get the picture.

Pests like mites or fleas can be a tremendous annoyance for your pets. Cats or dogs can get infested with these tiny parasites and cause extreme discomfort and fur loss. It is not a pretty sight.

In conclusion, each person may have a different opinion as to certain species being a pest or not. But there is a huge list of bugs and animals that most anyone can agree are at the very least an annoyance and at most physically threatening to one’s well-being.