Hospitals, Nursing Homes, and Schools Should Be Concerned About Disease Carrying Ants
Experts estimate the world is home to 22,000 ant species. Two of them, the notorious, pharaoh ants and fire ants are major problems throughout the world in hospitals, nursing homes and schools. They’re creating new headaches for public administrators and operations managers. Why all the fuss? Pharaoh ants and fire ants are more than a nuisance; they’re responsible for serious human illness and sometimes even death.
The pharaoh ant is one of the world’s premier ant pests. The tiny disease carrying pharaoh ant (1/16 of an inch in length) is difficult to see with a visual inspection. These tiny insects have a translucent, reddish gold color. Although a tropical species, thanks to central heating they are now flourishing in colder climates.
Pharaoh ants live in multi-colonies with thousands or hundreds of thousands of members. They establish huge colonies throughout hospitals, nursing homes, schools and other settings. Pharaoh ants have even penetrated the security of recombinant DNA laboratories (source: Haack and Granovsky). The warmth seeking pharaoh ants build nests around central heating pipes and boiler rooms. They also live in warm, moist inaccessible areas such as inside furniture, behind baseboards and under floors. Pharaoh ants may even find homes between layers of bed linens and in piles of trash and inside appliances. Once they invade a building they’re just about impossible to eliminate.
These insects have a wide food preference ranging from fruits to syrups, meats, fatty foods, oily foods and dead insects. In hospitals, nursing homes and schools, these pests easily carry germs from one area to another. Pharaoh ants are known to spread diseases, some life threatening, especially to the sick and elderly.
Researchers have analyzed pharaoh ants found in hospitals – they discovered over a dozen types of pathogenic bacteria. According to The Lancet, one of the world’s prestigious medical journals, pharaoh ants captured in nine hospitals were found to be carriers of Pseudomonas, Salmonella spp., Streptococcus spp., Staphylococcus spp., and Clostridium spp.
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In severely infested environments, pharaoh ants brazenly crawl into human wounds and dine on blood plasma and wound dressings. These ants can spread bacteria and disease while traveling from patient to patient. Newborns and burn victims residing in pharaoh ant-infested hospitals are subjected to increased risk due to the pharaoh ants’ pathogens. In hospitals, they have been observed searching for moisture from the mouths of sleeping babies and from active IV bottles.
It is best to ask an expert to deal with these unwanted guests. If you disturb a colony they split the colony through a process called budding and will create several new nests in adjacent areas. To help prevent infestations in hospitals, nursing homes and schools, keep food in sealed, secure containers and keep areas free of food particles and sweet liquids. These insects contaminate food with the pathogens they’ve picked up while crawling in buildings.
Red imported fire antswere accidently brought to the United States from South America in the early 1900′s. These ants are aggressive, efficient competitors. They live in large colonies in dirt nests, which form mounds. They eat plants and occasionally smaller insects. Their bites create a burning sensation and painful pustules in about 50 percent of people bitten. Infected pustules can turn into scars.
Fire ants inject their venom by utilizing the biting parts of their jaw and rotating their bodies. They often inject venom into a victim numerous times. People allergic to fire ant venom may experience anaphylaxis; a life-threatening allergic reaction.
People are more likely to be attacked while outdoors, however there have been reports of fire ants stinging people in nursing homes, hotels and homes. Fire ant stings have actually killed a small number of nursing home patients (source: The American Journal of Medicine).
In severely fire ant infested hospitals and nursing homes, cognitively impaired, immobile patients are particularly at risk of a fire ant attacks. An attack may cause respiratory tract obstruction, frank anaphylaxis and the worsening of pre-existing conditions. In Florida, in 2000, Mary L. Morales Gay, an elderly nursing home patient with Alzheimer’s disease, died a day after being bitten 1,625 times by fire ants (source: Associated Press). Why was she bitten that many times? Vibration or movement inspires a group of fire ants to bite. It’s natural for people move when fire ants swarm on their arms or legs.
Fire ant attacks have inspired lawsuits against doctors and health care facilities (source: The American Journal of Medicine). In 2005, Earl Dean Griffith, while recuperating from surgery in a Florida nursing home, died after being bitten by hundreds of fire ants. The 73 year old Griffith died from a combination of shock and ant poison in his system. Mariner Health Care, one of the nation’s largest nursing home chains, agreed to pay his family members $1.8 million. As you can see, fire ant infestations are not just a problem for third world countries, but can be an issue for healthcare facilities and nursing homes in the United States.
Ants of all varieties crawl through their own waste material, animal feces and other waste material as they move around their environment and nest. Their body can pick up and deposit bacteria and other microorganisms throughout hospitals, nursing homes, schools, homes etc. School cafeterias should be extra careful; as these specific pest ants transmit food-borne illnesses such as dysentery and Salmonella on food and food preparation surfaces. Safety measures and proactive professional ant control services may prevent diseases and lawsuits.
Due to the adaptive nature of ant colonies, destroying the entire colony is nearly impossible. Typically pest management companies will strive to control local ant populations. Hospitals, nursing homes and schools should eliminate food particle and sweet liquid messes quickly. Your facility may not currently have disease carrying ants but they are spreading around the United States. It is best to implement a comprehensive ant prevention program with the help of a professional pest management firm to avoid human illness and lawsuits from ant infestations.
Jesse Eaton is a member of the pest professional team at ChemTec Pest Control. This New Jersey based pest control firm serves commercial and residential clients. ChemTec Pest Control is located at 186 Saddle River Road, Saddle Brook, NJ. You can reach the ant experts at ChemTec Pest Control at (201) 843-0780 or by email at wecare@chemtecpest.com. Please visit us on the Web at www.chemtecpest.com (http://www.chemtecpest.com).
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Get Rid of Rats
The rats are of great nuisance and disturbance in the houses, court yards, farm lands and go downs. Out of these vast places they prefer to live in specific places which sometime cannot reach as well as imagine. The mice usually prefer to live in areas where they would be able to get sufficient amount of food, water and even shelter. They select places where they would be safer from their predators like cats, dogs, eagles and snakes. There are also different species of rats according to which there nesting and accommodation also varies. When the growth and breeding of mice are not properly controlled, the disturbances and nuisances made by them would increase. The furniture and upholsteries will be the most effected. The mice will occupy almost all the portions of the house. They can simply nest into small gaps and areas which house owner cannot imagine. One would always feel disturbed by the mice in each and every occasion. They can simply destroy the shoes and leather items clothing. The rats can disturb the sleep, eating hours and entertainment hours. The litters made by mice create foul smell in rooms of houses and offices. So it is essential to get rid of rats. Let us discuss about the ways to get rid of rats.
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Scram is one of the best ways to get rid of rats. Scram sprays drives the rat away from house, restaurants, go-downs etc and also keep the rats away. The scram is totally eco friendly as it does not contain any sort of chemical and toxic materials. The scram is manufactured from the best natural organic materials like herbs and other green materials. The scram has the fragrance of mint which when sprayed into the room and gives a pleasant nature of smell. It does not cause any sort of side effects to humans. The scram is also harmless to animals and plants. This rat repellent does not kills or hurts the rats and mice. It simply makes a smell which drives the rats and mice from the surroundings and keeps them away for a longer period. The scram rat repellent not only plays the role of driving the rats away but also helps in controlling the various diseases caused due to rats.
The scram rat repellent is capable of driving away the rats because it produces a kind of smell which cannot be smelled by the humans. This rat repellent just produces the smell of the rat’s most ferocious predator. As a result of which the rats feel that there exists a cat or cats around them or their surroundings. The rats then do not wait for a minute and run for their lives. Thus by spraying the scram all round the corners of the room, the rats as well as the disturbances created by them can be kept away. This rat repellent is much more effective to get rid of rats as compared to the harmful methods which involve the use of poison and other equipments to kill or to trap rats because these methods might not be always effective and require many safety precautions. The scram is available at affordable prices in the market.
Author is an SEO copy writer and a marketing
expert. To know more about rat repellent
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Keeping a Pet Rat
Just mentioning the word “rat” may be enough to conjure up terrifying images of disease and horror in most people, but in reality rats actually make great pets. They are intelligent, affectionate and extremely loyal. A popular misconception many people have about rats is that they spread plague. This isn’t true because during the time of the plague in the Middle Ages, the outbreak was caused by fleas and unsanitary conditions, not rats.
Rats have an average lifespan of 2-3 years and you have to be prepared to provide your pet with lots of time and attention to ensure its well-being throughout its life. They are very social creatures and keeping more than one may be a good idea. If you don’t want them breeding keep two of the same gender to keep each other company. Because rats are largely nocturnal creatures, keeping more than one rat will help prevent loneliness and boredom when you’re not around.
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When choosing a cage for your pet rats, always try to get the biggest cage you can afford. Rats are quite active and need room to exercise and move around. Avoid cages with wire mesh flooring as these can damage and injure your pet rat’s feet and legs. A nest box should be provided so the rats can hide and feel safe if they feel threatened. Rats love hammocks and toys so be sure to provide them with things to keep them occupied.
Good toys to give your pet rats are chews and wood blocks as rats love to gnaw. Not all rats like exercise wheels and if you do get one for your rats make sure it’s a spoke-less kind so your rat’s tail doesn’t get pinched in the spokes. Rats love shredding things so be sure to provide them with empty cardboard toilet rolls. You can find special shredding toys at the pet shop which contain a treat in the center of cardboard layers that the rat has to shred to get to the treat. This is very entertaining for rats.
You can easily litter train your pet rats. This can be done by providing them with a litter box (corner litter boxes sold at most pet shops are ideal for this) and waiting for them to do their business, then pick up the droppings and put them in the litter box. Show the rat the litter box with the droppings and in no time they’ll learn to use their litter box on their own.
If you do decide to get rats, you will discover that they make wonderful companions, you can even train them to come to their name or to retrieve objects. They are highly intelligent and social creatures and will truly fulfill your life.
Kenny likes to write on a number of subjects and has been doing so for a number of years. His most up-to-date internet site is http://powerwheelsparts.net which provides folks with information on purchasing a Power Wheels gearbox.
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Using Green and Safe Rat Control
Go Natural
Nothing can make a bigger case for toxic extermination than a rat running through the wall boards, attic, basement or even main living spaces of a personal residence. Due to the filthy and disease ridden nature of rats, especially within the home, homeowners want to get rid of these pests as fast as possible. Organic rat control methods are a great option and can be just as effective as toxic versions. Rats already in homes can pose a germ and disease threat as their urine and droppings will be all over the house where it is not readily visible. Using rat poison or toxic chemicals could make the living situation worse, as it is also toxic toward humans and pets. The great thing about organic rat control is that a homeowner can both rid these dirty rodents while also protecting their family from harsh products.
Pest Control from the Kitchen
There are many green pest control methods than can be created with items right from your home. By trying some of the following options, homeowners can rid their home of rats without imposing extensive exposure to toxic chemicals:
Use half corn flour and half cement powder mix as bait for the rats. By ingesting water, they will have a chemical reaction with the cement and will ultimately lead to their death. The negative of this process is the uncertainty of where the rat has died within a residence.
Get a cat to do your work. The cat is a natural predator of the rat and with its scent and versatility, can drive rodents out of your home and deter them from coming back.
Frequently pick your fruits and vegetables. Gardens should be well kept and inspected for problems. Rats enjoy rotting food and fresh food, so picking the fruit or vegetable as soon as possible and utilizing organic rat deterrents before you ever spot one can help to ensure that rats steer clear of a homeowner’s garden.
Cleaning out a rat’s nest is far more excruciating than cleaning out an attic or garage. By staying on top of clutter, a homeowner can manage rat control in one of the most organic ways possible by simply staying organized and clutter-free.
Don’t Try This at Home
Many homeowners are so overwhelmed by the thought of rats invading their personal space that they will try anything to exterminate these pests. Despite this extreme anxiety, the idea that the rats should be caught and returned to the wild is often the approach a green homeowner will take. However, a homeowner can risk a rat bite if a live bait and capture is not done correctly. Serious diseases and infections can threaten homeowners and their families. Professionally made live rat traps have bite-prevention measures and instructions to help homeowners safely dispose of rats.
Green Market
Products containing vitamin D3 will lead to a rat’s death within a few days of ingestion. The cardiovascular system will shut down by way of heart failure upon exposure to this vitamin. One of the major benefits of vitamin D3 is that it works on small rodents and does not present a danger to other family pets that might ingest the vitamin directly. There are also preventive products, such as rodent-proof garbage cans and composting systems that homeowners can buy. Reducing easy access to basements, attics, pipes and vents is an effective way of preventing additional rats. Rat traps and hazardous chemicals can be extremely dangerous for homeowners and their families. By going green, homeowners can regulate rat control on their property, as well as protect their family members and pets.
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