Pest Control Canada

New York City rat study illuminates very real public health threat.

A decade-long study of Norway rats has yielded some astounding and unsettling results. Rats were trapped and evaluated to determine what disease-causing pathogens were present. A host of bacterial, protozoan, and viral pathogens were identified, several of which are threats to human health. Among the most noteworthy pathogens were food poisoning triggers (E. coli, Salmonella, Clostridium) and illness/disease causing agents like Bartonella, Streptobacillus, Leptospira, and even the causative agent of Seoul hantavirus, which had yet to be found in NYC.

Rodents spread hundreds of pathogens through their urine, droppings and bites that can cause deadly neurological and respiratory diseases like lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus (LCMV) and Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome.

Ticks, mites and fleas can feed on infected rodents, then transmit diseases like pox, plague and typhus.

Rodent droppings can trigger asthma and allergic reactions, especially in children.

Rodents will eat human or pet food, and cause damage by chewing and gnawing furniture, clothing, wiring, insulation and piping.

As summer days get shorter, and dusk brings dampness that clings to every surface by dawn, natures most prolific insect predator is showing up for photo opportunities.

More than half the recent photos sent to this web site for identification include some of the thousands of species of Arachnids. We receive so many spider photos we can publish only the best and most unusual.

Most submissions include the question: "Are they Dangerous"? The most common example of an animal-based phobia is fear of spiders, or Arachnophobia. This fear prompts many to scurry for their digital cameras and snap a picture before the little creature bites them and runs away. Most of these fears are unfounded. Humans are not a food source for spiders. More information on spiders can be found at the links below:

Spider Bites

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Pest Control Canada