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Professional Pest Control Protection During the
COVID-19 Crisis
hat does it mean to be
essential? The professional
pest control industry
Whas always played an
essential role in the protection of public
health, food and property for homes
and businesses nationwide. Consider
that rodents contaminate or consume
about 20 percent of the world’s food
supply, and other pests spread disease from more than 19,000 companies,
such as West Nile virus, Lyme disease, the professional pest control industry
salmonellosis, hantavirus and encephalitis. is committed to continuing to protect
More, stinging insects force hundreds of the nation’s food production facilities,
thousands of people to the emergency grocery stores, medical institutions and
room each year, and cockroach and hospitals, multifamily housing units,
rodent allergens trigger asthma attacks in warehouses, local municipalities, homes
children. Without the critical work of the and businesses.
professional pest control industry, these As communities stay inside and, in
alarming statistics would be so much many cases, at home, to prevent the
worse. spread of COVID-19, pests such as
In today’s uncertain times during rodents, will have less to deter them from
the world’s important battle against venturing out into broad daylight to find
COVID-19, the industry continues its water and food sources. If their typical
role as a vital protector of human health nesting and feeding locations are depleted
and safety. Although many businesses in due to closed businesses, there is no
communities worldwide have had to close doubt that they will resourcefully seek a
their doors and do their part to flatten the new location for water, food and shelter.
curve, professional pest control has been Without proper, ongoing pest control
recognized as an essential service by the efforts, rodent populations will move from
United States Department of Homeland areas where businesses are closed, to
Security. This means, most pest control areas where food and water are readily
companies in the United States are still available.
working hard to protect our food supply At home, the pests that have always
and our critical national infrastructure, frustrated us as part of daily lives as well
while also continuing to reduce the threat as spread diseases, will likely continue to
of pest-borne disease to homes and do so. Homeowners may see pests in new
businesses. and different places during this period of
What does this mean for you? change. Pests are known to adapt easily to
With 135,000+ service technicians changes in environment and are already
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IPMA Connection • 4th Quarter, 2020 Page 9
