Protecting Our Children from Outdoor Pests

Can Pests Be Harmful to Children?   

Do you have children who love spending time outside, playing on their playset, or playing soccer on the grass? While outdoor play is essential for fostering growth, happiness, and physical activity in your children, it’s crucial to be mindful of the potential risks lurking in your backyard. Without proper treatment and knowledge, your children could unknowingly encounter hazardous diseases and venomous stings from pests. 

Many pests carry diseases that can pose serious health risks to children, whether through direct contact or contaminated surfaces. Additionally, painful stings from certain pests can turn a fun day of play into a painful experience for active kids who love to explore the outdoors. Fire ants, wasps, and rodents are among the most common pests that can threaten your children’s safety. 

“Ensuring the safety of our children as they explore the wonders of the outdoors is most important,” says Brenton, the owner of Greenhouse Termite and Pest Control. “At Greenhouse Termite and Pest Control, we don’t just eradicate pests; we provide peace of mind. Our commitment extends beyond extermination; it’s about protecting the precious moments of childhood, allowing families to thrive in a pest-free environment.” 

Greenhouse Pest Control, based in Tampa, Florida, understands the importance of a safe outdoor space for your family. From venomous stings to disease-carrying pests, we recognize the risks and are dedicated to providing effective solutions. Throughout this blog, we’ll explore various harmful pests your children might encounter in their backyard and provide actionable steps to address any pest issues. 

Pests That Can Be Harmful to Children   

Fire Ants   

As you navigate an outdoor adventure with your little explorers, keep a lookout for those mischievous fire ants! These tiny critters, with their reddish-brown coloration and two segmented waists, love to construct their large, domed-shaped mounds in the sunniest spots around your yard. While they might seem harmless at first glance, they can become quite aggressive when children are playing nearby and unaware. Especially when they feel their nests are being threatened, they attack in swarms and inflict painful stings on anyone nearby. It’s crucial to look out for sand-mounds, this is an area where they typically hide.     

If a child gets stung by a fire ant sting, they typically experience localized reactions including pain, swelling, redness, and itching around the sting site. But with a touch of TLC and basic first aid measures, those symptoms can be managed in no time. While it can be rare, it’s essential to watch out for extreme allergic reactions. If your little one starts showing signs of difficulty breathing, facial swelling, or dizziness, it’s time to act and seek medical attention.    

Wasps   

Outdoor play is a vital part of childhood for them to learn how to explore and enhance their creativity. However, it’s important to be aware of the potential risks associated with wasps. These flying insects can disrupt play and pose a danger to children. Picture your child playing in the backyard with friends or playing hide-and-seek and hiding under a structure with a wasp nest hidden in the corner above. Suddenly, they stumble upon a hidden wasp’s nest, triggering defensive behaviors from the insects.    

A wasp's sting can be painful, causing immediate swelling and redness, for children with allergies, it can lead to more severe reactions. Symptoms include difficulty breathing or anaphylaxis, requiring immediate medical attention. It’s crucial to educate children about the dangers of wasps and how to stay safe outdoors, encourage awareness of surroundings, and avoidance of areas where wasps may nest.    

Rodents   

Rodents, such as mice and rats, carry diseases transmitted by ticks and fleas. These pests often inhabit human spaces, such as homes and parks, where ticks and fleas can latch onto them, potentially spreading viruses and diseases. When a tick or flea feeds on an infected rodent, it can become a carrier of the disease. If the same tick of flea later bites a child, it can transmit the disease, leading to illness. For example, if a tick has fed on a rodent carrying Lyme disease and bites a child, the bacteria is transferred into the child’s bloodstream, causing symptoms such as fever, fatigue, and joint pain if the tick goes unnoticed.    

Rodents are also known to seek shelter in various outdoor structures, including children’s playsets, especially during colder months when searching for food and nesting materials. Rodents may urinate on the surfaces children play on, the urine of rodents can contain harmful bacteria and viruses. Unfortunately, children playing on contaminated playsets may touch or ingest urine-contaminated surfaces and exposure to rodent urine can potentially lead to illness, including bacterial infestations, which can cause symptoms such as fevers, headaches, muscle aches, and vomiting.    

How To Control Harmful Pests   

At Greenhouse Pest Control, we are committed to protecting your family and children from the threats posed by harmful pests. Our comprehensive strategies include lawn spraying services to create a protective barrier against pests like roaches, fire ants, spiders, ticks, and fleas. Additionally, we strategically place rodent boxes in areas prone to infestations by mice and rats, minimizing the risks associated with their presence. We also address wasp infestations by thoroughly cleaning eaves to eliminate active nests and prevent new ones from forming.    

Treating your family’s well-being as our own, we offer tailored solutions focused on keeping pests and illnesses at bay. With our dedication to protection and personalized service, we strive to ensure a pest-free environment where your family can play safely.    

************************************

Bio Intro: Greenhouse Termite and Pest Control is a local, family-owned pest company located in Tampa, Florida. We proudly serve six different counties across Florida: Hillsborough, Pinellas, Pasco, Manatee, Charlotte, and Sarasota. With roots dating back to the 1930s, our owner is a fourth-generation pest control operator, ensuring a wealth of experience and expertise. We offer effective and preventative pest solutions tailored to your specific needs.