Pests Make Themselves at Home in Foreclosures
Last summer, Amy wrote about how California had been seeing a rise in cases of West Nile virus linked to foreclosed homes with swimming pools. As this CBS News report says, this alarming trend is still going strong. Plus, there has also been an increase in reported cases of a more virulent strain of the virus. It’s scary stuff indeed. But mosquitos aren’t the only scary pests moving into uninhabited homes.
As the national rate of foreclosures continues to increase (we recently reported that more than 18 percent of sales transactions in the second quarter were foreclosures), all sorts of pests are finding these homes perfect breeding grounds. Roaches, rats, ants, spiders…oh my.
This Bakersfield Californian article on foreclosure pests says that many foreclosed homes are left filthy, and it’s often months before banks send real estate agents to prep the homes for sale. That’s when the little critters move in. Just as mosquitos do, many of these pests pose health hazards, as this article provided by RISE (Responsible Industry for a Sound Environment) points out.
Ticks, fleas, and stinging insects — often found in overgrown yards — carry the risk of Lyme disease, Rocky Mountain spotted fever, and other infections. Poisonous spiders like to hide in dark, warm places that can be found inside uninhabited homes. And rats and roaches can spread E. coli, streptococcus, and Salmonella.
These pests can even wreak havoc on neighbors’ homes once the foreclosed properties are being cleaned up, as pests scurry to seek out new hiding places. It’s yet another weird — and icky — effect of foreclosure.
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