Protecting Elderly Against Pests
Pests are a problem for most every person during certain times of the year. Their bites are not only itchy, but they can cause pain if they get infected or turn into sores. Some pests, such as mosquitoes, can spread diseases, which have a very negative impact on children and elderly people. Therefore, it is very important that you put effort into protecting elderly against pests in the same way that you would your child.
How Pests Affect Elderly
During the summer months when most of us want to be outdoors, we end up having to deal with pests that bite and cause itching, swelling, and even pain. The West Nile Virus is one of the biggest risks of mosquito bites because its damage may be permanent or deadly for elderly and children. Symptoms may include headaches, fevers, stiff neck, confusion, tremors, muscle weakness, coma, and even death. There are also other symptoms such as convulsions and comas. Symptoms will usually show up within three to fourteen days after being bitten. Most adults can use a bug repellent to help them avoid bites, but is it really a good idea for our elderly loved ones?
Elders and Chemicals
A lot of times, chemicals are used to help prevent bites from the most common pests. They are effective, but a lot of them can cause skin irritation and breathing problems for elderly family members. Therefore, if you must use repellent, you may want to consider more natural solutions. Sprays that use essential oils are best, but they can let a few bugs bite still. This is why most people agree that the best way to prevent bites is to try to eliminate as many insects as possible from around areas where your loved one will be. The simplest way to do this is to use propane mosquito traps since they treat an entire yard without the use of chemicals. You can learn more about bug prevention using traps and other natural methods on propanemosquitotrap.com. Its also worth exploring proactive measures to eliminate a population of mosquitos rather than defensive with sprays and zappers.
Steps to Protect Elderly Loved Ones
No matter what type of sprays you use, traps you have, or preventative measures you may take, pests may still be a problem. The more you do around the home, though, the more you will increase your success rate with keeping them away. You can set up traps around the yard, but then you need to try and make the yard an unsavory place for them to hang out. Most insects, especially mosquitoes, love damp, cool places. They use water as a breeding ground. They will not venture too far away from their breeding grounds, so if you minimize those areas, your lawn will become less appealing. In the event that you have a pond or a ditch that holds water on your property, you cannot get rid of standing water. You should treat the water using the tablets that are available to treat water. You should also encourage your loved one to use the natural repellents that are available when they want to go outside as an extra layer of protection against bites.