You don't have to hurt pests to get rid of them, but you should know that neglecting to free your home from pests can result in disaster and disease. Here are the top 10 reasons why pests are not meant to be pets.

Ten Reasons to Get Rid of Pests

1. Multiplying Like Mad: Mice - and many other pests - are excellent and efficient breeders, which means that though you only have one family of mice to deal with today, tomorrow may bring multiple litters.  If you don't get rid of a mouse infestation the moment you notice one, you may have to call in professionals to clear your home of the little rodents.
   
   
2. Damage and Destruction: Pests are great at damaging things inside your home. They chew through walls, wires, and cords; they get into your food; they shred insulation; many of them carry disease; and decomposing dead animal pests can stink and/or make you sick.
   
   
3. Wounded Wood: Carpenter ants and termites eat through wood. In fact, wood is the preferred snack of both carpenter ants and termites. That means that an infestation of carpenter ants or termites can lead to a frayed home structure -- not a pretty (or safe) picture!
   
   
4. Asthma: If you have a small child in your home, then you should know that the debris cockroaches leave behind can cause childhood asthma. If you happen to see even one cockroach, call a professional exterminator -- these pests don't operate alone!
   
   
5. Disease: Many different bugs (such as mosquitoes) carry viruses that can damage your health. Ticks are responsible for Lyme disease and spotted fever, while worms and flies can also carry deadly diseases.
   
   
6. Displeased Pets: Ticks and fleas may be small, but they often pose serious health risks. Not only do ticks and fleas make meals of your beloved pets, these small parasites can also harm your family by transporting certain diseases.
   
   
7. Itching and Scratching: Bedbugs are making a comeback these days, and they are just as pesky as ever. Bedbugs, lice and mosquitoes can cause humans to itch incessantly, and sometimes trigger serious allergic reactions. If you think you might have bedbugs, make sure to call an exterminator (these bugs can be very hard to detect).
   
   
8. Fouled Food: If any pests are allowed to infiltrate your food items, you may have to deal with the food contamination that droppings and germs can cause. In turn, contamination may lead to illness, so make sure that your food is properly packaged and stored at all times.
   
   
9. Chewing Cloth: Clothes moths, carpet beetles, silverfish, and a number of other pests love to snack on cloth. Leaving pests unchecked could mean a wardrobe full of hole-y clothes or curtains that have suddenly turned into cheesecloth.
   
   
10. A Virtual Pest Party: Neglecting to get rid of any kind of pest will only result in more pests. How can this be? When one rodent burrows its way into your home, that opening will be left for other pests to crawl through -- not to mention the fact that some pest feces actually attract other pests!

Updated November 28, 2018.