Kitchens are the heart of the home. They’re where food is prepared, memories are made, and bonds are strengthened. Of course, any kitchen must be kept clean and sanitary. That’s easier said than done sometimes (especially if you have littles running around), but that doesn’t make it any less important. Part of that is because messy kitchens can attract some especially troublesome kitchen pests.

Some people like to keep mice and rats as pets, but they definitely don’t belong in the kitchen! If you find rodents in your kitchen, you can add an extra “s” to the word “pets” and call them pests instead. These rodents are easily attracted by the food in kitchens, especially when they aren’t kept clean. Aside from making people uneasy, they can get into your food and contaminate it with droppings, urine, bacteria, and parasites. This is enough to make people incredibly ill, something you don’t want family or guests suffering from.

If you thought mice and rats in your kitchen were bad (and they are), just wait until you see a cockroach running around. If you see one, you can bet that there are plenty of others lurking out of sight. These icky insects are tough to kill and can quickly contaminate your food supplies. Their ability to spread bacteria makes them a real threat to any home.

No one likes flies. They’re noisy, annoying, and gross. Their small size belies their ability to cause problems in your home–and especially your kitchen. Like the other pests previously mentioned, flies can contaminate food and drink. Anyone who consumes contaminated food and drink could easily fall very ill. This is because of the diseases that flies can carry and transmit. One fly buzzing around can be annoying but may be overlooked easily enough (at least for a bit). If you have multiple flies flying about though, don’t be surprised if you start losing your patience and your health because they are contaminating your food.

Like all other living things, pests like rodents, cockroaches, and flies all need food and water to survive. The ample supply of both that can be found in kitchens is a driving factor behind how attracted these pests tend to be to that part of your home. Take steps to discourage their presence and keep an eye out for them. You’ll need to act quickly if you spot them to keep the problem from getting out of control.

Having pests in your kitchen is one battle you don’t need to fight on your own. Click here to contact Proterra Pest Control to get the help you need!