it is understood by urban pests insects and small animals that proliferate disorderly in the environment of cities and pose a risk to human health. The main examples are cockroaches, flies, mosquitoes, ants, scorpions, bats, rats, pigeons, snails, among others. These fit the list of synanthropic animals, expression used to designate animals that inhabit places close to man and adapt to living close to him.
Urban pests are biologically characterized by a high level of resistance and adaptation to a wide range of environments. Therefore, the urban environment becomes the main habitat for these species, as it offers conditions such as humidity, food and many vacant environments. With that, its extermination is very difficult. Most of these species usually reproduce during the winter and proliferate during the summer.
There are many diseases caused by urban pests. The main one, currently, is dengue. It is transmitted by mosquito bites Aedes Aegypti, which is also responsible for Yellow Fever, and can even kill. Another disease that is usually caused by pests is Leptospirosis, transmitted through human contact with rat urine. Its symptoms are flu-like, and it can also kill. Therefore, it is noted that pest control is not just a matter of comfort and hygiene, but a matter of public health.
It should be noted, however, that the growth in the number of insects and small animals in cities is the result of process of disordered growth and prevailing economic and structural inequalities in space urban. Thus, due to the lack of investment and planning, many regions suffer from a lack of structure - such as neighborhoods in outskirts that have many open sewers – which allows for the proliferation of pests and the diseases they cause. To combat pests, it is not enough simply to have good fumigation, but a correct policy of democratization of spaces in the city.
By Rodolfo Alves Pena
Graduated in Geography
Source: Brazil School - https://brasilescola.uol.com.br/geografia/pragas-urbanas.htm