Can Hoarding Lead to an Insect Invasion?

CleanStart Property Services offer hoarding cleanup, pest control, sanitization and extreme cleaning services, as there are often multiple stages to a hoarding clean-out. We are often asked if hoarding leads to an insect invasion, and our friends at Exterminateur wrote a great article on this exact question, you can find the full article here: https://eexterminateur.ca/en/blog/can-compulsive-hoarding-lead-to-insect-invasion/

Compulsive hoarding is a relatively unknown and uncommon disease with real implications. Only 2 to 6% of the population is reported to be affected. While some compulsive hoarders live in a somewhat orderly chaos, others live in an environment where the clutter would make most people unwell. Beyond the “simple” hoarding of items, what other consequences can this compulsion have? More specifically, does it promote insect infestation?

How Does Compulsive Hoarding Develop?

A person suffering from this compulsion is incapable of throwing away the items he or she accumulates. Belongings are collected to the point that a living space can no longer fulfill its basic function. As a result, the person’s apartment or house is no longer used for daily living but rather to store the things he or she collects. As things pile up, the person’s life deteriorates to the point where they can no longer function.

The Consequences of Collecting Emerge

Serious problems occur as soon as the clutter becomes excessive. Soon, the hoarder piles up so many items that it becomes impossible to move them. In doing so, they can no longer clean the place they inhabit. Mould starts to appear, as well as the risks of falling and fire, which increase considerably. But, above all, the problem is as follows: pest infestations appear because liquids, food and waste that pile up and accumulate on the ground can no longer be cleaned.

Insect Invasion can be a Consequence of Compulsive Hoarding

Deteriorating hygienic conditions greatly encourage insects to invade. A bug infestation caused by compulsive hoarding can therefore quickly become a health hazard. Some pests carry dangerous diseases, such as West Nile virus or Lyme disease. The increased presence of these pests therefore increases the risk of contamination. Similarly, other insects, such as cockroaches, can contribute to the development of asthma and allergies in children.

Easy to Hoard, Hard to Clear

The unhealthy conditions that result from compulsive hoarding therefore pose a threat to the health of the hoarder and his or her family and friends, since the risks of contagion associated with insect infestations are very real. Effective planning of the cleaning process should be undertaken quickly when such a problem arises. However, this decontamination must not be treated like a routine clean-up. Insects can disperse if their habitat is disturbed and they may bite the person in charge of cleaning. These potential bites and stings can contain venom or other bacteria.

A Pest Decontamination Expert to your Rescue

Compulsive hoarding is a disease that leads to highly unhealthy conditions. As a result, insects will quickly settle in this type of area and colonize it in large numbers. Soon, the area will be overrun and it will become their territory. Since a basic cleaning of the cluttered space is far from enough, hiring a decontamination/sanitization and/or extreme cleaning service is essential. Only an expert can eliminate any potential danger. For more information on our hoarding cleanup and pest control services see here: https://cleanstartbc.ca/junk-removal/hoarding-cleanup