From the feeling of guilt and discomfort in their homes to avoiding socializing and dating, pests like bed bugs and mice severely affect the emotional wellbeing of Americans, a Western Exterminator survey reveals.
After surveying over 1,000 Americans, the company discovered that 84 percent of people agree that having mice in their home would make them feel uncomfortable while 89 percent are uncomfortable living with bed bugs.
It is not only the feeling of discomfort that people struggle with; having pests in their homes also makes them less sociable. 63 percent of survey respondents feel less inclined to invite their family, friends and partners over if they have mice in their house, while 79 percent feel the same about bed bugs.
Having problems with mice and bedbugs is closely associated with the feeling of guilt, with 81 percent of respondents agreeing that they would feel guilty if a mice infestation happened in their home. 86 percent said they would feel guilty about having bed bugs, with men feeling guiltier about mice and females feeling guiltier about bed bugs.
Pests can also ruin people’s dating lives. When it comes to choosing partners, 31 percent of people surveyed said they would not date someone who has mice in their home. That number significantly increases when it comes to bed bugs, with over 50 percent of surveyed Americans not being interested in dating someone who has bed bugs in their home.
Women are more likely to reject dating someone with bed bugs, with 58 percent backing that option. Just 8 percent of surveyed women said they would date someone with bed bugs.
The impact of pests goes beyond physical damage, causing severe issues to people who happen to have them in their homes. Read about people’s worst pest experiences here.
Here are some of their stories:
