主播：Flora（中国）+ Selah（美国）

音乐：Bring It All Back

上次两个主播约节目录制时间的时候Selah突然说要推迟，是因为家里要进行全面的pest control——除虫！这到底是怎么回事呢？

经过Selah解释我们才知道，原来她们所在的地区Arizona（美国亚利桑那州），定期除虫已经是家庭日常啦！那么这一期我们就来聊聊美国家庭的“pest control（除虫服务）”。

01. What happened to Selah’s house?

Pest control is super normal in places like Arizona where it's dry and full of "little friends" you don't want inside. That sounds cute but also terrifying. 

Selah shared that recently, she and her husband started noticing lots of little bugs in their home. 起初，虫子只有几个，所以他们没有太担心。 But then they got bigger... and multiplied (变多)! 

What kinds of bugs did they actually see? 

Cockroaches (蟑螂), earwigs(蠼螋), scorpions (蝎子) and termites (白蚁).

That’s a whole squad (简直是虫子小分队)! They look as scary as they sound—especially scorpions and termites, the ones that destroy your house from the inside.

On that day, Selah spotted (发现) a scorpion... and it was like half the size of her hand!  They got so jumpy (心惊肉跳) they had to pack up and crash at (投奔) her parents’ house for a few nights. 

幸运的是，几天后他们预订了pest control。Professionals (专业人员) came, sprayed everything down (全面喷洒药剂), and they finally felt safe enough to move back in.

They ended up getting professional pest control.

02. What is Pest Control?

Pest control means getting rid of unwanted insects or animals from your home or yard. It helps keep houses clean and safe. 其实就是除虫。

Actually, pest control isn’t just about getting rid of bugs after you see them. A lot of Americans do it ahead of time (提前)—也就是在问题发生之前就预防它! It's like bug insurance, but less paperwork.

给他们灭虫的工作人员用英语怎么说？

Exterminator (除虫人员). 

They're like secret heroes—saving people from all the tiny unwanted guests!

03. Why is Pest Control Common in the U.S.?

In the U.S., especially places like Arizona and Florida (美国东南部的佛罗里达州), the warm climate means bugs are active all year (虫子全年都很活跃).

Plus, many people live in houses with yards—more exposure to nature (和自然接触更多) means more contact with pests. 这么看的话，好像有bugs也比较合理了。

这里很多房子都被开阔的草地（open grasslands）甚至沙漠（desert areas）包围着。So it's pretty normal to have some "unexpected visitors (不速之客)" sneaking in from nature!

其实这是其中一个方面，另一方面是他们也特别重视房屋维护（house maintenance--keeping everything clean, safe, and in good shape）。

People want to protect their homes, especially from things like termites that can damage the structure.

所以这已经是很多家庭的日常习惯（routine）了。

04. How Does Pest Control Work?

First, you schedule an appointment (预约一个时间). The exterminator comes to check your home and yard for signs of pests (害虫的迹象).

Then they spray (喷洒药剂) around the outside and sometimes inside if needed.

如果问题比较严重，他们可能会设sticky traps（粘捕器）。For major issues like termites, they might do fumigation—熏蒸处理—but that’s less common.

The cost all depends on what kind of service you need. It can range from $70 a month to $300 a month (约合人民币500-2000元)… it also depends on what kind of house you have and how serious the problem is.

他们大约需要每月或每隔一个月做一次，具体要取决于他们签订的合同（他们通常会和公司签订除虫合同）。But most people will do it to prevent long term problems and having to worry about creatures in your house, especially if you live in places like Arizona.

其实如果除一次虫就能一劳永逸的话也挺好的，至少以后很长一段时间都不用担心虫子的困扰了。

Are the chemicals they spray harmful to people (喷洒的药剂是否对人体有害)?

Most of the time, they tell you to take your pets and stay out of the house for a few hours. 但你可以留在家里，除非他们要彻底熏蒸（fumigate）。

It kills the bugs and pests within 7-10 days but is not harmful for humans. But it would harm pets at first, so they recommend to keep pets away for 5-6 hours. 

Just think of it as giving your pets a little vacation.

05. Every Place Has Its “Wild Neighbors(野生邻居）”

It's like Australians having to share their space with kangaroos and giant spiders-- scary but kinda funny! 

Every place has its own “wild neighbors.” In Australia, it's kangaroos and giant spiders. In Canada, it's raccoons digging through trash cans. In Arizona, scorpions sometimes show up! 好像每个地方都有自己的害虫问题（pest problems）！

那么大家，尤其是南方的朋友，你们有没有在家里遇到过什么奇怪的小动物或害虫呢？欢迎留言告诉我们！

Share your wild neighbor stories with us—we’d love to hear them!