5 Warnings Signs Your Home May Be Pest Infested
A cockroach sitting on your leftover breakfast and a mouse scurrying across your floor are pretty obvious signs of a pest infestation. However, pest infestation is not always obvious. Many pests seek out dark, rarely-accessed areas of your home and can cause extensive damage and grief before you even realize they are there. This is why it is important to know the signs of pest infestation to look out for as a homeowner. Spotting a problem early allows you to seek help in time. Here is how you can do that.
Droppings
Pest droppings are one of the most definitive signs that you need residential pest control services. As pests eat through your home, they will usually leave a trail of droppings that could lead you to their nest. Mice and rats leave tiny rice-shaped droppings, and termites and cockroaches leave smaller pellet-like droppings. Termite droppings, in particular, look like wood and soil tubes. These and other types of droppings tell you that you have a pest problem.
Nesting, Casings, Wings, etc.
Rodents like rats and mice like to nest, and you can usually find their nests around your home. If you look through your home, you may notice excess shredded paper and fabric in places such as cupboards and crawl spaces. You may also spot skin, which insects shed when they molt, egg casings, wings, and other “remains” that pests leave behind as they move through your home.
Strange Odors and Noises
When the house is quiet, especially at night, you can sometimes hear pests and the noises they make when they eat or move. These noises will vary depending on the pest and may include scurrying, squeaking, gnawing, scratching, or buzzing. Additionally, you can tell you have pests in your home through smell. Pests may give off certain smells, which, like noises, also vary depending on the pest. Bed bugs, for instance, can smell musty or sweet, cockroaches have an oily odor, and mice smell like urine.
Gnaw Marks and Tracks
Termites chew through wood just as much as rats and mice gnaw through everything they find in their way. Consequently, you can tell that you have pests in your home through chewed-up electrical wires, paper, drywall, boxes, and baseboards. You can also identify the presence of pests in your home through foot tracks and grease marks on your floors and carpeting, which are characteristic of larger pests.
Decaying Wood and Fabrics
Pest damage is often slow and hidden. Sometimes, you don’t see direct signs of pest infestation like droppings but rather the impact they have on your home. You may notice holes and tears in your fabrics, clothes, couches, and rugs or damage to your furniture, floors, and walls. As termites and ants gnaw through wood, they may also leave behind shavings or cause the wood to decay.
If You Have a Pest Problem, Call in the Experts
Pest infestations can be more than frustrating. They can also be expensive, embarrassing, and a health risk. If you notice these and other signs of pest infestation in your home, contact professional pest control experts immediately. A team like Anti-Pest can be invaluable in finding the root of the problem and stamping it out before you and your loved ones and property come to more harm. Call today for more information and schedule an inspection and treatment.
