Many pests invade our homes for food, water, or shelter. They can enter through even the most impeccably clean houses.
Odd smells like bedbugs’ sweet, musty odor or mice and rats’ ammonia-like scent are warning signs. You might also hear pattering feet or scratching or gnawing sounds.
Unexplained furniture, walls, or electrical wires damage could indicate pest infestation. Look for gnaw marks on the edges of furniture and along crevices.
Gnawing or Chewing
Even though gnawing is a natural process to sharpen teeth, finding gnaw marks or chewed materials in your home should be a red flag. Check for gnaw marks on furniture, walls or wiring, wooden beams and rafters. Rodents are notorious for chewing things, including electrical wires, which could pose a fire risk.
Similarly, if you wake up with bug bites that can’t be explained by spending time outside, it’s probably time to get pest control. Also, watch for droppings and urine stains, as these are common indicators of pest activity.
Look for any signs of infestation in crawl spaces, tight corners, and attics. In addition, pay attention to any unexplained damage to your property.
Unpleasant Smells
Unpleasant smells around a property can indicate pest activity. Mice and rats leave behind a musty odor, bed bugs have a sweet smell, and cockroaches have an oily scent. Pests also leave droppings and urine, so inspect the premises thoroughly for these signs of pests.
Rodents often make their nests out of anything they can get their paws on, including paper, grass clippings, or shreds of fabric. Look for unexplained damages to doors, furniture, or walls, which could indicate a rodent infestation.
Pests can enter the property through tiny cracks, gaps, and holes in the walls and foundation. In addition, they can also hitch rides on items that are brought into the property, like boxes or bags. They will seek out sheltered areas like wall voids and crawl spaces, as well as attics and the smallest gaps behind appliances.
Sightings
A few bugs here and there are normal, but seeing multiple pests in a single location is likely indicative of a more serious infestation. Swarms of ants or termites tend to be more visible than individual pests, but droppings that resemble coffee grounds or discarded wings are also warning signs.
Likewise, another red flag is unexplained physical damage to doors, furniture, and wood beams. Look for marks that suggest chewing, gnawing, and scraping by pests such as rodents and carpenter bees. In addition, please take note of any nearby breeding sites for these pests that can make their way inside your building. For example, a backyard filled with trash and debris or an unkempt alley full of bushes, weeds, and discarded firewood are good places for pests to live.
Holes in the Wall
Several small holes or cracks in the walls are some of the most obvious signs of pest infestation. Various pests, including carpenter bees and wood-destroying termites, can cause these.
Unexplained holes in fabrics like rugs or clothes are another warning sign of a problem. Small pests or rodents like cockroaches and rats may have caused the holes.
Look in all your home or business rooms to see if you can find any evidence of pests. Grease marks left by rats or mice walking through dusty areas and urine stains on walls are more signs that pests are invading your home. Also, look for gnawed or chewed food packaging, often a sign of a pest infestation.
Damage
Having a pest infestation can cause harm to your property. Rats and mice are known to chew through furniture and electrical wiring, while termites can cause severe damage to wood and lead to structural issues. It is vital to consider termite control to prevent any further damage. You should always look for signs of gnawing, such as holes and stains on your fabric. Additionally, it is crucial to check outside your property for any damaged plants, mulch, or earth that rodents may have displaced.
Seeing a few insects around the house is normal, but when you start to see an increase in the number and types of pests, it’s time to call for help. Bedbugs, for example, leave behind rust-colored droppings that can also be seen in cupboards and drawers.
You may also notice discarded insect body parts like wings or skin. This is often a clear sign of a pest infestation. Recurring pest infestations can cause serious health issues if left unchecked.
