No one likes the idea that they have pests in their home, but the fact is that most homes have a few extra guests at any one time. Spiders and flies are common but don’t do much in the way of damage.
However, there are a few sneaky pests that can go undetected for a while – and in the meantime, they can cause a lot of damage to wires, floors, bedding and more.
So what should you look for when it comes to pests in your home?
Photo by Ricky Kharawala on Unsplash
Droppings
One of the most obvious signs, and usually for rats or mice, are droppings. As these little furry pests travel around the home, they leave little droppings and patches of urine. But, since mice and rats don’t want to be seen, they hide in nooks, crannies, cupboards and behind furniture whenever possible.
If you think you might have mice, start looking in any dark corners of the home. If you find any, even a small amount, call a pest control service because both mice and rats breed rapidly.
Smells
If you have recently moved into your home or have been away for a short while, it is common to smell on the musty side. But, after a spring clean, if you are still smelling an odour that you can’t seem to find, this can indicate that you have an infestation somewhere in the walls or floor.
Smells can often be indicative of a nest somewhere too.
Damage
If you notice that some of your wires have inexplicably been torn, furniture that has had damage that looks like someone cut or tore and removed some of the fabric – this can be a sign of mice. Rodents of all types like to chew, taking softer furnishings back to their nest too.
Wood damage can be an indicator of termites or other wood chewing bugs. It might not be noticeable at first, but the structure will become unsound over time.
Lawn and Plants
Your infestation might not be within the walls of your home; it could be in the surrounding area. Beetles, moles and voles leave the lawn looking uneven, and the plants in the surrounding areas might take some damage too. Moles are more obvious since they also tend to leave lumps of muck around the yard.
While there are many ways for you to attempt to get rid of the pest infestation yourself, it’s better to call in an expert. With most pests, once they start to breed, the numbers can increase in a matter of weeks – and they may spread around the house.
One of the impacts of having pests is that people often feel it because their home wasn’t clean enough, even though pests are pretty non-discriminate (although they will often go where they can access food, in the form of crumbs or eating into packages). If you want to double up on your cleaning efforts to reduce the chance of pests, check out: Simple Ways to Keep Your Family Home Clean.
Kori
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