If you have pests in your home, you may not know it right away. Most pests are wary of humans and will shy away from them. However, their presence causes a lot of problems for you. They cause damage, harm to you, and more. How can you spot them if they’re living in your home? Here are some telltale signs to look out for.
Physical Damage
One of the most telling signs of a pest infestation is damage to your home. You’ll usually see this if you have mice and rats. They need to chew things constantly, as their teeth are always growing. Because of this, they will gnaw holes in walls or bite furniture. They’ll even bite into the wiring if you’re not careful.
Termites are also well known for chewing through wood, so look for bite marks in wooden furniture, or in your decking.
Nesting
One of the reasons pests come to your home is because it offers such good shelter to them. They can get away from predators and make a home for themselves safely. That’s why it’s a good idea to regularly check for nesting in the home.
Signs of nesting include shredded paper, grass clippings, and leaves. If you have animals in the attic, they can also shred up insulation to use as nesting material. It’s also worth checking underneath your home too, as skunks like to nest under decks and porches. Here is more information on skunks.
Plant Damage
Let’s consider your yard next. There are lots of pests, like slugs and snails, that consider your garden to be an all you can eat buffet. How can you tell if they’re there? This is usually easy to spot, as they will be eating your plants. Holes in leaves or gnawing signs on plants are all obvious signs.
You should also look out for damaged patches of lawn, as well as insect trails, as these are other signs that a pest has found its way into your yard.
Unexplained Sounds
Many pests are nocturnal, and you may not even realize that they’re in your home until you can hear them moving around at night. Some like to move around in the walls, so you may hear scratching and scurrying sounds. If they’re living in the attic, you’ll hear them moving around as they leave and renter after foraging for food. Visit atticnoises.com to learn more.
Droppings
This is another very obvious sign of a pest infestation. They are likely to leave droppings in the places they inhabit the most frequently, so always be on the lookout for them. This may be in the kitchen, the attic, the basement, or anywhere where pests may be undisturbed. Some droppings, like those of bed bugs, are hard to see. Be thorough when looking for droppings, so you don’t miss anything.
Grease Marks
This is a sign you may not have thought of, but it’s a good sign you have mice or rats. They like to travel the same routes in your home, and stick to the walls whenever possible. As they leave greasy trails, you’ll be able to see where they’re traveling.
Strange Smells
When looking for pests, it’s worth using all your senses. Different pests give off different odors, and that may be your sign that something is wrong. For example, rats are said to give off an ammonia smell. Mice give off a musty, urine smell, and roaches are said to have an oily odor. If you smell anything that’s out of place, that’s a sign that there are pests in your home.
What To Do If You Find A Pest
If you find evidence of pests, you’ll want to call on an expert like a Terminix pest professional, to help you, by identifying the pests and removing them. If the animal appears sick or injured find a rehabilitator, who will be able to remove them and help them.
There are lots of signs that a pest may have taken up home in your property. Always be on the lookout, as the quicker you find that evidence, the easier it will be to deal with the problem. Check for these signs in your home, and make your home as unappealing to pests as possible.
your home, and make your home as unappealing to pests as possible.
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