Signs Of a Pest Invasion In Your Home

If you have a nagging feeling that pests are in your home, it’s hard to be certain if you don’t know what to look for. Most pests are very evasive and intelligent creatures, so catching them is not always easy.

Pests often restrict their activities to the nighttime when you and your family are asleep. As a result, says Bigham & Associates, you may have a booming colony of pests living in your home without even realizing it. Who wants to see a large rat crawling around in the kitchen? It’s even worse when visitors in your home are surprised by pests.

Not only are pests annoying – they can also be dangerous. They can waste your food, destroy your furniture and spread diseases. Finding them as soon as possible will help protect you, your family, and your belongings.

Here are the things to look out for in your home to know if you are dealing with a growing problem of pest infestation:

Signs that your home is infested with pests

1. Droppings

The size, shape, and color of the droppings will differ depending on the type of pest. Droppings are the easiest to spot when you are dealing with rodents. It is not so easy to spot insect waste. The droppings usually concentrate around food sources.

2. Gnaw Marks

This is another sign of rodents who have the habit of chewing on hard surfaces around the home. Rats and mice do it to sharpen and shorten their front teeth that never stop growing. Teeth marks on wooden furniture mean you have rodents in your residence.

3. Inexplicable Damage to Wires and Pipes

Rodents can chew on electrical wires, water pipes inside the walls of your home, and other things. If you have faulty connections or water leaks and the cause is traced to wires or pipes which are frayed for no reason, you probably have a rodent problem.

4. Dead Bugs

If you regularly spot dead bugs around your home, you have a pest problem. For every single dead bug you see, there are many more that are still alive. Along with dead bugs, you may also find the cast-off shells of insects around the home.

5. Evidence of Nesting

A pile of shredded paper or insulation in a dark corner of the house or inside cartons and containers is a sign of nesting. It’s a bad sign because it means you have a mouse or rat getting ready to have babies. Your problem is about to get worse.

6. Destroyed Fabric and Books

Sometimes you may not find any evidence of nesting because the nest is hidden well away from your view. But you may notice that fabrics, insulation, and books are being torn apart. You may also find that small pieces of clothing, like scarves, suddenly go missing.

7. Strange Noises

Most pests emit one form of sound or another. Scratching, rustling, and squeaking sounds inside walls, cabinets or closets are usually from mice or rats. If you hear buzzing sounds, you should look out for bees, wasps and other flying insects.

8. Foul Odors

Pests always leave a scent behind them, but unless you are familiar with these odors, you may not know what you are dealing with. The common odors are the smell of urine and droppings left by rats and mice. Rodents that die inside the home will also create bad odors.

9. Holes

Small holes in the corners of your home could mean a family of mice has found their way inside the walls. The holes may be the size of a pencil eraser. Even smaller holes may appear in materials made of wood. These holes are made by burrowing termites.

10. Tracks and Paw Prints

Rodents are creatures of habit; they have established runways that they use inside the home. These are usually the safest and quickest routes between food sources and their nest. The creatures will often leave evidence that can help you identify these tracks, such as paw prints.

11. Termite Waste

If you start to see small piles of fine wood dust around the home near wooden items, you have a termite invasion. You can find these close to very tiny holes in the wood that the termite are eating.

12. Bite Marks

Fleas and bed bugs will leave bite marks on your body. Fleas will typically bite around the arms and legs. But bed bug bites will happen all over the body. If you wake up with itching and swollen bite marks, you may have fleas or bed bugs in the home.

If you notice any signs of a pest infestation, now’s the time to take action. Call Fox Pest Control today for prompt, professional service.

You can regain control of your home.