Signs of a Pest Infestation

Pest infestations are a nuisance that almost everyone dreads. Besides being associated with many known health risks, pest infestations can mean property damage, costly removal services, and much more. Fortunately, the sooner an owner acts to clean up these problems, the better the chances are their infestations will end and a cleaner, healthier environment will result.

In most cases, it’s hard to detect infestations early. Making matters worse, pests tend to multiply and spread quickly, which makes them difficult to detect. However, a homeowner can watch for a few warning signs to help detect pest infestations in their home. Keep reading to learn more about pest infestations and their warning signs.

Common Warning Signs of Pests in Your Home

What follows are nine of the most common signs that pests have taken up residence in your home.

• Droppings

Droppings are among the first and most common infestation warning signs that pests have taken up residence in a home. Watch for urine trails and fecal droppings. Once you start observing these signs, you can be almost certain pests are close by.

In most cases, homeowners can tell what kind of pest they are dealing with by noting the shape and size of the droppings. For example, insect droppings are generally small and most often go unnoticed. On the other hand, rodent droppings are larger and either spindly or conical shaped. Pest droppings are often found on the floor, behind appliances, and between walls.

• Dirt and Grime

When pests are present in your home, traces of dirt and grime can often be found on the walls and other parts of your home. You might, for example, find greasy smudges on the walls, which come from rodents rubbing their bodies against surfaces. It might be easier to tell if your home seems to be messier or dirtier than usual. There might even be traces of fur or hair left behind or evidence of food in corners or on the floor.

• Strange Smells

Pest infestations in a home will often be the cause of strange odors. These could be from droppings or stale or rotting food left behind by insects or rodents. Pests can even end up dying in your home, thus causing an unpleasant smell to permeate.

• Damaged Fabric

Damaged fabrics found nearly anywhere in a home can be a sign of a pest infestation. Fabric damage can include scratches, stains, and holes in clothing, draperies, and furniture. A homeowner who comes across these types of damage should realize that there is a high chance of rat, mice, or other rodent or insect infestation.

• Termite Damage

Termite damage is easy to find, especially when you are looking for it. Look for what appears to be tiny tunnels inside broken wood. At first sign of this, look into residential pest control services.

• Strange Sounds

Many pests, especially rodents, are nocturnal, which means they come out only at night. In these instances, they can often be heard as they scamper about. They can also be heard squeaking and scratching, especially within walls and other crawl spaces.

• Nesting Materials

Finding nesting materials around a home is also a sign of infestation. They can use practically any material they can find for nesting. This includes paper, grass clippings, leaves, fabric, and much more. Nests can be found practically anywhere in a home, especially places that could be called “hidden,” such as inside walls, and behind appliances.

• Body Parts

Besides leaving droppings, pests also leave body parts such as discarded skin, fur, and wings. Try to note what kinds of body parts you have found so you know what you are dealing with.

• Damaged Plants

Be careful to watch for any damage that occurs on your plants, whether they be located indoors or outdoors. Signs of gnawing, or patches on leaves are signs of infestation.

• Missing Objects

Many rodents are thieves. They love picking up little items, especially shiny objects, and taking them back to their nests. For more than 30 years, the pest control professionals at Sustainable Pest Systems have been at work helping homeowners get rid of pest infestations, but it is important that you take action as soon as you detect something. Waiting and watching can only lead to things getting worse. In fact, hiring Sustainable Pest Systems for pest control in Raleigh, NC is one of the smartest things you can do to prevent further problems. It’s the one pest control company whose services stand out from the others. Hiring pest control services at the first sign of trouble could be one of the smartest things you could do.