A cockroach can be an unpleasant surprise in your home but the real pests to fear are the ones that you don’t see. Termites can cause dangerous structural damage, rats, and mice chew cables and wires. In Australia, it is said that termites are more damaging to homes than storms, floods, and fires combined.
Invasive pests are causing billions of dollars in damage every year. The minimum estimates are 70 billion USD globally. If you own a property, you need to protect your investment and avoid becoming another statistic. In doing so, you would be preserving the quality of your home and ensuring it lasts a long time. Otherwise, you would see your precious residence slowly decay because of the presence of these pests.
Which Pests Should You Be Aware Of?
Termites, rodents, and cockroaches have already been mentioned but they are not the only ones that like to damage homes. Like termites – ants, camel crickets, powderpost beetles, and woodworms like to eat wood and cardboard. Carpet beetles, moths, and silverfish will munch on fabric, wallpaper, and some of your favorite books. Bed bugs and mosquitos don’t damage your home but can cause a lot of stress for its occupants, especially bed bugs! They hide in bed frames which will need to get fumigated.
What Are The Warning Signs of Pests In Your Home?
Preferably, you’d like to have an inspection before you notice any signs of pests in your home as this often means that the damage has already begun. Experts at https://www.asbir.com.au actually conduct inspections on homes before people buy them, identifying any potential problems before a larger investment is made. However, we are not always so lucky and invasive pests are experts in what they do – invading homes unnoticed.
Here are some typical warning signs indicating that there are pests in your home:
- Droppings, tracks, holes, grease and gnaw marks are evidence of rodents.
- Dead bugs – are there numerous of the same species?
- Odd sounds and smells.
- Pest control products – if you are looking to rent or buy a new home, then this is a red flag.
- Small holes in wood, sagging wood, and wood that sounds hollow when tapped are signs of termites.
What Can You Do?
There are various types of pest bait systems out there that are useful preventative measures. Do your homework to see how they work and if they contain any harmful substances. Many will be poisonous, especially rodent bait, so make sure that they are sufficiently childproof and that your pets can’t accidentally eat the bait. Not all bait systems contain chemicals, there are early detection stations for pests, like termites, which do not contain anything harmful.
The best thing you can do, though, is to get a professional pest inspection. Professional pest inspection service providers use technology to zero in on any pests that might be hiding in your home. They use tools like thermal imaging cameras, borescopes, and moisture detection meters. This means that there is nowhere for the pests to hide and you can catch pests that cause structural damage long before they do any real harm.
Compare the cost of getting an inspection to the cost of repair for building damages in your region. If you purchase your property as a long-term investment or for rental income generation, then you are going to want to protect yourself against loss of income. When you consider these factors it is likely that the cost of getting a professional inspection will be worth it and provide you with peace of mind.
If you are negotiating a new lease, it may be worth incorporating annual pest inspections as part of the contract. If you are buying a property, ask to see the most recent pest inspection report or for a pest inspection to be done as part of the deal before you part with your money.
You should be aware of the extensive and unseen damage that pests can cause. Like most scenarios, prevention is better than cure (And a lot cheaper in this case!). Keep your eyes and ears open for warning signs such as holes in your wood and fabric. Bait systems can be useful but the most effective way to find out if there are pests in your home is to get a professional pest inspection. The costs of having annual inspections versus the cost of damages and loss of income are worth it. If you are entering a new lease agreement or buying a property, remember to ask about pest inspections and try to incorporate this into the agreement.