It’s every homeowner’s worst nightmare—there are furry or multi-legged, winged critters living inside your walls. Sounds like you may have a pest problem on your hands! To avoid extreme damage and costly home repairs, it’s crucial that a pest infestation be detected early—here are the top five signs you need to call a pest control service in Bartlesville, OK:
- Property damage: Critters like rodents and termites are the most common culprits of wood damage to your home, inside and outside. Fresh chew marks and piles of sawdust are indications that something—rats, mice, raccoons or squirrels—has been gnawing on your house, likely in order to get deep within to make a home for their family. Even tiny pests are trouble. Thin tunnels along your walls scream “termites,” and this type of destruction can weaken building structures or lead to wood rot. And inside you may find chewed wiring, clothing or furniture, or ravaged pantry food items.
- Insect parts: Pay close attention to certain areas when cleaning your house. For example, insects tend to drop dead not far from where they built their nest in your home. You should also inspect windowsills and glass door tracks, since bugs are attracted to natural light. Whether you’re finding whole bug bodies or a variety of body parts, finding excessive insect remains inside or around the outside of your home means it’s time to call a pest control service in Bartlesville, OK for an evaluation.
- Droppings and urine: You may never actually see the rodents or insects that are living inside your home, but there’s a good chance you will come upon their waste. Identifying the existence of pests is made easy by urine spots found near large kitchen appliances or droppings that create a trail leading to holes in cabinets and cracks in the wall. This is not only unsightly—it’s also a cause for health concerns.
- Nests: Although a creature or insect colony made its way inside your home, pests will still need to build themselves a nest. You might hear faint scratching and biting sounds or notice torn pieces of paper, boxes or cloth around the house—this could be pests collecting nesting materials. From termites tunneling a living space into wood beams to rats ripping up your attic insulation to use in their nests, you should take swift action to evict any unwanted guests.
- Pest sightings: Breaking and entering, sneaking around and hiding are talents that most household pests share. If you do see a small animal or unusual insect scurrying through the house, it’s almost guaranteed that there are more nearby. But if you see insects like termites, ants and cockroaches, the likelihood of an infestation is pretty high, especially since these kinds of insects prefer to stay out of sight—that is, unless the nest has grown so large that it has become overcrowded and bugs are spilling out.
Whether you own a newer home or an older property, the signs of a pest problem are the same, even if an old house may be more susceptible. Don’t ignore these signs. For the most reliable pest control service in Bartlesville, OK, give us a call at D & Q Pest Control, Inc. today.