5 ways to spot a pest infestation in your home or business

Pest infestation can come from many different insects or animals. Roaches, ants, mice and rats, bed bugs, termites and others can invade your home and take over, and you might not even realize it until it’s too late.

But every pest leaves signs that it’s there, and if you notice any of the signs mentioned below, it may be time to call in a professional.

Droppings

The reason most pests come into your home is to eat, and if a pest eats it will leave droppings. Of course different pests leave different shaped droppings. Mice leave rice-shaped black dropping, roaches leave sticky coffee-ground shaped droppings while bed bugs leave black droplets or smears.

However, leaving droppings alone doesn’t necessarily mean you’ll see them. Although mice will leave droppings virtually everywhere they travel, especially around sinks where water can be found, insects, like roaches and bed bugs, may not be readily apparent. For example, bed bug droppings will usually be left in the seams of a mattress or box spring while roaches may only leave droppings in cabinets or drawers. Cleaning or inspecting these areas every so often, will keep you one step ahead of any pest infestation before it happens.

Nibbling

A common way to tell if you have a rat or mouse problem is to inspect dried food bags and boxes for nibbling. Generally at the bottom of these items, teeth marks and small holes may be found, sometimes with the actual dried food spilling out. These signs of nibbling, coupled with droppings in the immediate area, are always a sure sign of a rodent problem.

Sawdust

Small piles of sawdust in and around the foundation of your home or work shed, indicates a termite or carpenter ant problem. These pests can be borrowing into the wooden frames of your house, home, outbuildings, and you may not even know it.

Routine inspections around your personal or business property, while looking for sawdust piles, will keep those pests in check.

Wall noises

Late at night, if you hear scratching, digging or gnawing noises coming from your walls, that is a sure sign that something is behind them. Of course, if you live near trees, it could be a branch or leaves rubbing on the side of your home. A quick daylight inspection will rule that out, and also, if the noises are coming from more than one place, the chances are good that some type of pest infestation has gotten into your walls.

Dead insects

There is a difference between a pest infestation of dead insects and the normal flow of insects that are caught inside and perish.

Flies and ladybugs, which can be a nuisance, fly into a home or business of their own accord, and will eventually die. While they may be bothersome in their own right, they are common and do not need any real professional attention. However, if you find a dead roach or dead ants, the chances are good you may have a pest problem, and a professional should be called in.

If you have any questions about a pest infestation in your home, if you see signs, hear noises or even notice strange ammonia type smells, please contact Ehrlich Pest Control.