What are some of your New Year's traditions? Did you stay up late and watch the ball drop at Times Square? Did you get dressed up for a party? Maybe you kissed someone special exactly when the clock struck midnight. However you spend your night, we're sure there was plenty of food and probably a lot of noise, especially at midnight. Do you know what else can sometimes cause noise in the middle of the night? Pests in your attic or wall voids!
There are many signs you can look for to know if you have pests. Warning signs you may have pests in your home:
- Active pests: Learn to identify different pests. Remember that pests are very good at hiding, so look in places like under cabinets, in crawl spaces, or under rocks and leaves outdoors.
- Dead bugs indoors: Check window ledges and basements. If you see many bugs of the same species, there may be an infestation.
- Pest droppings: Learn to identify different droppings so you know what kind of pest you may have.
- Nesting: Use a flashlight and search nooks and crannies, behind appliances, and inside cabinets for signs of nesting, such as shredded newspaper, disturbed insulation, and other materials that rodents could use for nesting.
- Odd smells: Some pests give off a sweet musty odor. Mice urine will start to smell like ammonia.
- Sounds: Mice and rats may make bumping and scraping sounds in your walls, especially at night when you are going to bed. Squirrels will make similar sounds, but it will be during the day.
- Holes or gnaw marks: Mice and rats love to chew because their teeth never stop growing and must be filed down. This can cause damage to property and even pose a fire hazard if they are chewing on electrical wires.
- Grease marks and tracks: Mice and rats tend to travel the same routes every day, and over time, the oil and dirt from their fur will make grease marks on corners or along baseboards.
- Termite signs: Look for mud tubes on exterior basement walls and on interior walls.
- Damaged plants outside: Look at the edges of grass or plants. Some pests will leave signs of their presence by gnawing on your plants.
- Ant hills: Check along fence lines and pavement cracks for piles of coarse-grained dirt with a small hole on top.
If you're seeing signs of a pest infestation, we can help. The home pest control experts here at Action Pest Control understand just how much damage bugs and rodents can do to your home and your health. We offer advanced and comprehensive solutions that will keep your home and your family safe. Make 2016 the year you decided to live pest-free. That is one resolution worth keeping.
Happy New Year from the Action Pest Control team!