What Signs Mean You Might Have A Pest Problem?

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Everyone knows pests are undesirable because of the damage, diseases, and nuisance they cause. Infestations can lead to several structural damages and health risks. Pests find their way into your building indoors through holes and gaps. They find habitat in stored foods, waste, and other attractions outside. Leaving pest infestations unaddressed for a long time can worsen the problem, intensifying the impact. 

Identifying infestations before they grow into unmanageable issues can reduce the removal of workload. People can identify these pests by checking wooden beams, basements, and attics. They can also look out for odd odors, basement damage, and unexplained noises in the middle of the night. 

The following are signs of pest problems in your business or home. 

1. Irritating Noises 

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Pests are noisy when flying, moving, and eating. Rodents rustle and scratch when moving in attics, along walls, and on ceilings. They also make gnawing noises as they chew plastic and wooden surfaces. Clicking and chirping sounds in homes and commercial properties indicate the presence of cockroaches, crickets, and beetles. Insects such as hornets, bees, and wasps hum and chew through materials. 

Fluttering sounds around the lofts or attics indicate the presence of birds. Bats make scrabbling and hissing noises as they fly and seek food. Constant high-pitched buzzing sounds indicate the presence of a mosquito infestation on your property. They make these noises because of the rapid movement of their wings. 

However, not all noises indicate the presence of pests. Sometimes, expanding and contracting roofing materials produce cracking sounds. That happens as temperatures fluctuate. Mosquito exterminators in Boise use advanced techniques to identify mosquitoes. The knowledgeable and friendly exterminators can inspect your outdoors for signs of mosquito infestation. They offer custom mosquito control plans to address specific needs. 

2. Droppings 

As pests penetrate your property, they will leave droppings across surfaces. The shape and size of the droppings determine the pest species. Rodents usually leave dark brown, cylindrical droppings with tapered ends. These droppings have urine-like odors with moist and slimy characteristics. Termites and cockroaches leave coffee-ground-like, small, dark pellets. 

Ants produce small powdery droppings, while fly droppings are liquid. The droppings are rampant in areas where the pests spend most of their time. Rodents spend time on furniture, appliances, utility closets, bathrooms, and crawl spaces. Their droppings are in wall holes, air vents, and pipes. 

Cockroaches spend more time in floor and wall crevices, cracks, under refrigerators, cabinets, and pantries. Bed bugs leave droppings in furniture, mattresses, and curtains. Bats leave droppings in lofts, attics, structural and wall holes, and ground under roosting areas. 

3. Footprints 

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Pests explore diverse parts of your home in search of food and water. Large-sized pests like rats and mice leave footprints on muddy and dusty areas. Pawprints can help professional exterminators determine the pest type, ensuring timely and effective removal. Footprints with four front feet toes and five hind feet toes show the presence of rats. 

The hind legs of rodents leave their signs side-by-side. The front paw prints are broader. Small footprints with claw marks also indicate the presence of pests. Footprints are only indicative and can hardly give reliable data to help track the presence of pests. Professional exterminators use footprints to track tunnels and monitor pest activities. They can also place blackened tiles in areas suspected of tracking pest activity. 

4. Equipment and Property Damages 

Pests are in for serious business when they enter your home or business. They penetrate every penetrable equipment and property, eating everything edible. Pests can chew electrical wires in your electronics, causing short circuits and malfunctions. They can chew and weaken wooden structures. Pests like flies can contaminate your food, making it unsafe for human consumption. Damages and health hazards caused by pests are costly and time-consuming to resolve. 

So, those holes in your furniture or walls can indicate the presence of pests. Damaged food packaging and structural damage show your home has unfriendly intruders. Have you noticed scratches on ceilings and walls? It is time to get a pest exterminator to determine the possibility of rodents and nesting birds for quick removal. Tears and holes in your fabric could indicate the presence of carpet beetles or moths. 

5. Unfriendly Odors 

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Pests produce unsightly odors as they build habitats, destroy properties, and move around. Cockroaches have an oily, musty odor that they use to communicate with. The odors also come from dead bodies and droppings. Rats and mice have an ammonia-like urine odor. Although termites have no distinct odor, they move around rotting wood. These woods have a musty or moldy odor. 

Different pests produce or stay in areas with distinct odors. Some pests generate unsightly odors when they detect an enemy. So, when you notice unfriendly smells from your furniture, electronics, attics, and other areas, consult an exterminator to diagnose your property for pest infestation. 

Wrapping Up 

Do you suspect your home or business has pest infestations? Perhaps you noticed unsightly odors and noises. Pest infestation causes extensive damage to equipment and property while leaving footprints on dusty and muddy areas. The smell of the urine, droppings, and habitats of many pests can make your property unlivable. 

Contact a professional exterminator when you notice these signs. They can diagnose the problem and offer custom extermination plans. They will get the problem sorted within a shorter timeframe, preventing re-infestations.