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What You Should Know About Keeping Your Home Pest Free

Written by Posted On Tuesday, 04 September 2018 09:57

Arthropods are some of the most diverse and thriving organisms on the planet, so it is no surprise that insects and their relatives invade our homes at a highly successful rate. These pests have evolved to live successfully off our various scraps and cast-offs, allowing them to easily adapt to living in our homes.

When these pests invade your home, they can cause costly structural damage and other damage to your property that can lower the value of your home. In this article, we will look at which pests are most likely to reduce the value and livability of your home.

Powderpost Beetles

Powderpost beetles are small, black wood-boring beetles that can cause homeowners major headaches, especially in Texas and throughout the southern U.S. This type of beetle only attacks hardwood, so while they may not destroy the home’s structure, they can infest and damage flooring, cabinets, doors, molding and other hardwood furniture.

The damage caused by these beetles can affect your ability to sell your home and can also affect the price of the house. Checking for small round holes in wood is important. Fine sawdust coming from the holes is a sign of an active infestation. The most cost-effective way to eliminate these pests is to remove the infested wood.

A powederpost beetle infestation is reportable on wood-destroying insect reports required for home loans in many states. Most infestations from wood-boring beetles occur in newer homes, from one to five years old, that have been built using infested wood.

Carpenter Ants

Carpenter ants are major structural pests that invade the home and use their well-muscled jaws to hollow out wood, like solid pine, to make their nest galleries. In areas, like Texas, they will also live in voids behind insulation, inside hollow doors, and in soft, Styrofoam insulation panels.

In most states, they are considered wood destroyers, especially in the Pacific Northwest. Even the mild-mannered southern carpenter ants can be a significant nuisance when coming into your home seeking water or food. Carpenter ant infestations are reportable on real estate transactions which can lead to issues for homeowners or new home buyers.

Fire Ants

Fire ants can reduce the recreational value of the home, as well as the aesthetic value, and are a significant nuisance in the southern U. S. These pests damage air conditioning, transformer boxes, and other electrical relay switches, which in turn causes power outages. Fire ants are not a difficult pest to control and can be managed using fire ant bait, placed out on your entire lawn. As they forage for food, the fire ants will pick up the bait particles and carry them to all the colonies in your yard. The bait will then be shared with the queen and the other ants, killing them.

Once the bait has been put out, the next step is to directly treat any of the fire ant colonies that require immediate control. Insecticide or other treatments can be applied directly to the fire ant mound. This is the most efficient way to get rid of most of the fire ant colonies.

Using this two-step technique, you can reduce the number of fire ant colonies and reduce the risk of damage to your home. Be sure to consult with a professional pest control company for the most-effective treatments.

Honey Bees

Although honey bees are great insects in the outdoors when kept in a hive by a trained beekeeper, they can be an expensive, homewrecking force if they build their colonies inside of your attics, floors, walls or crawl spaces. In just a few days of their invasion into your home, a bee colony of 30,000 can build a hive that weighs several pounds. This hive will continue to grow, becoming a mass of honey, wax, and propolis or bee glue.

To control this pest, the hive must be treated with insecticide and removed once it has been killed. If the colony is not removed after it is destroyed, it will leak fermenting honey that can attract other pests like moths and rodents. Removing the nest is the most expensive part of bee extermination and should be done by an experienced professional. It is possible to hire someone to extract the bees alive, but this is not always a practical solution, so do not feel guilty if you need to exterminate a bee hive that is damaging your property.

Bed Bugs

Bed bugs not only reduce the livability of your home, but they also reduce the attractiveness of it. These pests can bite humans and will also soil the house, including the bedding, furniture, and carpet, making their presence disgusting and highly undesirable.

Their presence may cause prospective buyers of your home to back out, so it is important to make sure you hire an experienced pest control company to rid your home of bed bugs completely. Be sure the company keeps a record showing that the problem has been taken care of to help ease a prospective buyer’s mind.

German Cockroaches

These pests are not only revolting, but they are unhealthy to have in the home. Their skin sheds and feces are allergenic and can carry dangerous pathogens. Research shows that children who grow up living in a house with a German cockroach infestation are more likely to suffer from asthma and allergies.

Getting rid of German cockroaches requires careful use of baits and thorough cleanup. If you use baits properly and vigorously clean your home, sprays will not typically be needed to achieve good cockroach control. Like with any pest infestation, it is important to consult with an expert pest control service to ensure the issue is resolved the first time around.

With so many dangerous and destructive pests out there, it is essential to be proactive and get in contact with your local pest control service at the first sign of an infestation. This will help avoid or reduce the damage to your home and property, keeping your home’s aesthetic appeal and value intact.

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Chris Cahill

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