A lot of homeowners in the United States come face to face with various unwanted pests fairly often in their life. While most pests are unpleasant or considered gross, most of them are not a direct threat and aren’t likely to attack you.
However, the same might not go for your pet, and even if they don’t attack you, pests are carriers of various potentially life-threatening diseases and can cause some serious damage to your property.
It’s a good idea to always be on the lookout for early signs that your property has a pest problem. Because the sooner you identify it, the sooner you get rid of the problem and can contain the damage.
So below you’ll find five of the most common signs you’re dealing with an unwanted critter.
1. Noises in the attic.
A common sign that you’ve got guests is hearing strange noises coming from the attic, particularly at night time. This can mean a number of things and usually depends on the time of the noise (e.g. early morning, late evening, etc.), as well as the type of sound made.
Generally, the pests most commonly encountered in the attic are squirrels, bats, rodents, raccoons, and sometimes, pigeons.
Since intruders inside your attic can damage the insulation, pipes, and wires of your home, not to mention spread disease, you’ll want to call someone as soon as possible. Of course, you can attempt to deal with the intruder yourself, but only if you’re not squeamish and feel confident you can handle it.
2. Burrows in your yard.
Another tell-tale sign that you’ve got company is finding little mounds or holes in your backyard. These can be a sign of moles, digging tunnels under your property, or might also be holes dug by armadillos.
Once again, this will depend on a variety of factors, such as depth, size, etc., but regardless of what is causing the holes to pop up, one thing that is certain is you need to take care of that problem.
The presence of such diggers can pose a threat to your home, if they dig underneath, and also to your garden since they’ve been known to dig straight through that.
On the other hand, creatures like armadillos are considered beneficial, since they eat insects and rid your property of such pests. Learn more about different wildlife pests here.
3. Droppings galore.
By far one of the most obvious signs of unwanted pests is that they leave their droppings pretty much everywhere. Indeed, this is the first sign that many homeowners have a much deeper problem.
But knowing where to look is half the challenge because pests will not do their business in the middle of your home. Well, they might, but that’s relatively rare.
Instead, you need to inspect the areas where pests are most likely to spend their time and not be bothered by you – the attic, crawlspaces, the basement, the space behind your water heater, bushier areas of the yard, and so on.
If you do spot pest droppings on your property, do not attempt to handle them with your bare hands. Pest feces are riddled with various bacteria that can lead to nasty diseases. So either call a professional wildlife removal company or gear up accordingly.
4. Dirty traces.
Another big sign that your home is infested is that it seems dirtier than usual. For example, rodents’ bodies rubbing against the walls can leave behind a slim trail of grease.
Rodents and other pests also occasionally leave behind hair or crumbs of food, and then, of course, you have to be on the lookout for footprints.
So if your home looks dirtier than usual and if the grime seems to come back, even after you clean, then it might be a sign you’ve got pests.
5. Smells.
Lastly, one of the biggest signs you’ve got a problem is when you start picking up unusual and sometimes even gross smells.
Most commonly, these smells are coming from bits of food left behind by the pests that are now slowly rotting away, although feces and urine can also be smelt when pests are living nearby.
Sometimes, pests will get trapped inside your property, under your home or inside the walls, and die there.
Obviously, this will give off a strong and profoundly unsettling smell from the decaying corpse trapped inside.
Obviously, the above is by no means the only signs of a pest problem, just the most common. You should also be on the lookout for chewing or gnawing marks, damage to fabric, and other such signs.
The sooner you catch the pest and get rid of it (humanely), the better it is for everyone involved. Once you’ve tracked the intruder, make sure you identify their entry point and seal it up, otherwise you’ll only have more pest problems in the future.
