Most pest problems do not start dramatically. Sometimes, they start with something as small as an unfamiliar smell in the kitchen. The issue is that by the time a pest problem becomes obvious, it has usually been developing for months out of sight. Knowing the difference between a minor nuisance and a genuine infestation, and realising when DIYs stop being enough, is one of the most valuable things a homeowner can understand and benefit from. In this guide, we point out signs that separate a nuisance from an infestation and require the services of a professional.
Finding a single dropping in the back of the cabinet is something to note. Finding a trail of them along the baseboard, inside drawers, in the pantry or in multiple rooms tells a different story. It clearly means that an established population is active in your home. Dropping accumulation tells that the pests travel the same routes repeatedly and the volume tells the size of the population.
If you find fresh droppings after cleaning an area, it’s a sign to get professional assistance.
Mice and rats are active at night when the entire house is quiet. You can hear them doing activities. Termites and carpenter ants can also create sounds in the wood. If you hear these sounds in too many areas of the house, that’s another reason for you to contact a pest control company and schedule an inspection.
Sometimes, before your eyes detect a pest problem, your nose will. Pests contaminate your home with urine, droppings, shedding skin and sometimes decomposition. All these elements produce a distinct odor that does not smell like garbage or cleaning products. This odor is concentrated in some parts of the house. If the smell stays even after you clean your house thoroughly and cannot associate it with any source, it’s a big red flag and needs the attention of a pest control professional.
Physical damage is not a warning sign of a pest problem, it is confirmation that a pest colony has been living in your home for quite a long time. Once you start seeing the damage, the scope of the hidden damage is way larger than what is visible. Termites eat the wood from the inside out, you don’t realize it until the wood beneath collapses. Rodents chew through the electrical wires that are hidden in the walls. Carpenter ants hollow out the damp beams where nobody even visits for months. Once you notice any such damage in your home, it’s high time you inspected the home for pest infestation by a professional.
Finding nest materials in your home means a population of pests is established in your home. Rats and mice shred various materials like wiring insulation, fabric, and paper to build nests in hidden places that are out of your sight. This could be your attic, inside your walls, behind appliances or the area under your kitchen cabinets. If you find a nest or nest materials dispersed around any of these places, that means there are young pests and the population is actively growing. To eliminate the growing population of pests, you must act immediately and call a licensed pest control company.
If you have tried everything but it doesn’t solve the pest problem permanently, it most probably needs a professional’s attention. Ants keep reappearing after spraying, roaches return within a week of treatment, you keep catching mice but new ones appear regularly or bed bugs persist after multiple spray treatments, whatever it may be, it needs a professional treatment. You did everything you could, now let someone who deals with this kind of problem regularly take care of it.
If someone in the household wakes up with itchy, clustered bites across unexposed skin with no explanation, particularly after ruling out mosquitoes, it is an indicator of bed bugs. Bed bug bites often appear in lines or clusters and they tend to occur on skin that was covered during the sleep. If irritation improves when someone leaves home for a few days, that almost confirms the existence of bed bugs in the house and is worth investigating. Apart from bed bugs, cockroaches and rodents’ excretion can become airborne and trigger allergic reactions especially in children. Any new and unexplained allergy or respiratory symptoms in a household is worth connecting to a potential pest problem and having your home inspected by a professional.
Applies the best possible treatment by identifying the pest species
Locates the source of the pests rather than just treating the area where pests have been seen
Has access to professional-grade products that are more effective than what is available to consumers
Applies treatments in the correct concentration, under-application and over-application are both common DIY mistakes that reduce effectiveness
Seals all the entry points that pests use to re-enter after treatment
Provides a re-treatment guarantee
Identifies secondary problems, for example, a carpenter ant infestation often means a leak problem or wood damage issue. A professional connects these dots and addresses the root cause
Photograph every piece of pest-related evidence you find
Note the location of all evidence and when you found it
Do not apply additional sprays or treatments before the technician arrives
Move all food to sealed airtight containers if roaches or rodents are the concern
Remove clutter from the areas where pests have been seen, so it doesn’t interfere with the treatment
If you have birds, cats or a fish tank, note it and remember to let your technician know before choosing the products or treatment approach
Most licensed pest control companies offer free inspection in Bryan and College Station. An inspection costs almost nothing and takes less than an hour. Waiting costs you in the form of growing infestation and that time translates into higher treatment costs and more damage to address. If you see two or more signs of a pest problem in this guide, pick up your phone and call in a licensed pest control company today.
We are a local, insured pest control company with 12+ years of experience in business. Get in touch with us for a free inspection and quote!