You’ll hear a multitude of essential advice when purchasing a new home, but just because everyone has an opinion doesn’t mean you should listen to them all.
The best pest control advice you can possibly have is to employ a local pest control firm, for a relatively small fee they will evaluate your new home and let you know about any current issues or potential issues in the future.
However, even with the very best pest control service at your disposal, it is still worth being aware of what pest issues can arise and how you should be dealing with them.
Termites
These are one of the few pests that most new homeowners are aware of and have surveyed. Termites eat through the wood in your home, potentially causing structural issues. Unfortunately, it is not always easy to spot their presence before they have caused damage.
Keep your eyes open for small holes in the mud outside your home. These are the tunnels the termites use to get into your house. If you cover one over it will re-open or a new tunnel will appear, confirming the termites are still active.
Carpenter Ants
These are similar to termites. In fact, the two insects are often mistaken for each other. They can also cause a similar level of damage to termites, although carpenter ants only hollow out tunnels as opposed to eating the wood.
This makes them slightly easy to spot as there are small amounts of wood shavings. Carpenter ants are also pretty big, as long as ¼” to ½” long.
Mice & Other Rodents
Rodents carry a number of diseases and leave their droppings everywhere. Check the kitchen cupboards, under any free-standing cupboards and in any dark spaces.
You’re looking for their droppings or signs of their presence, such as gnawed wires. You’ll need to seal entry points and put down some traps to get rid of the rodents.
Bed Bugs
Bed bugs live in tiny cracks and other places, usually in the bedroom. They feed on your blood at night time but don’t usually pass on diseases; they just leave red marks which itch.
If you purchase a house there is no guarantee that any bed bugs already present have gone. That’s why it is essential to vacuum first and get rid of any bed linen that has been left.
Bugs
If there are any live or dead insects in your new home then you may have an issue. Bugs are so small that they can get in through virtually any gap, look for the smallest of gaps around windows and doors; anything larger than 1/4” is big enough for bugs and rodents, you need to seal these gaps as soon as possible.
The most important thing to do when buying your new home is to look carefully for any signs of pests and, if you find any, act swiftly to deal with the issue before it becomes a much bigger problem.