When you have pests inside your home, it is usually fairly obvious. You may find mouse droppings or notice chew marks on food bags. Or, you might see cockroaches running across the floor. Sometimes, though, pests can be pretty sneaky. If you notice any of these more strange and subtle signs, though, you probably do have pests — and you should contact a pest control company sooner rather than later.
Trails of mud up your home's foundation.
Take a look at the exterior side of your home's foundation. Do you see what looks like little paths or streaks of mud on the foundation? These look harmless enough, but they are actually mud trails that have been left behind by termites. The termites may not be in your home just yet, but they will be soon if you don't act to get rid of them. A pest control company can spray around your home with pesticides. Or, they may use termite baits to lure the termites away from the base of your home. The baits will kill them slowly over the next few months.
Musty, stinky odors.
There are many possible causes of musty, stinky odors in the home. You may, for example, have a sewage leak. But if you've ruled out other possible causes and are still perplexed, it's possible that you have cockroaches in the home. They have a characteristic, stinky odor that people often have a hard time putting their finger on. A pest control company can figure out where they are nesting, spray that area, and maybe also set up some cockroach traps to get rid of other bugs.
Piles of thin, tissue paper-like shreds.
Finding shreds of what looks to be thin, white tissue paper near your windows and doors can be perplexing. But what you're seeing is likely the discarded wings of immature termites or flying ants. The bugs often shed these wings all at once, which is why they appear in piles. If you are seeing them inside your home, then it won't be long before the bugs start chewing your wood. So, have a pest control expert come out. They can often inject the wood, which will keep termites from continuing to chew it.
These strange signs may be perplexing at first, but once you realize they are caused by pests, you know what to do. A good pest control company can be a lot of help. To learn more, contact a local control service or click here.