When performing home renovations, you never know what you’ll find. With each wall you break down, each piece of old wallpaper you tear away, anything could be hiding back there. Your renovations may scare out some pests that have been hiding in your walls such as spiders and centipedes. While these pests will be immediately greeted with screams and stomping, there are other signs that you may have pest infestations that won’t be quite as immediately obvious.
Termite Damage
Termites can be one of the most destructive and expensive pests that homeowners have to face. While they don’t create an immediate threat to humans, if they are near your home, they can be a serious danger. Every year, U.S homeowners pay around $5 billion dollars to repair termite damage, and it is rarely covered by homeowners insurance. Termites are extremely prevalent throughout the United States, and a home renovation may be the first time you see any evidence of them. Termites use mud tunnels to travel while searching for food, and it may look like branches of dried mud to the unsuspecting homeowner. If you find mud tunnels or damaged wood similar to the image above, you may have up to 2 million subterranean termites feasting on your home.
Carpenter Ant Damage
Similar to termites, carpenter ants are silent destroyers that may be lurking in your home. While they also destroy wood, carpenter ants do not eat the wood and only use it to clear tunnels. When performing home renovations be vigilant to look for piles of wood shavings where they don’t belong. If you find a pile, look at the surrounding area for a hole, a clear sign of a carpenter ant infestation. In addition, if you see any live carpenter ants, you may have many more as they usually travel alone when searching for food and water outside the nest.
Mouse Droppings
As the old saying goes, if you see a mouse, you have ten more. This goes for mouse droppings as well. You usually only find them when moving things around, pulling up flooring, or in the walls of your home. No better time to keep an eye out for droppings than when performing home renovations. If the droppings are dark in color, they are under 72 hours old and you have a current mouse infestation. If the droppings disintegrate when touched (with a broom or a glove) they are likely old, but it wouldn’t hurt to put out some mouse traps to make sure the problem is resolved.
Call The Professionals
If you find any pests or signs of an infestation while performing a remodel, call your local professionals at Fox Pest Control to help. They are dedicated to providing outstanding service and helping your home become pest-free!
