Homeownership can have a dark underbelly, full of scary
things we pretend don't exist when we turn out the lights. The scary truth
is you're not the only one living in your house. Whether you see them or
not, you're hosting a number of nightmare-inducing, creepy, crawly
creatures. Sometimes they stay hidden, in dark corners under the house. All too
often, they decide to come out and say hi.
Don't let the pests win! To keep them at bay, you just
have to exercise a bit of exterminator expertise. Take back command of your
home, and heed these eight things that pest control pros wish you knew.
1. You don't have to live in squalor to have a pest problem
We often associate mice, roaches, and other pests
with unkempt, dirty homes. But you keep a relatively clean house!
These wannabe intruders are no match for you, right? Not so fast—even pristine
homes can have pest infestations.
Consider this nauseating revelation:
“Mice can survive on just 3 to 4 grams of food per day, so a
few crumbs here and there are all they need to thrive in your home,” says Joe
Magyar, branch manager at Terminix in Madison, AL. “Good sanitation won’t get
rid of them, but a messy house will attract them. So be sure to vacuum floors
regularly, wipe down counters, and eliminate access to food sources."
2. Moisture is the enemy
Food and clutter aren't the only things that attract pests.
Beware of leaky pipes, clogged drains, or anything that creates standing
water around your home. But you don't have to take our word for it. Just get a
load of this horrifying anecdote from Kim Kelley-Tunis, director of
quality assurance for Orkin in Atlanta.
“One time I went into a house and took a look at the
plumbing, which at first glance had a furry appearance to it,“ Kelley-Tunis
says. “Upon closer inspection, there were cockroaches living on the piping in
such large numbers that their antennae and legs gave the piping this sort of
hairy look. When there are that many cockroaches in your home, you have
a serious problem."
3. Pests aren't just icky—they can also be dangerous
Besides being gross, pests can also do serious damage that
could put your house and your family in jeopardy. For example, rats can chew
on—and fray—wires, which is a major fire hazard.
“Spotting a rodent issue early and resolving it immediately
is incredibly important for this reason, let alone the fact that rodents carry
numerous pathogens on their bodies and are known disease spreaders,”
Kelley-Tunis says.
4. Secondhand furniture can cause problems
We're not saying you should pass up that
fabulous antique chair you spotted at the weekend's estate sale, or
the storage ottoman you can have for a steal on Craigslist. But just know that
those pieces of furniture might come with some special guests.
“Technicians have encountered situations where a homeowner
has purchased a new piece of furniture at an antique store and accidentally
brought in termites or bedbugs to their home,” Kelley-Tunis
says. She stresses that it’s vital to closely inspect any secondhand furniture
that you bring into the house.
5. Pests aren’t loners
As much as you want to believe that the huge waterbug you
just squashed (in alarmingly close proximity to your blender full of kale
smoothie) was just a solo infiltrator, we're here to break the bad news:
It’s probably not the case.
“As a general rule of thumb, where there is one
cockroach, there are likely many others,” Magyar says. “Roaches are aggressive
breeders, so it doesn’t take long for a small problem to grow to a major
infestation. If you wait to call in a professional until you’ve spotted a few
of these pests, you may have a much larger problem on your hands.”
6. Poison isn't foolproof
Matteo Grader, pest control specialist at Panther Pest
Control, describes the scene of a homeowner who thought he’d gotten rid of
his mice infestation himself. He thought wrong.
“He bought some cheap mice poison from the store and placed
it in every corner of his house. The mice had eaten from the poison, but
unfortunately they were able to find a narrow place to hide in before they died
(which is typical for mice)," Grader recalls. "So the customer
thought he got rid of the problem, until one day there was a disgusting
smell in his home.
"During the inspection we found that there were more
than 10 dead mice trapped inside the walls between the living room and the
kitchen,” he adds.
If you insist on using poison, be prepared to call in a pro
to remove the remains from your walls or pipes. Blecch!
7. Humane options exist
If the idea of a snap trap makes you feel queasy, or you're
concerned about your pets being underfoot, there are other options (ones
that won't send pests crawling into your walls). For example, PETA offers
instructions on how to make humane rat traps. Other experts recommend peppermint
oil to deter rodents. There are even humane options for
cockroach control, such as putting stoppers in all drains and sealing up spaces
between floorboards, under counters, and around sinks. You can also try placing
dried bay leaves in your drawers and cabinets to repel them.
8. Don't wait too long to call in the pros
We applaud you for having the courage to DIY your pest
situation. Really, we do. But even the bravest homeowners need to ask for help
every now and then. And when it comes to pest control, you should make that
call sooner rather than later, says Brian Kelly of Twin Forks Pest
Control, in Southampton, NY.
Brought to you by REALTOR.com
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