Are You House Hunting? – 7 Signs of Pest Infestations to Look Out For When Buying a Home

Are you currently in the market for a new home for you and your family? At first glance, houses may look sturdy with all the features you want. However, you may not notice a problem that most homeowners experience in Australia which is pest infestations. 

Before you buy the house you should inspect every aspect of the property. Don’t simply look for damage. Look for signs of pest infestations too. Here are seven common signs of pest infestations to look out for. If you find any one of these signs mentioned in our article you may have to hire a pest controller to assist you before you move in. 

1. Dead Bugs Found Inside 

The first places you should inspect are areas around door frames, windows and skirting boards. If you find there are many dead bugs of the same species they may be nesting on the property. 

You shouldn’t have to give up on the house you want to buy because of a few pesky bugs. There are well known Melbourne pest control services that will rid the home of bugs before you even move into the property. 

No matter what kind of infestation you’re dealing with pest control Melbourne services will fumigate your home and ensure that that you won’t experience future problems. 

2. Pest Droppings and Sand Around Skirting Boards

The most common sign is pest droppings and mounds of sand near the skirting boards of the house. Sand inside the house is a clear sign that pests such as ants or termites are burrowing under the floors and coming to the surface to search for food. 

Unfortunately, store-bought pesticides are a temporary solution and won’t rid the house of the bugs permanently. It’s best to opt for a pest controller to assist you. 

It’s also advised that you identify the type of droppings you’ve found on the property because it will help you determine what pests you’re dealing with. This way you’re able to let the pest control service know what type of fumigation you need. 

3. Did You Find Anything that Looks Like Nests? 

Do you know mice and rats make nests in small nooks & crannies? Take a flashlight and inspect areas behind cupboards & under any furniture in the house. 

If you do find rats and mice it’s probably because the house hasn’t had occupants in a while. A fumigation service will sort the problem out for you quickly before you make use of the property. 

 4. Odd Odours and Sounds Coming from the Walls & Floors

It’s said that different species of pests have specific odours. If you can smell any of these odours when viewing a house it may be a sign of infestation: 

  • Rats: The smell of ammonia 
  • Cockroaches: These bugs leave a smell behind that’s similar to the scent of soy sauce 
  • Mice: These small fury pest leave a musty smell behind
  • Termites and ants: An earthy smell can be detected

Another common sign of pest infestation is sounds coming from the inside of walls or under the floor. Rats and mice may make nests in these areas so when they run around you can hear them.  

5. Holes Found Outside in the Sand or Concrete

As mentioned before termites and ants burrow through foundations. However, they may not have made their way into the house yet. It’s important to inspect the outside area of a property for signs of pest infestations so you can eradicate them before they make their way inside. 

If you find small holes in the sand or concrete outside it could be ants or termites. However, bigger holes and mounds of sand outside may indicate that you have a mole problem. Moles make underground tunnels that can destroy the garden. 

6. Damaged Plants

Some bugs love to eat plants so another way you can detect a pest infestation is chewed up leaves or grass. Search around your garden beds for holes, droppings and nests. Get fumigation services to come out and eradicate the pests before they can make their way into the house.   

7. The House is Near Potential Breeding Grounds  

Sometimes the house isn’t the problem. It could be that the property you want to buy is located near a potential pest breeding ground. The breeding ground could be an alleyway with dumpsters, restaurants, shops and even open fields.

Pest infestations shouldn’t be taken lightly because some of them can be a danger to your health and safety. This is especially true if you’re allergic to certain types of pests such as wasps or bees.

Final Thoughts

A pest control service knows how to solve infestation problems in the correct way. For instance, killing a hive of bees is extremely unethical because of environmental reasons. So the pest control service will remove the hive in a safe way that won’t harm the bees or the environment around it.

As we mentioned before, don’t give up on the house you want because of a pest problem. Purchase your dream home and let the professionals solve your pest problems for you.