Signs You Have a Pest Infestation

Whether you’re looking for a new home or love the one you’re in, it’s important to recognize the signs of a pest infestation in Central Illinois. The sooner you catch the problem, the easier it will be to fix—or to avoid buying a damaged home. You don’t need to wait for these signs to get an inspection, either. It’s a good idea to get regular pest inspections, especially if you’re prone to certain types of insects or rodents invading your space:

• Droppings: Mice and rats leave behind droppings, while roaches can leave egg casings. Look for photos of common pest droppings to see what they look like and where you might find them (typically in dark, undisturbed areas). If you have a mouse invasion, you’ll probably see droppings wherever food is stored, along with other signs.
• Nesting materials: Mice and rats nest, often tearing up paper and fabric to create a new home. Look around your home with a flashlight to see if you can find any nesting materials, including inside cabinets, under furniture and more.
• Holes or gnaw marks: If you wake up to shredded food wrappers and mouse droppings in your kitchen, it’s obvious that you have a mouse problem—but other insects can leave holes and gnaw marks behind, too. Look for small holes in the wall, especially near the floor, and check your electronic wires to see if there’s evidence of chewing.
• Strange odors and sounds: When you start noticing strange smells and noises, you may be dealing with a pest infestation. Both rodents and large insects can make noise as they crawl around your walls and in your rooms. Bad odors can occur when rodents die in the walls, but they tend to have a musty or ammonia-like scent. Bed bugs smell sickeningly sweet.
• Grease tracks: Look for dark grease stains along your walls and floors—these are a sure sign of a rat infestation. You might notice tracks when bugs or animals run through certain substances, like dust or flour.
• Termite droppings or tubes: Termites leave behind droppings that look similar to sawdust or coffee grounds, and create mud tubes to transport themselves around your home. If you see signs of a termite problem, call a pest control company right away—the damage can be extremely expensive to fix.
• Ant hills: When you’re outdoors, look for ant hills near your home. Always keep your food sealed up and put away so as not to tempt them into your space.
• Damaged plants: Both insects and rodents will chew on plants; look for holes and chew marks on the edges of the leaves.
• Mole holes: Mole holes look like little volcanoes, often accompanied by tunnels in your lawn.
• Dead bugs indoors: Finally, if you notice dead bugs piling up on your window ledges, you likely have an infestation. Call a pest control company right away.

Now that you know the most common pest infestation signs in Central Illinois, call today and let Crist Termite and Pest Solutions, Inc. take care of the problem.

Categorised in: Preventative Pest Control