As a homeowner, you may experience the unfortunate responsibility of dealing with a pest infestation. Truth be told- pests can be such a nuisance and disgusting to have around. Even worse, pests can render your home inhabitable due to the extreme damage they tend to cause.
Although there are numerous types of common pests, there are a few highly destructive ones that you should really consider keeping an eye out for. In this article, we discuss the Top 5 Most Destructive pests that can impart extensive damage to your home in 2018.
Top 5 Destructive Pests That Can Damage Your Home 2018
Termite
If you have noticed termites around your home, then there is a high likelihood that you have a termite infestation. Termites happen to be one of the biggest pest-related threats that many homeowners face. In fact, the National Pest Management Association estimates that damage to property caused by termites exceed 5 billion. This is a clear indicator of just how dangerous these pests can be.
Termites feed mainly on wood. Their sharp teeth will gnaw away even the hardest wood in your home and lead to significant damages. In fact, home damage caused by termites can be so extensive such that your home may be rendered inhabitable, until necessary repairs are done. Property damage by termites can also run the value of your home in just a matter of months.
What makes a termite infestation even worse is the fact that most homeowners don’t realize the damage until it’s too late. This is because these little creatures can be very sneaky and super fast when it comes to property destruction. And because property damage caused by termites isn’t typically covered by homeowner’s insurance, it’s important to control and treat termite infestation in your home before things get worse.
Palmetto Bugs
Also known as American cockroaches, Palmetto Bugs are the kind of unpleasant bugs that you wouldn’t want to have around. Apart from expelling an awful stench, these bugs can also impart extensive damage to your home by leaving bite marks on everything from books, magazines, and envelops.
Palmetto bugs like to hang out in very large groups, sometimes in hundreds or thousands, and being the little sneaky creatures they are, they tend to hide in places that are dark and damp. The bug actually earned its “Palmetto” nickname because it loves hiding under the safe and shaded leaves of palm trees. Therefore, if notice a few of these bugs crawling through the walls of your home, chances are that there is a whole army hiding somewhere in the house.
If you think you have an infestation, it’s important to get rid of Palmetto bugs to avoid more damage.
Rats and Mice
You can never underestimate the amount of property damage rats and mice can cause over time. In fact, if you notice these sneaky rodents around your home, it’s highly advisable to start the extermination process with immediate effect.
Rats and mice chew almost anything in the house- from wood, furniture, clothes, electrical wiring, thermal insulation, not to mention food in the storage room. Besides causing physical damage to your home and possessions, these rodents can potentially cause electrical fires and extensive damage resulting from the fires. Besides imparting damage, these rodents carry a hoard of dangerous infections and diseases such as tapeworm and salmonella.
Don’t wait around until the rodent problem is out of hand. If you think you have a limited rodent infestation, you can use snap traps. Otherwise, a large infestation might call for professional extermination services.
Powderpost Beetles
Powderpost beetles are some of the most destructive pests that can greatly reduce your home’s value in just a short time. Like their termite counterparts, powderpost beetles like munching on hardwoods such as ash, oak, bamboo, walnut, and hickory, as well as softwoods like pine.
Evidence of powderpost beetles may not become apparent until adult beetles begin to emerge through timber or logs. Infested timber or log may contain numerous holes packed with fine powdery frass. Powderpost beetle infestation may occur anywhere in your house where susceptible timber has been used, for example, in furniture, beds, cabinets, doors, roof space, living space, or even in subfloor areas.
Because damage caused by powderpost beetles can be so extensive, it’s important that you hire extermination services to avoid more damage.
Squirrel
Don’t be deceived by their adorable cuteness! Squirrels are professional chewers and can be incredibly destructive to your home and trees. They never stop chewing and will start chewing anything in your home that isn’t metal.
Their sharp teeth will chew holes in the exterior of your home to access the attic. Once inside, they will chew electrical wires, rip up thermal insulation, chew holes in the soffits and sidings, and even damage trees in your back yard by gnawing and eating the bark, and building nests.
To identify a squirrel infestation in your home, be on the lookout for gnawing marks on trees (which is a marker of territory), chew marks and urine stains in shingles in the attic, chewed insulation and electrical wires, and rapid pitter-patter of footsteps in the attic.
You might want to get rid of squirrels fast because you can’t imagine just how far they can go to destroy your home. You can also set some best traps for squirrels
Wrapping It Up
Pest infestation is not only a stressful ordeal, but can also lead to high repair and replacement costs, not to mention reducing your home’s market value. Don’t procrastinate ridding them out of your home. The sooner you eradicate them, the better.
