How to Identify Pest Problems When Buying a Property
In the quest to own a home and get free from the stress of paying rent and dodging landlords and landladies, a lot of people are buying property from the many sellers out there. There are very many things that buyers look into before purchasing property, and the checklist gets longer if the property has been used before. Pest problems are common for buyers, and there are very many things that tell if a property has pest problems. Despite the hundred assurances and perfectly edited photos of the property, it is essential to do a thorough inspection of the property to check for pest problems. Here is a comprehensive guide on how to identify pest problems when buying a property.
Odds sounds and smell
Pests give off particular smells that are recognizable. Mice and rats give off a musty smell of urine and ammonia while bugs give off an oily, sweet odor. These smells are easy to catch once you enter the property and are a red flag of pest infestation. It is also vital that you keep an ear out for weird sound from the ceiling, floorboard, garage, and behind walls. It is easy to hear squeaking, gnawing, and scurrying while checking out a property that has got a pest issue. These two signs are significant identifiers of a pest problem.
It is also important to note that you might fail to catch smell from the pests but get irritation from the scent of fumigation chemicals recently applied. In the quest to quickly get rid of the pests, sellers often hire pest control service providers such as pest control FL to fumigate the property. Some of these potent chemicals have a strong smell and easy to identify.
Dead bugs
Property that was recently fumigated is full of evidence of pest infestation, but you have to check the right places. Most pests take time to die after application of the pesticides, and the best place to check for dead bugs is in the basement, basement, garage, artic, under sinks, and on window ledges. If you find many dead bugs of the same species, it means that they live on the property, which is a clear sign that there is a pest problem.
Presence of pesticides
While you are inspecting the property for a pest problem and other issues, you must go checking for pest control products. Check in the garage, basement, and under sinks for pesticides or pesticide cans. If you find large quantities of partially used cans and bottles of pesticides, then there is a high probability that the previous tenant or homeowner was trying to deal with the infestation.
Presence of pests
Pests are very good at hiding, which is why you might not come across any while doing your tour or inspection of the house. Before checking out the property, it is crucial to do some research on the different types of pests and how to identify them. Once you have enough information on this, be sure to check in the kitchen cabinets, bathrooms, in the basement, under sinks, and the artic for active pests. Do not concentrate solely on indoors as the compound also provides nesting places for pests. Once you have uncovered your unwanted house guests, you’ll likely want to enlist professional help, like that of New jersey terminix, to promptly sort out the problem once and for all.
Pest tracks
Mice and rats tend to move through the same path all the time, and if you are keen enough, you can identify some of their tracks and grease marks. Also, check for urine trails, fecal droppings behind walls, and the kitchen counter as signs of pest infestation on the property.
Burrows in the compound
This is an undeniable sign as rats, mice, and moles tend to dig holes in the compound as their nesting grounds. Check for mole holes in the lawn or holes next to the garage wall and the garden.
Despite the efforts of sellers to deal with a pest infestation, you will not fail to identify one or two signs of a pest problem in the property. Be thorough in your inspection and do not discredit anything you come across as a sign of a possible infestation, no matter how negligible it might seem.
