How Pest Proofing Your Home Can Save You Money In The Long Run

How Pest Proofing Your Home Can Save You Money In The Long Run

Most people take pest proofing likely, particularly in the areas where they are considered to be a nuisance rather than a house wrecker, or life-threatening. However, being alert and taking precaution to prevent pests from entering your home or staying in it can save you thousands of dollars down the track. Here is what they can do.

Termites

Let’s start the list with the most common and most devastating of them all, the termites. They can cause structural damage to your home. The unlucky circumstance is that you can usually only spot them after they have made substantial damage to your home. At first, they are usually mistaken for ants and it is not until one comes across consequences of their work that they get identified. It can also occasionally happen that people get told that they have termite infestation when it is actually not the case. That is quite lucky apart from the fact that you have to keep looking in order to find out what the cause of the damage actually is.

There are two species you need to fear the most. The first one is the Formosan termites which can quickly form big colonies above ground and eat through most wooden parts of your home. The second species attack you from below the ground and that is subterranean termites which start by destroying your foundation and slowly proceed onto the rest of your home. They can also chew through insulation and mortar found on their way to food. This is why using termite treatments when building your home or as soon as you buy one, can save you thousands of dollars and even your home.

Carpenter Ants

A good thing about carpenter ants is that they do not eat wood, but other organic matter containing proteins and sugar. They use wood for nesting by drilling tunnels and creating colonies in them. This means that they are not as aggressive as the termites when it comes to wood. Still, you need to spot them sooner, rather than later when the colonies get big and cause greater damage to the wooden parts of the structure of your home. Applying protective wood treatments will help you preserve your home and your budget.

Wood-boring beetles

Their name says it all and explains how they damage your home. The most famous one from this group of species is the powderpost beetle. A life cycle of a single beetle can be up to one year, but it can usually be six years to a decade before you notice them, you can imagine the size of the colony by then. They drill wood both for nesting and food. They prefer hardwood such as oak or mahogany. Luckily, most of the wooden structure of your home is treated to be protected from the beetles, but it does not hurt to mention it or ask when building a home.

Carpet beetles

We are stepping away from the structural damage, into the area of plain nuisance and interior damage. They will leave holes in your upholstery, carpets, even the items made of leather. This is why their damage is often blamed on moths. It is essential to properly identify the cause of any damage done to your home so you can find the most appropriate treatment solutions. They prefer homes with wall-to-wall carpets, as they provide a great source of food and a good shelter.

Rodents

The common household rodents are mice and rats. They are very unsanitary and can spread diseases. The typical damage they cause is eating your pantry food supplies or anything else interesting in your kitchen cabinets. They mate and spread quickly. They will damage your home by chewing on insulation and your wiring. Depending on how big the infestation is, you may be looking at the full rewiring of your home. What is even more dangerous is that cutting through wires can cause a fire. In that case, your home insurance is the only thing which can help you. Suspected rodent infestation in a home can lower its price significantly. Pest treatment and control is an absolute must when purchasing a new home. That is the only way you can actually know you are safe and protected.

Conclusion

Prevent it now, and you will thank yourself later. If you are unable to prevent, or you are buying a home rather than building one, make sure to inspect it and use the most appropriate treatments available. In certain areas, it does not hurt to check whether there is an insurance policy covering the damage made by pests. That is how serious it could be. As they say, better safe than sorry.

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