By 
Pests can inflict significant damage throughout your home, making it crucial to address any pest issues promptly. Certain pests can lead to severe structural damage, resulting in costly repairs that can run into the thousands.
Green Pest Services offers dead animal removal, attic and crawlspace cleanup, and insulation services to help you tackle these problems effectively.
Damage Caused By Pests
Pests often cause damage around common wildlife entry points, particularly on rooftops where caps, vents, and covers can be chewed or dislodged. While squirrels, raccoons, and skunks may not seem large, they possess razor-sharp teeth and strong paws, making it easy for them to compromise plastic hardware on the exterior of homes as they attempt to gain entry.
Smaller insect pests may not be as destructive to the home’s exterior, but they can still damage exposed wood. They typically enter through gaps in window and door frames. For instance, ants target damp or rotting wood often found around older window or door frames, and their activity can enlarge these openings, exacerbating the problem.
Damage to the Home’s Interior
Once inside, these animals can continue to wreak havoc on the home. In the attic, they’ll tear up insulation to build nests while chewing and scratching beams and rafters to create easier access and movement. They may even gnaw their way down from the attic into the walls, damaging the wood framing and insulation.
When an entry point is established, the house is left vulnerable to pests and the elements. Rain, snow, moisture, and wind can infiltrate these openings, leading to gradual but costly rot and decay within the structure if left unchecked.
Rodents and insects nesting in the insulation can also cause significant damage. Insulation helps regulate indoor temperatures, but holes chewed through it let air escape, forcing the heating or cooling system to work harder. Additionally, rodent urine can foster mold and rot, compromising the insulation in the attic and walls over time.
What Pests Are Commonly Found in Homes?
1) Termites
Termites are notorious for the extensive damage they cause to homes. Feeding primarily on wood, these tiny insects can gradually eat away at wooden frames, flooring, and walls, compromising the structural integrity of a home and, in severe cases, risking collapse. Unfortunately, termites often go undetected for years, meaning substantial damage may have already been done by the time an issue is noticed.
2) Mice
Despite their small size, mice can cause significant damage once inside. Agile and able to squeeze through tiny cracks and gaps, mice enter homes to chew on electrical wiring, gnaw through walls, and spread disease. They are also known to damage insulation, reduce energy efficiency, and potentially increase utility bills.
3) Wild Animals
Wildlife pests like squirrels, raccoons, and similar animals can inflict costly damage to homes. In addition, they often carry parasites like fleas and ticks, which can introduce further health hazards into your home.
4) Carpenter Ants
Carpenter ants are another common household pest that can wreak havoc on your home. Unlike termites, which primarily consume wood, carpenter ants don’t eat the wood but instead excavate it to create tunnels and galleries within wooden structures. This behavior can significantly weaken the integrity of the house’s beams, flooring, and other critical components, increasing the risk of structural failure and potential collapse. Moreover, the tunnels created by carpenter ants can serve as entry points for other pests, making the home even more vulnerable to infestations.
Conclusion
Pest control service providers are vital in protecting homes from these and other pest-related issues. They conduct thorough inspections to identify any infestations and assess the damage caused by pests. Once an issue is detected, they work diligently to eliminate the pests and carry out any necessary repairs to restore the home’s integrity.
Comments