This guide will help you spot unwanted household pests – whether you’re moved in or touring.
Pests are everywhere, and having a few in a home is pretty much inevitable. But some can be a bigger problem than others, and it’s good to catch them early — even if you don’t own the home you’re looking at just yet. Depending on how bad an infestation is, hiring an exterminator costs an average of $150.
When you know how to recognize and prevent this issue, you can keep unwanted visitors at bay while saving money in the long run. Ian Williams, a board-certified entomologist with Orkin pest control, said it’s important to know what might become a problem for you.
Wood-destroying bugs
Williams warns that termites — often called subterranean termites — are the biggest threat to a house because of how severe their damage can be.
“They could completely destroy a home. If they get underneath the floor, you have floors collapse,” he said. “They could get into walls and even up into roofing and cause walls and roofs to collapse. They really take out the structural components of the wood. When they do that, you’re left with almost paper walls or paper wood that’s designed to support things.”
Williams said homes in more hot and humid areas can be vulnerable to formosan termites. These are worse than the traditional termites homeowners encounter because their colonies are much larger, so they cause more damage more quickly.
People in the Southwest and California should look out for drywood termites. They create colonies in the wood itself instead of the ground.
Aside from termites, wood-boring beetles like to invade the wood of a home as well, though they’re not as destructive. Then there are carpenter ants, who prefer to move into the holes that termites have already made and hollow things out further. Carpenter ants and wood-boring beetles can even get into the foundation of your home.
Wildlife
Bugs aren’t the only unwelcome guests you may encounter — keep your eye out for rats, bats, and squirrels too. Many of these critters can carry disease or bring in new pests like ticks and fleas.
“Rodents can chew on a whole bunch of different things, including wiring or piping depending on what the pipes are made out of,” Williams said. “I’ve had customers that had PVC piping for their water lines and rats chew through and cause floods in the home.”
Then there are our flying friends: bats. Bats are usually found in homes with attics or chimneys, because they like to hang out in dark, cavernous areas.
You can easily lure out one or two bats, but if you have a big problem, you’ll want to call a professional. A word of warning about these winged creatures: They can carry rabies, so be careful with any DIY measures.
Williams said all of these animals will look for spots to escape the cold, so people in chilly climates should make sure everything is tightly sealed.
Cockroaches
Cockroaches are a big problem in crowded cities and apartment buildings. While they don’t actually cause damage to a home, they do require professional extermination — and they’re just gross.
Cockroaches are attracted to food and garbage, and they’re usually brought in from the outside. Secondhand or rented furniture is a big culprit of cockroach infestations.
The one ‘upside’ to roaches is that they’re big, so you will definitely know when you have a problem.
Nuisance pests
Most unwanted critters are pretty harmless but still annoying, like mosquitos. Standing water creates a breeding ground for these pests, so try to minimize the water that collects around your home.
Bed bugs are a big issue in cities, where it’s easy for them to be brought in by furniture, clothes or people — and they’re notoriously hard to get rid of. Homeowners with pets should also be wary of ticks and fleas.
Another pair of pests that are usually harmless to your home, but not to your peace of mind, are hornets and wasps. In colder climates, they like to build their nests in warmer, less open areas like porches or attics. If they do make their way inside your house, they may damage wallboards and ceilings. And being stung by one can be quite painful or lead to an allergic reaction.
Plaster beetles are more common in new construction. Williams said these bugs love to feed on mold and fungus, and the process of building a new structure can attract them.
“[Builders] put up sheetrock, and put up the home, and there’s some amount of moisture in the walls that can oftentimes be part of the building process, but it gets trapped in there and you can have a small layer of mildew grow,” he said.
These beetles won’t damage your home, but the thought of having them creeping around isn’t pleasant. The moisture inside the walls will often dry up in about a year, and the beetles will leave when it does.
What to look for when buying a home
If you’re buying an existing home, Williams said it’s good to ask the previous owners whether they had any pest problems and whether the house is covered by any pest warranties (sometimes those can carry over to the new owners). Of course, you can do some quick investigating of your own or find a professional home inspector through our database. If you’re not sure which is the better route, you could always ask your agent for some advice; they’ll probably have some experience with this and can point you in the right direction.
When looking through a home, keep an eye out for these signs:
- Holes or sawdust in any wood-built areas.
- Water or moisture pooling around the home’s foundation.
- Uneven insulation distribution in the attic (i.e. trails are too small to be caused by humans walking through).
- Mud tubes leading up the sides of the home’s foundation and walls.
- Animal droppings anywhere inside the home, including cabinets.
- Cracks or crevices where pests could make their way in.
- Brown staining around the house, both inside and out, with special attention to baseboards in the basement.
- Blistering paint or loose siding.
- Swarms of termites flying out of any wood.
Invaders by region
There are some pests you may encounter specifically because of a home’s location. Drier areas may have different bugs from moisture-rich places, for example. Here’s a guide on some of the pests you may find in your locale.
Southeast & South Central
- Formosan termites
- Mosquitos
New England & the Midwest
- Rats and mice
- Cockroaches
Southwest
- Dry wood termites and damp wood termites
- Scorpions and small lizards
Pacific Northwest
- Dry wood termites and damp wood termites
- Ants, spiders, and beetles
How to prevent pests
The good news is that most pests are easily lured out of the home, so you don’t necessarily need to call in a professional exterminator. Taking precautionary steps can save you some trouble as well.
Here are some tips for keeping your space free of unwelcome intruders:
- Don’t let them inside. Keep your house sealed up nice and tight. Use window screens, seal window and door frames, and plug up other exterior entry points.
- Keep your home’s exterior tidy. Mow the grass regularly, trim shrubbery and trees to prevent branches from touching your home, and keep mulched beds away from the house.
- Make sure any gutters direct water away from the home. Similarly, you don’t want hills sloping toward your house. You’ll also want to prevent mosquitoes from breeding in your yard by keeping an eye on stagnant pools of water, like birdbaths.
- Inspect the house inside and out. Regularly check for signs of pests like we outlined above.