If you own a home, you should know that the pests you don’t think you need an exterminator for could be undermining the quality and longevity of your home. Though you may think you can live with the problems pests can cause, you must look ahead to the future. What happens when you want to sell your home and those pests you thought were no big deal make it unsellable without moderate to substantial repairs. Here are 4 pests that could be damaging your home right now:
Termites
These are the worst bugs on the block when it comes to damaging, if not destroying, homes and other wooden structures. Termites eat wood and other cellulose materials and cause billions of dollars in damage every year because most of their work is done stealthily, behind the walls of a home. In fact, termites are so sneaky that homeowners often overlook them as a threat – until there’s noticeable damage to door frames, ceiling joists, subfloors and other fairly important house components or until they’re spotted by a home inspector.
Powderpost Beetles
Powderpost, or Lyctid, beetles won’t eat the soft pine that comprises most of the skeletal structure of a home, but they will eat hardwoods. That means that homes with hardwood molding, flooring, doors, cabinets and furniture are vulnerable to the voracious powderpost beetle. The presence of powderpost beetles or evidence of damage they’ve done can affect the saleability of your home because these pests must be reported on state wood-destroying insect reports, which are required for most types of home loans.
Fire Ants
You may think that fire ants are just a threat in your yard but fire ants do more than build mounds in the soil. Fire ants can build mounds in transformer boxes, outdoor air conditioning units and anyplace else that has electrical circuits. At best, these mounds can interfere with power delivery and, at worst, they can be a fire hazard. An exterminator will find all of the unusual places fire ants may choose to call home and eliminate them.
Rodents
Rat and mice infestations can quickly derail a home sale; evidence of rodent activity can make a potential buyer turn and run. Rats and mice carry some disease-causing bacteria that they deposit, in the form of urine and feces, around a home, especially where water and food debris are present. Additionally, rodents have incisors that never stop growing, and that means that they must constantly gnaw to wear them down. Because it doesn’t matter to them what they gnaw, they often chew through wiring, metal doors, cinder blocks and even concrete, damaging the structure of a home and creating potential fire hazards.
Call Safe Pro Pest Control in Frisco, TX at (972) 435-0700 or visit www.safepropest.com to schedule an appointment for a pest inspection in Plano by a professional exterminator to ensure that there are no pests in your home that can threaten the safety, structural integrity and potential sale value of your home.
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