How To Spot An Infestation

How do we know if we have a pest problem in our home? How do we check? In this blog post, I will explain how we check for bed bugs, termites, and mice.

Bed Bugs

Bed bugs are by far a terrible nuisance and sometimes we don’t even know we are infested. What comes next is how do we check to see if we are infested? In order to identify a possible infestation with bed bugs, it is important to look for physical signs.

One way you can check is by looking closely at your bedsheets. When the bugs feed off of their host, they can leave rusty-colored reddish spots on your bedsheets. This is blood from feeding.  They are extremely tiny and about the thickness of a credit card.  Bed bugs love to hide, but if you find blood on your sheets you know to start inspecting for them.

If you have a large infestation of bed bugs there are certain places in your home that you can inspect. You can look in the seams of chairs and couches, pillows, under carpets, and electrical outlets, under wall hangings and pictures, and any crack or crevice where you think they may hide. You can look at the creases in your window treatments as well. You may find them in your curtains, your valances and quite honestly, they can squeeze in anywhere. In the bedroom, when they are not feeding, you will find bedbugs in the seams of your bed and box spring. They like to also hang out on your headboard.

Once you confirm an infestation, it is imperative to give us a call ASAP so that Fortified can come out and inspect your entire home and put a treatment protocol in place so that we can get rid of the bugs and eggs for good.

Termites

Termites have been known to literally eat you out of house and home. There are several different types of termites and we will give you the information necessary on how you can check to see if your home has been invaded by them.

here are sure ways to know if you have termites.

• A hollow sound when you tap the wall.
• If termites have invaded your walls you will see small pin holes where they have eaten through the coating or drywall.
• You can have excessive bubbling or peeling paint, baseboards that destruct at the slightest pressure, and windows that seem to be jammed or won’t open.  
• Doors that don’t want to open or close.
• Frass is another indicator, a wood-colored termite dropping that looks like sawdust.
• Mud tubes (more below)

Termites are also able to make mud tubes. These mud tubes are the most common sign of subterranean termites. These tubes are used by the termites to travel between the soil and a food source. Termites attach these mud tubes to a structure usually found near the foundation of the home or property. Mud tubes can be seen easily with the human eye.  

At Fortified, we are experts in the field. We are able to spot signs of termite infestations and have the technology when there are no visible clues or signs. Keep in mind that most insurance policies do not cover termite damage. It is extremely costly to repair once the damage has been done.  It is a good idea to have regular inspections of your home so that you are able to catch an infestation as soon as possible. This will be less costly and will also minimize the risk of damage to your home if it is caught early.

Mice

Rodents can cause an extreme amount of damage to almost anything they can gnaw through. How do you check if you have mice living in or around your home?

• One of the most common signs that there are mice living in your home is mice droppings. Once you see the droppings, you are guaranteed to have mice.
• If you see droppings in multiple locations in your home, more than likely you are dealing with multiple families of rodents.
• If you hear sounds, scratching noises in the walls of your home, that’s also another sure sign.
• Mice leave footprints. You can see these footprints in the dustiest areas of your home and if you are unsure you can check by sprinkling some white flour onto the floor where you suspect the critter might be and see if you have footprints.
• Gnaw marks. They can gnaw their way through the walls.

Mice are more active at night. Mice are always gnawing and always teething. They can gnaw their way through so much. Once the fall comes and it gets cooler, these mice try to find warmth. If they can get into a home with warmth and food, you will have new roommates. It’s always best to get a reputable licensed pest control company to help you resolve this for good by informing you about ways to avoid another infestation.