Household pests are not only extremely bothersome to co-exist with and tedious to eliminate – they can also cause great damage to your home and health. There’s the physically dangerous (spiders, wasps), the unhygienic (rats, mice, cockroaches), the property destroyers (termites) and then there’s just the plain annoying (ants, flees). Before you move into a house, or if you simply suspect that you may have a pest problem in your existing home, it’s a good idea to get a pest inspection.
Most people will be aware of the presence of some pests by either the familiar evening appearances of cockroaches or mice, a line of ants marching through the kitchen pantry or pesky wasps hanging around outside. These types of situations call for an extermination rather than an inspection. Typically increasing their number of appearances during summer, many of these pests thrive in the humid atmosphere and are attracted to dampness and food. Once exterminated, keep the house dry and clean and try not to leave any accidental crumbs lying around.
The serious problems lie with the pests you can’t see – namely termites (also known as white ants). Able to exist inside your home without your knowledge, termites are capable of destroying whole buildings before anyone even realises there is a problem. Termites feed on a variety of materials, particularly wood, and have a reputation for being one of the worst pests you could encounter in your home. If you’re planning to buy a place, just moved into a new place or suspect a termite infestation in your existing one, a pest inspection has the potential to save you thousands of dollars.
The best types of companies to use before purchasing a home are the ones that offer pest and building inspections. This means that they have the skills and technology to discover pests, as well as the ability to determine how much damage has actually been done to the building and how much it will cost to repair. Even if an inspection does not result in the discovery of termites, it is peace of mind at a relatively low price. Most companies will not charge more than $1000 for a combined building and pest report.
You may wonder what you’re actually paying for when you could easily take a look around for nasty bugs yourself. When it comes to termites you’re paying for expert building knowledge and the latest technology. All good companies will use moisture meters, listening devices, and most importantly, a thermal camera to seek out potential termite infestations. Basically, this camera will detect higher temperatures within the walls of your home, which indicates that termites may be nesting in these areas. Pest inspections will also reveal whether there has been past termite activity in the building.
Make sure that the pest and building inspectors you hire are licenced and have their own indemnity insurance. If you’re unsure whether your house may have a termite infestation, some signs to look for include small shavings of wood, soft wood, hollow sounding wood and mud tubes that termites create for above ground travel. If you’ve got good hearing you may also notice a slight crackling noise in problem areas.
