Step-by-Step Home Pest Inspection

Remember that old story you read back in elementary school. It was written in the early 1700’s.The real title of it was: “Travels into Several Remote Nations of the World, in Four Parts. By Lemuel Gulliver, First a Surgeon, and then a Captain of Several Ships.” Well, the writer Jonathan Swift soon realized that didn’t really just roll-off the top of your tongue, so he renamed it “Gulliver’s Travels.”

Quick Cliff’s Note on the story, “During his first voyage, Gulliver is washed ashore after a shipwreck and finds himself a prisoner of a race of tiny people, less than 6-inches tall, who are inhabitants of the island country of Lilliput. Gulliver assists the Lilliputians to subdue their neighbors, the Blefuscudians, by stealing their fleet. However, he refuses to reduce the island nation of Blefuscu to a province of Lilliput, displeasing the King and the court. Gulliver is charged with treason. These six-inchers pick him up — it took thousands of them — and tie him to the ground. He escapes, but the image of a bunch of little creatures moving a mountain happens every day in the forests and woodlands.

It’s not a person. Usually it’s the carcass of a dead critter. But if you ever find yourself being carted away by an army of ants while watching teevee, you got a bug problem.

How Do You Know if Something’s Bugging You?

Basically, you need to task yourself with a home pest inspection. To do it, snatch a big bag and fill it with this stuff:

  • A notepad and a pencil.
  • A little hand mirror that you can buy at an auto parts store. If it’s got a telescoping handle, that’s the tops. It’ll let you see into areas where your head won’t fit.
  • A flashlight that has a super-high beam.
  • A couple of screwdrivers, Phillips and Standard to remove plates where the critters may be hiding. The handle likewise helps tap the wall to wake-up any sleeping bugs.
  • A digital camera so you can take pictures to show the pest control specialist what kind of monsters we’re dealing with here (and where).
  • A sturdy ladder.

Payback Time

Alright Sherlock, here we go. Let’s start inside:

  • Go high and get-up into the attic. You’re not just looking for pests, keep an eye-out for any leaks. Bugs and rats drink water, so you need to cut-off their supply. Downstairs, scrutinize the cabinets, behind the hot water heater, near any sinks, large appliances. Leave no stone unturned. You may not see any insects, but you’ll probably come across what they leave behind. Snap some shots, note where the poop was and head down to the basement.
  • Always be keen to water deposits or dry rot. See any tiny holes in the joists or beams? Click, click. Also, the most important thing is to give everything a thrice-over for termite tubes.
  • Don’t have a basement? You may have to “do the dog” and wiggle inside the crawlspace. Can’t emphasize water build-up enough. Same with termite tubes. Other than that, you’re looking not justĀ  for signs of life but signs that something has been using your crawlspace as their toilet.
  • Dust yourself off and let’s take a stroll around the outside of the house. See any damage? Little holes? H2O? Dry rot? Cracks? These are all clues to jot down in your notepad.

You now are ready for a full-fledged attack. Fix anything you’ve noticed that doesn’t look right. Then call a pest control pro. Give them a tour, show them the pictures and refer to your notes. You have helped them greatly by playing detective beforehand.

Incidentally, never befriend a 6-inch high human. Call your local Cooperative Extension Office. They have itsy-bitsy apartment complexes at Gitmo and trailers provided by FEMA in upstate New York to house the little squirts.

Original Source: https://www.vulcantermite.com/home-pest-control/step-by-step-home-pest-inspection/