How to Know When Pests Have Invaded Your Home

You will generally know when pests have invaded your home because you will see, feel and/or hear them and their effects. Ants will gravitate to food and are visible to the eye. Rats can create holes in walls. Other animals, such as opossums and raccoons will make noises as they make their homes under or inside the house. 

• To know when pests have invaded, watch carefully for signs. You'll hear a variety of sights, unusual sounds and/or feel an itch that will alert you to the presence of unwelcome creatures. Some sounds can mimic the sounds of people moving around, so you will have to pay close attention, particularly in a crowded home.


• Visible to the naked eye are animals such as ants, cockroaches and, of course, mice and rats. You will see these animals dart across the floor, often in the middle of the night or times of day when most people are not around. Also visible are droppings, such as rat droppings, which are typically about half an inch in length with a blackish gray color.


• Pests that can be felt on the skin or when sleeping at night are fleas, bed bugs and even cockroaches and ants, if they have infested a sleeping area. With bed bugs, you will have bumps on the skin from bites. In general, insects of various kinds, including spiders, will leave their marks on your skin in the form of bites and rashes.


• You will also know that unwelcome pests are in your home because you will hear them. Larger animals such as raccoons, opossums, skunks and other similar animals make noises as they move through your house. They may make homes for themselves in your attic, basement or in spaces between walls. These critters can be harder to detect as they move around and require professional assistance to be trapped and removed from your home.