Your home is vulnerable to many possible threats. One of the more common, and annoying, of these is pests. Pest infestations are a big discomfort for occupants of a house but there are also pests that can damage a house if the homeowner is not careful. If you want to protect your home from them, here is a quick guide on several pests you should keep an eye out for and how to deal with them.
Ants
Everyone knows what ants are. These small thieves are a familiar sight to anyone who has spilled sugar on the floor. Most of the time they are irritants but there are others out there that can do serious damage to homes and property. There are around 1,000 species of them ranging from harmless to very damaging. Most of these ants make a home somewhere outside and invade your home. Most of the time, you can deal with them by keeping your food safe and blocking their pathways.
But a specific species, like fire and carpenter ants, are particularly devastating. Carpenter ants carve into the wood supports of your house to create new pathways for themselves. The wood they destroy can create structural weaknesses for your house. Fire ants can be pretty bad, too, since they tend to attack the electrical wiring in your home. Since they can sense electrical fields, they tend to chew into them. For these species, you will need to eliminate their colonies by calling in the experts.
Termites
Another pest that you should be familiar with is the termite. Most people know what termites can do. They eat wood and are similar to carpenter ants in the way they damage your house. The problem with termites is that they are much less visible than carpenter ants. When you finally notice them, they will already have done great damage to your house. This is why it is necessary for termite inspections in Salt Lake City and other urban areas. This will allow you to detect them and do something about their presence.
Bees
When people talk about bees, they think about their honey. Normally, they would not be a problem, but bees make their homes in many strange places and one of these can be in the hollows of your walls, attics, and basements. Though they do not directly damage your house, they put stress on the areas where they place their homes. Beehives can weigh up to several pounds and your walls may not be designed to support their weight in addition to the weight of your home. It also doesn’t help that bees will try to make multiple pathways into the hive which can damage other parts of your house. If you notice bees coming out of nowhere, then you should call in a beekeeper to try and extract the hive.
Keep Your Home Safe
It sounds strange to hear that small pests can be so devastating to your home. But they can do surprising amounts of damage despite their small size. The guide above should help you identify several of them and keep them out of your house. With a little attention, you will be able to protect your house from any unwanted intruders.
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