How to easily identify signs of pests

When we see dirt, grime, stain on the wall, kitchen cabinet, flooring or any furniture and fixtures, our first reaction is, home got dirty or stained due to old structure, poor facility maintenance or long term accumulated stains?

Black “spots” or “dots” found in your kitchen cabinet or edges of counter top

Cockroaches droppings are black to brown in colour and may resemble as grounded black pepper or coffee seeds. They may also turn up as stains that are brown or black in colour, which are easily mistaken as “dirt stains”. While we take proactive actions to clean these poops, we may miss out the actual root cause danger of the start of a cockroach infestation! The usual spots that are stained with these droppings include drawer or shelves top, beneath kitchen appliances such as microwave oven or refrigerator, any cracks and crevices or grooves along kitchen tiles and floor.

Here is a collection of common questions asked around cockoach infestation

• Can cockroach cause an allergy?
• Why cockroach pest control can be ineffective?
• What actually attracts cockroach in a home?
• How to prevent cockroaches from entering a home naturally?
• Cockroach preventuion methods that could go wrong

Blood stains or spots found on mattress, bedsheets and upholstery

Easily mistaken for dirt stains or accidental prick that causes slight bleeding, the implication might be something more serious! Bed bug’s droppings which are made up of digested blood tend to appear as red tiny blood spots (sometimes dark red or black in colour if they are dried up) or dots on your bed. These blood stains may also often found along curtain drapes, sofas, carpets, couches etc. To note: your home may not be spared from a bed bug infestation even if it is kept spot and clean. Read more on how and why your home may be a target among these bugs. Regular changing of bedsheets or dry cleaning of your curtains are diligent housekeeping habits, but these stains may spell a more serious pest implication.

Your home is getting dusty especially along window sills and door frames

You suspected of a nearby home renovation and construction or could be due to air pollution and poor housekeeping that got your window sill and door frames or base dusty. Alert: these saw dust looking substance may spell some serious termite infestation in your home!! Otherwise known as frass, these "saw dust" looking dirt are actually the droppings of drywood termite. It is an indicator that your home may be infested with drywood termite infestation. It is not quite easy to know if your home has a termite infestation as they live within wood structures and unless it’s been detected through Microwave technology that are used by specialist.

Read also: 6 Common Misconceptions of Pest Control

White and grayish stubborn dirt stains that turn yellowish below your furniture

Because its white and grayish, and some hidden blind spots are less exposed for regular cleaning, we may think it is some mold or fungi appearing due to long term negligence. As they get dried up and becomes harder to remove, they may leave after-removal stains that looks yellowish, and easily mistaken for food stains, grease or grimes. Alert: your home may be harboring spiders! You usually will find them below furniture, dark corners or surfaces of tables. Spiders appear in your home because of presence of dark and low-activity spaces in your home, cluttered storerooms or homes with poor housekeeping that allows them to breed in the dirty space.

Unusual or distinctive smell that appears to be musty

Might sound as the most unusual way to identify signs of pest infestation, but smell is a good indicator if there are pests lurking around the home.  For example, cockroaches produce a strong, pungent and musty smell coming from their urine in hiding corners including cabinets, shelves, vacated areas, drawers and storeroom. Rats similarly also leave behind a ammonic smell from their urine and dropping and usually found along ceilings, edges of wall and below shelves or cabinets. Bed bugs on the other hand also emits a distinctive smell, however it is skewed towards the overly sweet and musky odour that is coming from their pheromones when they are in danger. When in doubt, it is good to call a pest control company to perform a professional and accurate pest inspection for your home.

You may also like: How do you know if you have a cockroach infestation?

Cracks and damages found on the wall

You may notice cracks and damages on the wall and structure and first instinct is that the home may be old and degenerated due to wear and tear of the facilities. Alternatively, it can be viewed as defects from historical conditions or resulting from environmental changes such as heat and expansion. However, pests like the termites are capable of damaging your home, by leaving unsightly mud tubes or cracks and damages by eating off the wood and foundation that made up the home. In addition, they can damage the proper functioning of the doorframes and windowpanes, or cause damages to wooden items and flooring in your home.

Termite infestation should not be treated lightly and best to leave to the professional termite specialist. This is because colony can expand further while they extend their presence to other parts of your home. Severe infestation can cause disruptive and dangerous damages including unstable structures and beams and collapse ceilings or rooftops.

Seeking proper pest detection signs and pest control solutions

While it is a good practice to clean up stains and dirt, but it may be recommended to check further if those are really dirt or actually droppings coming from pests. Not sure how to identify them, there are pest specialists that are train to help you recognise them!C Call Rentokil Pest Control Singapore at (65) 6347 8138.

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