Having detected a likely infestation in your home, the next thing to do is to take management actions. But before going for harsh measures, surveying your apartment for affected places is key to effective control.
Roaches, termites, rodents, and flies can be extremely annoying and bothersome. Often, it requires great effort to get rid of them once they’re in your dwelling. Nevertheless, putting them away is a must because of the potential harm they’re capable of causing. While dealing with multiple critters, remember time is ticking, and they should be eliminated quickly.
Let’s show you a few things to do while performing a self-inspection of your apartment for pests.
Identify Suspected Pests on Your Property
Determining which pest is on your property gives you a head start in knowing what controls to implement. Your search will be easier if you know what to watch out for. Here are common signs.
- Droppings. For mice, fecal matters are inches sized, dark brown, and sometimes spot-like.
- Eggs. Bug eggs are oval, pearly-white, and tiny. They usually have them stuck to fabrics, woods, and other materials.
- Nymphs. The soon-to-be-adult insects might be noticed around. They are mostly a little translucent and whitish.
- Shell casing. The abandoned husks of a few of these insects can be sighted in crawl spaces. They’re hollow, somewhat transparent, and up to 6mm.
- Mounds.
- Gnaw and smear marks, etc.
Pinpoint Infected and Problem Areas
Knowing how pests got into your property in the first place is paramount to addressing the issue. Walk around and within your property to check their hiding and entry locations.
Exterior Checkpoints
- Examine the vegetation in your compound to see if they’re overgrown.
- Check for tree branches that are extended to your property and possible nests.
- Look for walls and cracks around your pipes, foundation, cables, vents, and attic.
- Find out if your drainages are obstructed.
- Inspect ground depressions harboring stagnant water.
- Are there leaf and wood piles or collected hays?
Interior Checkpoints
- Search drawers, cabinets, and other furniture works.
- Look around piping systems, electrical outlets, fireplaces, and appliances.
- Check underneath your couches, mattresses, and pillows for visual marks, droppings, or smears.
- Remove and examine the back of wall frames, posters, etc.
- Examine your closet, wardrobe, clothing accessories, and dressers.
What to do After You Find Pests
If the search is conducted properly, you’ll notice a few critters around your property. Here are the things you should do afterward.
- Declutter your surroundings of debris, crumbs, and leaf stacks.
- Cut overgrown vegetation and tree branches.
- Seal crevices around the walls, vents, and pipes.
- Wash and press clothes to kill bugs and their eggs.
- Use commercial pest exterminators.
- Reach out to a pest control professional.
What If You Can’t Find Pests?
A frustrating likelihood after spending your time and effort is not finding any pests around, especially when you’ve observed their activities. Most times, this might be because you weren’t thorough with your inspection. And in such a case, you might need to re-examine your property.
However, if you’d like to clamp down on the stress that might pose, reach out to an expert. If you have proof, like a bite or pictorial evidence, show it to the personnel to exert your claim.
