Structural Hazards Pest Damage Causes
Many people choose to ignore pests in their home. The sight of an occasional wasp or ant really doesn’t bother them. But what you have to understand is that this is an incredibly bad idea. You see, besides being a nuisance, many pests are extremely destructive. In fact, pest damage can completely destroy your home, causing thousands of pounds of damage in the process.
What type of pest damage should you watch out for?
Pest damage is caused by a variety of pests and affects all areas of your home. The biggest culprits are rodents such as rats, mice, and squirrels. The reason why these animals cause so much damage is because they gnaw on everything and anything. For example, did you know that rats must continually gnaw in order to keep their teeth filed down? Plus mice and other rodents are great at hiding.
The issue with this is that they’re gnawing on your house! What’s more, rats have ultra-sharp teeth. They are able to chew through material such as wood as if it’s made from tissue paper. If you have large numbers of rodents in your home, this pest damage can be incredible. Rats will chew on anything made of wood including your roof and other supporting timbers. They also love to chew on wires, which can lead to disruptions in your lighting and electricity supply.
Then you have boring insects like carpenter ants which also eat through wood. Another highly destructive insect is wasps. The problem with wasps is that they build their colonies in wall cavities and attics. Wasps nests are made from pulped wood and saliva. This hardens into a concrete like substance, therefore it cannot be removed without damaging your home.
A stitch in time saves nine
Also watch out for pest damage caused by birds. The problem with birds is that their faeces contain a highly corrosive acid. When birds defecate on your roof it causes damage over time, especially if you have shingles on your roof. Also, like wasps, bird’s nests often cannot be removed without damaging your home. Birds also shed their feathers all day long. These feathers can block gutters and drain pipes. This becomes a problem when it rains. The gutters overflow and this sends water into your home which causes further damage. Some birds have even been known to peck at drain pipes and eventually damage them.
All of this is disturbing and a major headache to repair. But what’s even more disturbing is that many insurers flatly refuse to cover the costs. Yes, you might get lucky because may have a sympathetic insurer who writes you a cheque. Unfortunately in most cases this doesn’t happen, and getting money out of the insurer is an uphill battle.
Major problems if want to sell your home
The presence of pest damage in your attic or other areas of the home can drastically reduce the amount of money you’ll get. Not only that, it can make selling the home extremely difficult. Think about it, would you want to move into a home which is damaged by and riddled with pests?
In this case, you may have to spend thousands of pounds in repair before you can sell. You may also be in a position where you cannot afford to repair the home. The bottom line is that all of these problems can be avoided ahead of time. This is why it’s critical that you remove all pests promptly. Do not ignore this problem or allow it to fester. Call in an exterminator the very instant that you detect pests. Failing to do so can end up costing you dearly in the long run.