How Do You Tell If You Have Bugs in Your Walls

Worrying about a possible pest infestation adds stress to the already stressful process of house hunting. If you are already a homeowner it is only natural that you think twice, long and hard about your maintenance, and possible fest infestation.

You might not give much thought to the possibility of a pest problem in a house you’re considering buying, or you might not even know what to look for.

Although pests are experts at camouflage, there are a number of warning signs that should prompt you to investigate further.

How to tell if you have bugs in your home and in your walls: top 7 signs

1. Look for bite marks

Summertime outdoor activities can result in itchy, painful bug bites. However, an infestation may be present if you find that you are being bitten first thing in the morning or if you have multiple bites that you did not get when you were outside.

Since bedbugs are nocturnal feeders, they are potential suspects.

If you suspect you have bed bugs, examine your mattress, box spring, headboard, nightstands, draperies, and any other soft furnishings. A professional pest control service should be contacted immediately if bed bugs are suspected.

2. Look for dead bugs

It is possible that you would be tempted to believe that dead bugs do not provide an issue because they are no longer alive.

On the other hand, this almost certainly indicates that there are active pests hiding in other parts of your house, you just don’t know where they are since you don’t see them. Look for any signs of bugs within your entire home, focusing mostly on corners and walls.

You should absolutely conduct some investigating if you discover a significant number of dead ones, especially if they are all the same kind of pest, because you may wish to determine the cause of their deaths.

3. Look for tracks and markings

Many pests, such as insects and rodents, travel in recognizable patterns throughout your home, leaving telltale signs of their passage. Keep an eye out for oily stains or streaks on your baseboards, as this is a common path that rodents take.

The floor along the wall is another good place to search for feces or urine (if you have the stomach for it).

You should look for reddish-brown stains on the kitchen and bathroom floors. This is evidence of cockroach infestation.

The signs left by rodents, such as droppings and tracks, are more obvious than those left by insects, but both can be spotted with diligence.

4. You’re hearing unexplained noises (but you’re not crazy)

Mice and rats are the most likely creatures to produce noise during the night, either by moving about in your walls or inside your home, but other insects can also be heard. Some are quite loud, and others can be annoyingly quiet. You could hear termites or cockroaches in your walls as well.

Watch out for your kitchen and the bathroom, as you can wake up in the middle of the night to the sound of cockroaches scurrying across the floor.

It’s possible that there are other kinds of insects hiding in the walls, and if there are a significant number of them, you just don’t know it yet.

5. Watch out for bad odors

Insects and other pests emit a wide variety of scents, as you might find out the hard way.

If you’ve noticed that your home doesn’t have the same pleasant aroma that it once did, but you can’t pinpoint the source, bugs may be the reason for it.

Cockroaches leave behind an oily, musty scent, whereas bedbugs have a pleasant, almost sickening stench.

Smelling bugs is a bad indicator since it signifies the pests are already inside your home, not just within your walls. Ask someone for validation when it comes to these scents.

6. You are spotting live bugs

If you see bugs that are alive in your home, you may have an infestation already. A few bugs here and there is nothing unusual. Ants are often drawn to food that is left out, even pet food. This is easy to fix and you shouldn’t worry too much about it since you can reach for ant traps.

But having a lot of live bugs in your house could be a big problem. If you have a huge issue with these bugs and you can’t get rid of them using normal methods, it could be a sign of a bigger problem and having to reach for bigger tools.

Check the areas of your home where you see them to see if you can find where they’re getting in and what kind of pest it is so you can get rid of it.

7. Your plants are going through a lot

Wall damage, fabric damage (such as on drapes or sofas made of cloth), and plant damage can all be indicators of insect infestation.

Crawl spaces, basements, and attics are prime locations for termite damage. If you have some plants laying around there, you can expect them to take the first shot.

PS: Doors and windows that don’t close as easily may also indicate termites. Termites eat the wood in your walls, not just your pretty flowers, and can weaken them and make it harder (or easier) to open and close doors and windows.

What to do if you have a pest infestation?

So, how many of these statements and situations apply to you? Do you have a ton of similar coincidences constantly reoccurring? If so, don’t panic, since there is always a solution for your issue and your case! Try out this service and get your residential pest control under control! Schedule an appointment and have all of your pest or bug-related questions answered. You will get year-round protection against Utah’s most common pests with the right pest control program. Protect your home against spiders, ants, wasps, mice, box elder bugs, or whatever pests are threatening your home.