Everybody wants to talk about it if they feel like they have pests in their home. It makes people feel dirty if they spot a cockroach or if they notice a rat or a mouse in the area.
Ignoring the warning signs of pests can lead to so many more headaches and bills down the road if you’re not taking care of it early. From creepy crawlies to furry invaders, pests can cause damage to your house, contaminate your food and trigger health issues.
The positive thing about pests is that they leave behind clear signs of their presence, and if you know what to look for, you’ll know how to get rid of them. Here are 7 common indicators that your home may be playing host to some unwanted guests.
You may notice droppings or urine
It’s gross, but it’s at least an obvious sign that you’ve got pests. Rodents, cockroaches and other pests tend to leave waste behind in places where they eat, travel or nest. Mouse and rat droppings look like dark pellets, often found near food sources or along baseboards. Insects, mainly of smaller black specks that look like dirt or coffee grounds. Some rodents also leave behind urine trails, which can glow under UV light if you’re brave enough to check.
Scratchy, scratchy
At night time you may hear scurrying, scratching or chewing sounds even from roaches. Mice, rats and squirrels are more active after dark and can often be heard moving inside ceilings, walls or attics. These may be subtle sounds at first, but once you know what to listen for, it’s hard to ignore. Any buzzing noises in the walls or eaves of your home can indicate the presence of Wasps or bees nesting nearby.
Something stinky this way comes
Pests will often bring a distinct smell with them. Musty, oily odors can point to cockroaches and mice have an ammonia like scent. A more pungent odor could be the result of a dead animal in the wall or the attic. Yikes. Bedbugs, oddly enough, can give off slightly sweet, musty scents when they’re present in large numbers if you’re waking up with bites. If you detect an unusual odor in your bedroom, it might be time to explore solutions like bed bug heat treatment. It’s a highly effective chemical freeway to eliminate them and get your night time itching eliminated.
There’s chew marks in your food packaging
Rodents and pantry pests like moths or beetles love your cereal just as much as you do. One of the easiest signs of infestation is chewed, or torn packaging in your kitchen cupboards. Mice may chew through plastic or cardboard to get out the grains, pasta, or snacks. Look for holes, crumbs, or nests made from shredded packaging. And if you spot any, get rid of the old food. It’s time to clean out your pantry and store food in sealed pest proof containers.
Your skin is suffering
A clear sign you have pests is waking up with itchy, red bumps that weren’t there the night before. This is a potential red flag for fleas or bedbugs. Bedbugs in particular tend to bite in a pattern, often in rows or clusters, and usually on exposed areas like arms, legs, or necks. Unlike mosquito bites, bedbug bites are more persistent and itchy, and they don’t appear right after. Skip the sprays and go for the bed bug heat treatment we mentioned earlier if you spot them.
Nests
Pests need shelter, and they’ll often build nests in quiet and undisturbed areas like attics, crawl spaces, or behind appliances. Rodents use materials like insulation, paper and fabric to create cozy hideouts that you may notice.
You can see them
A clear sign you have pests is the fact that you’ve seen them. Seeing one cockroach or mouse might not seem like a big deal, but when there’s one, there’s usually more. Daytime sightings can be especially concerning, as many pests are nocturnal and only emerge during the day when overcrowded or stressed. Don’t ignore the occasional creepy crawly either, because if you spot ants in one area, you’re more likely to see them in others.
Pests in your home are so much more than just a nuisance, and they can make you feel gross. No matter what type of pest you have, paying attention to the signs that they are there is a good way to get started so that you can clear your house out. It’s never a nice idea to think that you’re gonna have to spend a lot of time cleaning down your home, but if you don’t get it done, you can’t get on top of the problem.
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© Copyright 2025 Antonia, All rights Reserved. Written For: Tidylife
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