3 Pests That Can Damage Your Home

All bugs and critters play an essential part in our ecosystem. But that doesn’t mean they are welcome in your home! Unfortunately, some can critically damage your home’s structure.

While a bug or two getting in isn’t a real threat, you could be facing a more significant infestation if you don’t notice them. And if that’s the case, you could be in for a surprise home repair!

Here are three pests that can damage your home and some ideas to help you prevent an infestation.

Honey Bees

If the queen bee chooses your house to build her hive, the colony will look for shelter in cavities in the ceiling, walls, or even the floor. And if that happens, they are likely to build a nest consisting of a network of honeycombs. While delicious, honeycombs can be heavy and sticky,  damaging walls, chimneys, rooves, and other structures.

Leaking honey can also bleed through wallpapered or painted walls. Its sugary scent often attracts other undesired pests such as ants, so it’s best to get rid of them as soon as possible. The best thing to do to prevent honey bees from nesting in your home is to fill in any holes in your home’s structure with durable materials like metal screens or caulk.

Termites

Thanks to their reputation, you’re probably already aware of the damage termites can do to wooden structures. Termites typically stay in the walls or under your house, and the damage they do might not be immediately noticeable.

To spot them as early as possible, it’s a good idea to regularly check your home to look for signs of termite activity—things to look for include damp or blistered wood, holes and galleries, and mud tubes. Although termites don’t bite, sting, or contaminate food, you should immediately call a professional if you notice any signs of activity.

Ants

Most ant species that invade your home are more of a nuisance than an actual threat to the structure.  As for damage to your house itself, carpenter ants can do as much damage to structures as termites. These critters start by hollowing out damp wood anywhere in the home, and you may hear their chewing sounds coming from the walls. Additionally, you might spot coarse sawdust mixed with insect parts beneath structures like window sills, or you might even spot winged ants. If you own a fireplace, keep the firewood away from your home as that’s a popular nesting place for carpenter ants.