Buying a new home or renting an apartment unit is always a bit of a gamble, as it is difficult to determine if your new home will turn out to be structurally unsound or infested with mold or insect pests. Of course, insects can be found in all homes, but it is not uncommon for people to rent apartment units that contain bed bugs or roaches, and termite infestations are the primary concern when purchasing new houses. This is why it is customary to have new houses inspected for wood-boring insect pest infestations. Wood-boring insect pests include termites, old house borers and carpenter ants. It has also become the norm for apartment owners to guarantee free pest control services in apartment leases, just in case tenants discover bed bugs or other pests with a rental unit. However, many pest control experts claim that potential homebuyers and tenants can learn to detect insect pests during tours of houses and apartment units.
Some insect pests emit odors that can easily be sniffed out within infested homes. For example, cockroaches emit musty or oily odors, which can permeate infested houses. Obviously, the entire point of touring houses and apartments is to get a good look at the home’s condition, but keeping an eye out for signs of insect pest infestations during tours can save bundles of money in the long run. Sometimes, people will spot a few ants, a cockroach skittering across the floor, or even a few dead bugs within homes during tours. Some people may feel inclined to dismiss a small insect presence or dead insects within a home, but pest control professionals state that doing so is a bad idea, as spotting one single insect pest may indicate a current infestation. When homes remain vacant for a period of time, insect pests, like cockroaches, come out of their hiding places and into open spaces, but when people suddenly enter a vacant home, these insect pests will rapidly scurry away. So dismissing even the smallest presence of insect pests may be asking for trouble. In cases when insect pests are located within houses or apartments during tours, potential buyers and tenants should request a report on the home’s history of insect infestations, as well as a pest inspection just to be safe.
Have you ever spotted dead or living insect pests within a house or apartment that you had toured in the past?