DIY Home Pest Inspection

Having a yearly home inspection done for the detection of insects and pests, is one of the best things you can do for your home to make sure that your home stays in tip-top shape.

There is absolutely no reason why you cannot do a home inspections for pests yourself. It will save you a lot of money; and these easy tips can help you to get the inspection done in a timely manner.

1. Make sure you have a plan, and try not to deviate from it. Each year, on the weekend that I do my spring cleaning, my husband does the home inspection for pests, and we plan on that week-end ahead of time. That way my husband is there when I need him; for the heavy stuff. I also am there when he needs someone to hold the ladder (he hates heights).

2. Make sure you have a good flash light and extra batteries. When checking dark areas, closets and corners, a flashlight is a necessity.

3. Timing is very important. Another reason my husband does our home inspection in the spring, is because a lot of household pests go dormant in the cold winter months, and they are a lot harder to find. They come out more when it warms up in the spring.

4. Do an outside inspection of the shell of the house. Is there plants growing up the side of the house. If so, you need to inspect these well because they could be hiding cracks and adding moisture to the outside walls; which attracts insects.

5. Check the foundation to make sure there are no cracks. Also check carefully to make sure that any part of the outside wall has not separated from the foundation. This can allow insects a way into the home. This is also a good time to clean all debris from around the outside edges of the house. We don't want to make it any easier for insects to get into the house.

6. Make sure that you do a thorough check under the house. You will need your flashlight to check the underneath side of the floor and floor joists. You will be looking for what is called shelter tubing. It looks like long, twisted straws just under the wood surface. This is a sure sign of termites. If it's carpenter ants, the wood will like it has a bunch of little ditches. This is also a good time to make sure that all debris is cleaned out from under the house.

7. After you get done checking underneath the house, make sure that you check the roof. After a time roofing material can crack or break, giving easy access of your home to insects.

8. Check gutters, downspouts and the eaves of the roof to make sure that there is no moisture where there should not be. Keeping gutters and downspouts cleaned and free flowing, will keep moisture off the house. A dry house does not attract insects as much as an inappropriately damp one does.

9. Check the attic and miscellaneous holes; such as doggie doors and air vents. Make sure that there are proper seals around these.

10. Check under the sinks for signs of moisture, and along the counter-top edge where it meets the wall. Most people don't think to move the stove and refrigerator out, but if there are insects infesting your home, there is sure to be sign of them there. It doesn't get cleaned under these items very often, so it is easy to see signs of insects.

These are the major places to need to be checked when doing your own home inspection for insects. If you don't see any signs that insects are trying to take over your home, you can put the flashlight away for another year and rest easy. If there is sign of insects, make sure that the exterminator you call, will take care of them in an eco-friendly manner.