How You Can Avoid Pest Pitfalls on Moving Day and Beyond

So you are moving into a new home, or apartment, how can you protect you and your family from suffering from the previous owners or tenants infestation? This can be tough, not all bugs are obvious when initially looking at a home, and some bugs can hang around a residence for over a year without anyone living there. Here are a few pointers to consider.

The Brand New Home – New Builds are unique when it comes to pests. They are generally better sealed than older homes, but it’s important to remember that where your new home now stands, was once the natural habitat of other critters. As the earth is stirred up what once lived in that terrain now has to make its new home somewhere. And Sometimes that is your home or yard. If you don’t want to share your home and yard with the insects that lived there previously it may be helpful to be on a monthly rotation for a few months after your initial spray, then move to a bi-monthly or quarterly schedule as you see fit. If you aren’t sure what plan is right for you, ask your technician at your next visit, or give us a call at the office, we can make some recommendations based on your needs.

If your new home has water features, snakes will probably be found in the vicinity. Using a good quality snake deterrent can go a long way in protecting your home from these potentially dangerous pests. At Flatline Pest Control we carry this on our trucks all summer long, our customers love this product and say it helps a lot.

New homes in Oklahoma are generally pre-treated for Termites as subterranean termites are in the soil naturally. This is generally good for 2-5 years and does have some residual effects for up to 10 years. While you may not need to be initially concerned with termites eating your home, regular termite inspections are a good idea to keep your home free from these destructive insects. Our technicians are trained to inspect our customers homes for termites at each visit, and many pest control services will offer this as a complimentary service. If you see suspicious activity, it’s always a good idea to call. Better safe than sorry.

Homes or Apartments With Previous Owners or Tenants – This can be really good, or really bad. A lot depends on how the previous owners or tenants maintained their property. Here are some things toconsider, or maybe just look for.

1) Let’s talk Bed Bugs. Bed Bugs are super hardy and unlike some pests, won’t die off easily without a food source. Bed Bugs can live without a host to feed on for as long as 12 to 18 months. So even if the home has remained dormant, if the previous tenants had bedbugs, you too may inherit their infestation once they have a fresh host to feed on (you). Checking under the corners of carpeted areas, or using a playing card, you can check the crevices between floor boards.

2) The age of the home matters, often older homes will not be as well sealed as new homes, just due to the passage of time. Make sure windows and doors are well sealed, and check for cracks, crevices and gaps into the home around pipework, stonework, around the eaves, and around siding. If the gap is as large as 6-7 mm (around the size of a pen) a mouse can get in there, and those gaps in the home siding? Ideal hive locations. We have had to remove hives the size of a man from the walls of homes because of unfortunate gaps that could have easily been sealed.

3) Look for empty lots or fields near your potential residence. The amount of wildlife, bugs, and critters in your neighborhood will directly affect the amount of wildlife, bugs and critters that get into your home. Dilapidated, or unkept homes nearby should be noted. If your neighbor is dealing with a mouse or roach infestation, it can be very difficult to keep these things in control at your home.

Looking for these features will go a long way in avoiding unpleasant surprises, or at least give you an idea on what to look for as you look for your new home.