When you decide it’s time to upgrade a portion of your home or business with a remodel, there’s a lot you have to worry about.
Having enough money, buying high-quality materials, finding the right contractors, and of course — pests!
Yes, that’s right — pests! During remodels, there’s a good chance you’ll most likely run into a pest (or an entire infestation).
Pests You Can See During a Remodel
During a remodel, you’re going to be removing layers of your home or business in order to reinstall better versions of what was just removed (or you’re changing the layout of the home altogether as well). When you do this, you may discover pests hiding in your home or business that you didn’t know were there.
Termites, cockroaches, and rodents are some of the most common pests seen in homes and buildings during remodels. These pests are some of the best at hiding, which is why many home and business owners don’t know they’re infested with these pests until they begin a remodel.
What to Do During a Remodel
- Inspect Plumbing – During a renovation, have professional plumbers inspect any hidden plumbing pipes to ensure there are no leaks or moisture. Many pests are attracted to areas of moisture so it is important to remove this attractive quality from your home or business.
- Keep Area Clean – It can be difficult to keep an area under construction clean from debris, but you can try! While there is going to be materials, tools, dust, and other items lying around; do your best to tidy up. If anything, make sure garbage and food wrappers are removed from the area at the end of each day.
- Trap Insurance – If you don’t want this renovation to attract new pests because of the easy access, consider setting up traps around the area being renovated. Place traps or bait stations where your local pest management professional sees fit.
- Post-Remodel – Once the remodel has been completed, make sure the entire area has been thoroughly cleaned and is secure. Secure the area by double checking things like windows, doors, and any new construction to ensure there are no “easy” entryways into your home for a pest.
The last thing you should do after a remodel is speak with your local pest management professional to talk about pest prevention methods and systems.
Preventing pest infestations is always easier (and cheaper) than removing them, so it’s best to be proactive!