What is Included in a Pest Inspection?

Most common household pests are very good at hiding; so much so it can be difficult to know that they’re even there! But every pest species leaves signature traces and every pest is detectable with the right knowledge and equipment.

Read on to find out about the pest inspection process as we discuss: 

• What is included in a pest inspection? 
• How are common pests detected?
• What is included in a termite pest inspection?

What is Included in a Pest Inspection?

During a pest inspection, the inspector will thoroughly inspect your property to determine: 

• The presence and type of pests  
• The size and the extent of the infestation
• What types of control measures would be most effective

At Sunshine Pest Management we’ll also offer you helpful advice during a pest inspection, about how you can best protect your home from future pest infestations. 

How are Pests Found During a Pest Inspection?

As mentioned above, mosts pests are very good at hiding, but intimate knowledge of their habits helps pest controllers track them down. Below we’ve listed some common household pests and how a pest controller will assess their presence, degree of infestation and location/s of concentrated pest activity, like nest sites. Scroll down further for information on termites.

• Cockroaches – the first step of a roach pest inspection will be to look for visual cues. A pest inspector may also seek to flush out cockroaches using a torch or a pyrethrin aerosol. This can help give an indication of the extent of the infestation as well as locations of heightened roach activity.  
• Ants – the species considered pests in Australia are the ones that like to nest in or around buildings. To find out if you have a nest or nests, a pest inspector will trace the ant trails back to the nest site. Once nest sites are located, extermination becomes that much easier. 
• Mice and Rats – A pest inspector will first look for signs of presence like rodent droppings, gnaw marks and noises in the walls. They may use tracking powder along suspected rodent runways to identify their movements. Inspectors may also lay traps at suspected rodent entrance points.
• Spiders – Pest inspectors will conduct a visual inspection based on their knowledge of the habitats favoured by different house-dwelling spider species. This might include checking out: damp areas, as some spiders are attracted to damp, areas of the house that are popular with insects (spiders’ main food source) and infrequently used parts of the house like attics. Pest inspectors will seek to identify the spider/s causing the problem. 

All the above pests are generally only a problem once they’re inside your house but there’s one pest that you want to detect before it gets that far…

We’re talking termites of course.

What is Included in a Pest Inspection for Termites?

Termites love enclosed, dark spaces and generally build their colonies underground, which makes detecting early signs of their presence difficult. This is why it’s advisable to book a termite inspection before you consider buying any new property and why it’s important to stay up to date with termite treatments for your home.

A thorough termite pest inspection will involve the inspector getting underneath your house, where relevant, to probe timber joists and posts. They’ll also check all around your house foundations as well as inspecting the windows, roofline and rafters for signs of damage. Without x-ray vision, inspectors often rely on thermal imaging technology to help identify areas of termite activity hidden within walls or floors.

At Sunshine Pest Management we know how valuable your home is and we’ll thoroughly investigate your property for signs of termites. This may include looking for signs of internal ‘surface level’ damage including: 

• Cracking in the walls
• Difficult to open doors and windows 
• Broken or damaged timber floorboards or other timber fittings
• Termite droppings 
• Tiny pinholes in the walls 
• Light noises in the walls; the act of chewing through wood creates a slight clicking noise and termites will also bang their bodies into their tunnel walls if threatened 

Whether you think you have a pest in your house or you’ve actually sighted it, a pest inspection is a great way to find out the scale of the problem and the best means to treat it.