Pests That Can Damage Your Home's Siding

Siding on a home needs to be strong enough to withstand the various damage caused by rain, wind, and hail. However, there can be pests that cause more problems for home siding. These are a few pests that you should be aware of due to the damage they can create.

Rodents

When a mouse tries to find a way into your house, its purpose is to seek out shelter and find food. Squirrels often get into attics, and mice get into basements or first floor rooms. Once inside, a rodent can reproduce very fast, so be aware that catch a single pest may only be a sign that you have an infestation. Mice, in particular, can have many offspring over the course of a month, which means you need to act quickly when you see any signs of them in your home.

Rodents tend to get into a home by chewing through construction material, which includes siding. If you see holes in the siding, you should replace the damaged material and set out traps that will catch the pests. You will also need to be good about storing away food so that pests can't find any once they are in your home. This can cause them to go away due to a lack of food.

Termites

Termites will feast on wood, which makes wood home siding an area where they typically cause damage. You may have an alternative material on your home, such as vinyl, but termites will still chew through other materials to seek out wood underneath it.

Once you find damage on your home that you suspect has been caused by termites, you'll want to look for key signs to confirm your suspicions. Start by looking at the ground around your home, since termites tend to dig mud tunnels to get around outside. You may have a neighbor that has a problem with termites and can actually see a tunnel that extends from their home to yours.

Woodpeckers

This annoying bird will hit its beak against all types of siding. Since they can make quite a bit of noise, it should help you identify a woodpecker early on when it has not caused much damage. One way to keep woodpeckers away is to apply a tacky feeling substance to areas that they rest on, which makes woodpeckers want to leave and find someplace else to rest.

If you don't feel up to taking on the task of exterminating these pests yourself, hire a local pest control company to do it for you.