8 Basement Infestations Caused By Too Much Moisture
Every form of life on Earth needs water in order to survive. Some organisms can go without water for centuries or even longer, but only in a dormant state which doesn’t allow for growth or reproduction. Thus, the only way to guarantee freedom from the following infestations is by preventing moisture from creeping into your basement.
Termites
Termites are something of the ultimate hobgoblin that haunts the dreams of every homeowner. After all, there are few other pests that devour the very materials your house is made of, and even fewer are quite so efficient or so widespread as termites.
Black Mold
Mold of any kind is a sign of a poorly kept house, but black mold adds the peculiar bonus of giving everyone inside the house coughing fits, headaches, a runny nose, and other flu-like symptoms.
Dry Rot
This infestation combines the best features of the last two, being a type of fungus that subsists on a diet of wood. Despite the name, however, dry rot still needs a little water in order to grow and thrive.
Silverfish
Despite the name, silverfish are a kind of insect that’s hard to mistake for any kind of marine life. Silverfish aren’t particularly hazardous, but they do love munching on old newspapers, magazines, cardboard boxes, and any other kind of mulched wood or starchy food you happen to leave lying around. They also require a fairly high relative humidity in order to survive.
Crickets
It’s not too uncommon to see a cricket or two find its way into your basement as the weather turns cold, but while the persistent chirping of one cricket can grow annoying, the situation quickly becomes worse if two crickets manage to mate and leave behind the present of a few hundred eggs.
Spiders
Spiders are a curious type of infestation since most require a steady diet of insects along with a certain degree of moisture in order to survive. That means you’re unlikely to see an excessive number of spiders unless you’re already suffering from a second infestation you may or may not already know about.
Fleas
Fleas get all the moisture they need from the blood they drink, which means you’ll probably have to take different steps to get rid of them if they’ve managed to invade your basement.
Rats And Mice
You know you’ve got a pest problem when your biggest unwelcome visitor is a mammal. Rats and mice both require significantly more water to survive than the more tenacious insects and fungi, and while they can get all the moisture they need from the food they eat, the fact that this food is within easy reach of a rat or mouse is a major problem you’ll need to address.
If you’re suffering from an infestation, your best bet is to call a pest control service. If you’ve got a mold problem, then try AA Action Waterproofing for mold remediation. Or, if your house is currently free of infestations and you’d like to keep it that way, give us a call and we’ll give you a free estimate for our basement and crawlspace waterproofing and encapsulation services. After all, if moisture is the common denominator, then by limiting it as much as possible you’ll also limit the opportunity for an unwelcome visitor to establish itself in your home.