For people who own a home, keeping up with the many problems and maintenance issues that arise can be difficult. However, knowing what the priorities in a home are to care for can certainly help to reduce the stress of trying to care for everything at once.


There are some primary concerns for all homeowners. Usually, the top concerns for home maintenance and home improvement have to do with improving and maintaining the structural and mechanical integrity of the home.

Over time, almost all areas of a home will require some type of maintenance. But there are certain situations that can arise that can be more problematic and should be cared for quickly. This would include problems with the electrical, plumbing, HVAC and structure. While the first three of these are easier to detect when there are problems, this is not always the case with the structure. In most cases when a home is purchased, the mortgage company will require a pest inspection. However, ongoing inspections after that are the responsibility of the homeowner.

One of the biggest problems that can arise suddenly that can affect the structure of a home is an insect infestation. While some pests, such as fleas and earwigs, can be more of a nuisance than a hazard, there are other insects that can be a health hazard to people and several that can be very hazardous to the structure of a home.

In some regions of the country that have a warmer climate, cockroaches can be problematic no matter how clean a home is, even while working diligently on reducing a pest infestation risk. The same applies to some types of ants. In many cases, these are annoyance insects versus damaging ones. However, because they can multiply quickly and become quite problematic, it is always best to get the situation treated by a professional quickly to eradicate the problem.

Insects That Can Cause Health Problems

When it comes to health hazards, it can be a very unnerving situation to be in your own home and worry about an insect causing health problems.

The top insects that are known to become infestations that can cause health concerns include:

•Bees

•Wasps and Hornets

•Bed Bugs

•Ticks

•Certain Types of Spiders

•Scorpions

•Centipedes

Often these insects do not invade a home in large quantities but enough to potentially wreak havoc. There are occasions, like with bed bugs, when they will multiply and do so quite quickly. Since all these sting or bite, it is easy to see how the wounds they cause can create an allergic reaction. In addition, the wounds they cause can get infected and in some cases be poisonous.

Ticks are well known to carry diseases that can cause significant disabilities and health problems, not just short term, but lifelong. When it comes to scorpions, certain types of spiders, and centipedes, they can emanate a poison which is toxic to the system. This can cause people to get quite sick. In some cases, their bites can be fatal, depending on the type. If any of these insects invade a home, they should be dealt with quickly by a reputable pest company, like MoxieServices.com, for everyone’s safety.

Insects That Cause Structural Damage

Then there are the insects that are well known to cause structural damage to a home. Not all of these are known to cause major structural damage. But each level of damage can be serious enough depending on where it is located. The top insects for structural damage include:

•Carpenter Ants

•Carpenter Bees

•Termites

•Powder Post Beetles

Some of the first signs of insect damage to a structure include piling of sawdust on sills, trail signs bored in wood, and cracks and holes found in wood that are not stress or nail related. These should be attended to rather quickly. Failure to do so may end up costing a significantly higher amount of money in costly repairs and treatment.

With certain insects, once they take root in a home they can build several colonies in different areas of a home quickly. Carpenter ants are well known for this type of infestation. Usually, by the time you notice five or ten of them, there is a solid infestation going on in one of the walls.

With the help of qualified pest control professionals, homeowners can get rid of any of these infestation problems and take back their home and safety. As with all these insects, getting to the problem quickly is highly recommended for the protection and safety of the home and everyone that lives and visits there.

By Eddy Z

Eddy is the editorial columnist in Business Fundas, and oversees partner relationships. He posts articles of partners on various topics related to strategy, marketing, supply chain, technology management, social media, e-business, finance, economics and operations management. The articles posted are copyrighted under a Creative Commons unported license 4.0. To contact him, please direct your emails to [email protected].