In 2024, a toddler complained that there were monsters in her bedroom. Naturally, her parents didn’t believe her. The family eventually realised their house had been infested by 60,000 bees for almost a year, causing extensive damage to the electrics and house structure.

 

This remarkable case is just one of many instances where homes are infested by a pest, but the owners don’t realise it until it becomes too big to ignore. The good news is that, like the case above, there are smaller signs that can clue you in. Droppings and live sightings are not the only signs afforded to you. That’s why we’ve put together this blog to help you recognise the less immediate signs of a pest infestation. 

Can You Have a Pest Infestation if Your Food Stores Are Secure?

Yes you can, your home can still be the perfect shelter from the weather and from predators. Food pests like rats and cockroaches will still be happy to nest in your home and travel to their other food sources. Ideally, they want the distance to their food to be as minimal as possible, but if they can nest closeby undetected, they’re very likely to stay there. Other home pests that don’t rely on your pantry, but are happy to nest in your walls include wasps, bees and squirrels.

Wasps & Bees

Wasps and bees like to shelter in homes with dry hollow cavities, from hollow walls to cladding, lofts, and chimneys. While wasps will eventually go away in winter, bees stay as long as they’re able to. If undetected, they can cause a lot of structural damage.

 

The main signs of a hive hiding in your home are unusually elevated numbers of worker drones entering or flying around the house. During quieter hours, you may hear a humming, paper rustling or a sound like raindrops coming from the affected ceiling, floor or wall.

 

Aderyn’s insect pest control can take care of wasp hive infestations in seconds; one targeted spray can be enough to eliminate the whole hive. You may wish to call a beekeeper to ethically remove bees. Once they’re removed, seal up the cracks and holes that they used to enter the home. 

Rats and Mice

A rodent infestation likes to hide under suspended floors, in cellars, and behind cabinets. If you have hollow walls, they will use those as a tunnel network. The signs you need to look out for are their droppings, and sounds of scratching in the walls. Rats and mice don’t act as they do in cartoons, and you will rarely hear them squeaking.

Will Rats Leave if there is no Food?

Rats are not likely to leave if there is no food in their immediate vicinity. If shelter and water are sufficient, they can travel further afield for food, and they can survive up to two weeks without any food at all. The best method to remove them is to set up traps to catch them or hire a rodent exterminator.

Should You be Concerned if you See a Rat in the Garden?

A rat in the garden is not a red flag that you have an infestation inside the home; in fact, it’s a common sight, especially in more rural areas. A single rat may run through your garden every now and again on its way to forage somewhere. 

 

Multiple rat sightings are a sign that there is a nest or a convenient food source nearby. You should secure bird feeders, check for cracks and crevices that rats may be using to enter the home. Our rodent control Cardiff experts can help you identify areas that pest-proofing.

Squirrels

Squirrels love nesting in lofts and roof soffits, and will cause untold damage to woodwork and electric wires if you don’t detect their presence. Many a household dish has been broken because of a squirrel. Like rats, they will make scratching noises, especially on the exterior walls of the house and rooms close to the roof.

 

The best thing after emergency rodent control is prevention. Cutting down tree branches and vegetation that is too close to your roof will eliminate their safe route into your loft.

Cockroaches

Contrary to popular media, cockroaches are not solely attracted to filthy, destitute houses. They prefer dark, moist shelters to make their nests, and homes with lots of cracks, clutter, and damp issues are prime real estate. 

 

Cockroaches are also one of the most difficult pest infestations to spot until they are out of control. These insects are nocturnal and avoid the light, so you are very unlikely to spot them as you go about your day. If you see a live cockroach during the day, that’s a bad sign that they’re running out of spaces to hide – and that you need to call insect pest control urgently.

This is why cleaning behind crevices, keeping up with home maintenance, and looking for the smaller signs of roaches will help you identify an infestation before it grows out of control. Look for:

 

• A lingering unpleasant smell, one of the first signs of an infestation.
• Dark, greasy brown marks on floors or surfaces.
• Droppings, looking similar to coffee grains.

What Does Your House Smell Like if You Have Cockroaches?

It’s a very noticeable and unpleasant oily-musky smell. It may smell a little sweet but has strong notes comparable to body odour, musty clothes, and rotten wood. This smell will become more noticeable near hiding spots like cracks between cabinets, behind appliances, and in pantries.