Pest Management for Estate Homes - Western Fumigation
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Pest Management for Estate Homes

In real estate terms, an “estate” typically refers to a large property, often with extensive grounds and a substantial residence, sometimes including additional buildings like guest houses or recreational facilities. There are many estate homes in Bridgeport, Norwalk, Stamford, and Greenwich, Connecticut but they are also all across our beautiful country. They are sprawling and gorgeous and can imply a nice, leisurely, luxurious living. Unfortunately, none of that means you’re immune to pests. In fact, all those rooms and extra buildings give them more room to hide, and once discovered, they are often well established in the home! It also probably means you have more antiques or irreplaceable family heirlooms that could be damaged by pests, especially tapestries and wooden furniture. While having a routine pest control company is very important, sometimes the pests that can be the most destructive may need to be handled with whole home fumigation.

What Pests Should You Fumigate For?

Some common pests like ants, spiders, and flies can be dealt with using traditional pest control methods or even just keeping up with regular cleaning and vacuuming. However, those really aren’t the pests that can do the damage, and they aren’t the ones that need fumigation services to take care of them. Here are the two main pests that can do serious damage in estate homes.

Powderpost Beetles

Powderpost beetles got their name because they will reduce wood to a flour-like powder as they grind through wood. Keep in mind: a 2% reduction in wood weight can lead to as much as a 50% reduction of timber strength. They lay their eggs in the cracks, crevices or pores that naturally occur in the wood, but they will also use old exit holes if wood is being reinfested. When the larvae hatch, they feed on the cellulous in the wood around them, creating even tunnels as they go. Due to their small size, the starting size of the tunnel is often unnoticed for up to several years as they burrow inside. They are often only noticed when the older larvae get near the surface, pupate into adults, and then emerge leaving noticeable exit holes by the hundreds – along with the powder that they exude from the lumber. They can be in new lumber you may be bringing in to build a new porch or update the deck, but they can also be in many other items found in your home. That beautiful 18th century rolltop desk you found that would look perfect in your library or study can already have them inside it. And once you bring them in, they can move on to other areas of your home. A good way to deal with powderpost beetles – whether there are adults grinding the wood or larvae eating it – is by fumigating the piece before you bring it inside. So, find a fumigation company that either has an on-site fumigation chamber of their own or can bring a fumigation container to you. But if you don’t do that and you find after the fact that you indeed brought them in, whole home fumigation is the only way to make sure to deal with them. Fumigation gas will penetrate deep into the wood to eradicate every stage of life. General pest control services can’t do that.

Clothing Moths

Contrary to their name, clothing moths don’t just eat wool clothing. They will also feed on feathers, fur, wool, shoes, suits, artwork, and leather clothing. One thing often overlooked: clothing moths will also eat the hair of dead rodents or any hair left in their nests. So, making sure your general pest control company is on top of removing dead rodents to help not attract clothing moths in the first place. Because once they know they have all the food they need, they can be almost impossible to get rid of. In many estate homes of certain ages, the remnant horsehair insulation that is still in place within the wall voids can serve a food source for clothes moths as well, making such estates particularly prone to a clothes moth infestation.

Clothing moths have a varied life cycle, and they can reproduce in as little as a few months to up to 2 years, creating peaks and valleys in activity of these pests. And since clothing moth adults aren’t the ones feeding, it’s the larvae that cause the damage. So, getting rid of the problem before they start reproducing is important. The adults lay up to 80 pinhead-sized eggs on vulnerable surfaces, which in turn hatch into the fabric-eating larvae. Once they start feeding, they are difficult to stop. Having your home fumigated will make sure you get down to zero in one service. While many homes require tarped fumigations, there is also a tape method to seal an estate for fumigation that will be less conspicuous to nosy neighbors. But both methods will help you save your items and give you a peace of mind that all the insects are dead.

Knowing what to look for helps. Your general pest control company will know what to look for and should alert you of any pests they think may be around that need some fumigation attention, but you, your family, and your cleaning crew can be the first line of defense as well. Knowing what to look for can catch problems early.

How Do I Know I Have Clothing Moths: Look for damage to animal-based fabrics such as wool, inspecting carefully especially after storing them for the season. You can also check for the creamy-white caterpillars up to 1/2-inch long or the adult moths themselves that have silver grey/brown and gold-colored wings.

How Do I Know I Have Powderpost Beetles: Take note of holes in wood and the fine light-colored “powdery” sawdust left behind by these pests. Pin sizes holes likely in bunches with light wood coloring around them is a sign of active powderpost beetles. Small piles of fresh very fine saw dust is also a key indicator.

When it comes down to it, no home is safe from pests – no matter its square footage. In fact, larger homes have more rooms and therefore more places for pests to hide. Regular thorough inspections, routine pest control maintenance, and thorough cleaning schedules can help. However, some pests like powderpost beetles and clothing moths are just too difficult and too destructive to take care of that easily. That’s where fumigation comes in. It may sound extreme, but so is the damage these pests can do. If your question is, “How do I get rid of clothing moths or powderpost beetles?” The answer just might be fumigation.

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