1 You arrive in a new house or country, or come home to a place which was empty for a while, and see specks of something? What was it?
2 Have you scared it off with your noise of arrival or is it still lurking?
3 Is it annoying or dangerous?
4 How do you get rid of it?
5 How do you deal with it psychologically?
Answers
First identify the problem's cause:
Everything is on the internet, from
1 TERMITES & WEEVILS
Dusty piles - from termites
2 CARPET BUGS
3 COCKROACHES
Diminutive droppings the size of a speck of pepper (cockroaches in America, Europe and Singapore) on your dining table, kitchen worktop and inside cupboards
4 BEDBUGS
Bedbugs black and red spots on sheets (in hotels worldwide and brought back to your home in luggage)
5 RODENTS
Rodents such as mice and rats leaving piles or trails along rails from nest of babies to food source such as cereal packets
6 RATS
Rats, squirrels and pigeons in the attic making noises at night and gnawing your electric wiring
7 SNAKES
Snake skins left behind - where is the snake now? The slimy, slippery, slithery snake, hissing when cornered, spitting.
8 BIG BEARS
Big piles of droppings, hopefully outside in the garden or garage, not in the house, which are evidence of a bigger animals such as bears and raccoons (USA).
DANGERS
Does it matter? Worst case scenario
1 TERMITES
You and others may be squeamish. We wanted to rent, return, buy in a block of flats. Our neighbours said they were happy for the block to be demolished in an en bloc sale and for the site to be redeveloped because the buildings had termites. The infestation in several flats was treated. When we moved, at our new destination, our books were unpacked and parts of my family photo album had to be thrown away. I spent three days wiping every photo, tried storing things in the fridge, researched, separate one book from the next, inspected and threw out old boxes and packaging.
2 RENTAL
Infestations could prevent or delay your renting a property to others, or agreeing to take on or stay in a hotel or guest house or flat or condo
3 FIRE
Friends of mine in London had hibernating tortoises which woke and ate wiring and started a fire. The couple had to move home for a while. (The couple later divorced. Maybe the fire and house move was the first straw, the last straw, or one of the straws which broke the camel's back.)
7 SNAKE
a)My parents in London, England, had a snake in the garden of their bungalow. They moved home, citing other reasons, but I don't think having a snake helped.
b) In America on a press trip we walked around a national park on a trail with signs everywhere warming about snakes. I walked slower and got stuck when a snake slithered onto the path between me and the people ahead. I was just standing frozen for five or ten minutes. Nobody was looking back to see where I was. Eventually when the group reached the far end and somebody came back to find me. Probably their approaching noise alarmed the snake which moved off the path.
c) In Singapore in my first month I heard three snake stories.
1 A snake left its skin in a girl's school back. She found the skin the next day. Now she always zips up back overnight and never leaves them on the floor.
2 At an embassy snakes used to hang over the gate. The resident approached the gate with a dog and one of the snakes spat in the dog's eye which made it very ill and caused pain and expensive visits to the vet.
3 At a hotel with a waterfall the glass doors prevented diners going into the waterfall area to take pictures. A snake had got in from the nearby building site.
4 In the USA and Canada in many areas signs in car parks warn you not to leave sandwiches, drinks or food in your dar. Bears are attracted to the smell. First bears will break into or damage the car, causing expensive repairs and even preventing you from driving. Secondly, bears will frighten and endanger people by lurking around car parks expecting food.
Tips -
PREVENTION
To avoid transporting bedbugs from one hotel bedroom to another, or from hotels to home, don't put your suitcase on a hotel bed. Use the luggage rack. Keep luggage zipped up.
CURES
Website Tips
http://icwdm.org/inspection/BlackBrownDroppings.aspx
I tend to avoid giving my emails to sites which demand your email before giving you information. My inbox is overflowing and my computer is going slow. However, you may be happy so I'm including some more useful sites:
http://www.atticpestauthority.com/pest-indentification-by-droppings/
I have several other posts on termites, snakes and other problems. Please search my posts for whatever interests or amuses you. Please follow, like and share my posts.
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Author
Angela Lansbury, travel writer and photographer, author and speaker.
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