Pest problems

Swarmers indoors. Winged insects emerging inside are worth taking seriously, and the ant-versus-termite distinction decides everything that follows. Per the EPA, termites have wings of roughly equal length and straight, sometimes drooping antennae; ants have longer front wings and bent antennae. Collect a few and keep them.

Hollow-sounding wood. The EPA suggests probing exposed wood for hollow spots. That's an indicator to investigate, not a diagnosis, and it certainly isn't a basis for agreeing to structural repairs on the spot. If a company tells you your framing is damaged, ask to see it, and consider an independent inspection before authorizing anything structural.

Droppings and noise. Droppings, gnaw marks, and scratching in walls or ceilings point to rodents. This Old House puts rodent treatment at $180-$600 in 2026. The durable answer combines removal with sealing entry points.

Bites and stains. Bites are unreliable as identification — people react differently and many things bite. For bed bugs, look for the insects, shed skins and staining around mattress seams and bed frames. Given whole-home treatment runs $1,500-$5,000 (This Old House, 2026), confirm before you commit.

How to choose

Confirm before you spend

Every sign on this page has more than one possible cause. The EPA's IPM framework makes identification a formal step for exactly this reason.

Never authorize structural repair off a pest inspection alone

If wood damage is claimed, get it shown to you, photographed, and where the amounts are significant, assessed by someone who isn't selling the repair.

Keep specimens and photos

They cost nothing and settle arguments about what you actually have.

Note where and when

Time of day, location and season all help a professional narrow the species and the entry route.

Act early on rodents

Populations grow. Early exclusion is cheaper than a whole-structure problem later.