Condo Media - March 2021 - 21

important to be sure there are no large
gaps for the wires going in because
that's an area where mice can get in, "
he maintains. Common entry points are
small holes - dime size or larger - or gaps
in roofing, rafters, gables, eaves, around
windows, around doors, around the
foundation, attic and crawl space vents,
under doors, around holes for electrical,
plumbing, cable, and gas lines. " If we
could make a single blanket statement
regarding insects, " he says, " it is this:
If we can eliminate moisture conditions,
we can eliminate insects. "
During this inspection, the examiner
should be walking around, recording evidence of conditions and making a point of
correctly identifying insects and rodents
and infestation levels because different
animals/insects need to be addressed in
different ways. " It makes a difference to
know whether it's, for example, a German or American cockroach, " explains
Drapeau. The inspector should also be
recording recommendations, he adds.
" If the landscaper failed to clean up
leaves left from the fall, they should be
removed, and openings should be
blocked with metal screening or mesh. "
He says, even when the insects and
animals themselves can't be spotted,
they commonly leave " calling cards. "
Evidence that the food source of termites
has been subject to an infestation include
pinholes in drywall, visible damage to
wood, and buckling or squeaky wooden
or laminate floor boards. There may also
be jammed doors or windows or a hollow
sound when the wood is tapped. As for
mice - which leave droppings, urine,
and the oily sebum they secrete from
their stomachs - Drapeau warns, " While
most homeowners become aware that
they have a mouse problem when they
see the telltale 'pellets,' it's the urine
they can't see - about 3,200 droplets per
day - that can make people sick. " Those
leavings are also how they convey to
their fellow rodents that they are being
well-fed where they are. For that reason,
he recommends thoroughly cleaning all
food containers, utensils, and dishes, as
well as areas where the evidence of their
presence is found.

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March 2021 CONDOMEDIA

Condo Media - March 2021

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