Study Unveils the Pests Causing the Most Havoc in North Carolina Homes
It’s never good coming home to an unwanted guest, but if you’ve ever owned or rented a home it’s likely you have come across a pest or two. These unwanted visitors make your home less comfortable, from a minor inconvenience to a vacate-the-premises situation. But as the seasons change, which pest is the most common in your area?
A new study by Confused.com reveals the places that have the most pest problems overall and the biggest pest issue, here’s what we found. If you are worried about pest problems on your property ensure you have an adequate cover on your home insurance to deal with it.
Taking the number one spot on our list is centipedes. Of all the pest problems analyzed, Americans are hunting for solutions in how to remove centipedes from their homes the most. With 15 states looking for solutions to their centipede problems overall. Living in North Carolina means you are more than likely to share your home with unwelcome guests, with a 247% increase in searches for ‘how to get rid of centipedes’ in the last 12 months. Other states include Alabama, South Carolina, and Ohio.
It turns out that fleas have also been invading American homes, causing havoc across 14 states. This itchy issue takes the second-place spot, with the research showing that Americans have been crying out for removal techniques. While they are a common problem in North Carolina, Fleas have been causing the most issues in Nevada and New Mexico, which have seen a 300% increase in searches for ‘house flea spray’ in the last year.
Ants are the 3rd biggest nuisance landing on our list with 12 states. Personally, two weeks ago I had my own issue with a bunch of fire ants. They decided to make a nice new home in my garage. The darn things managed to dig a tunnel from the outside of the house into the garage. It was a mess! North Carolina sees on average 1,600 searches per month for removal techniques. Indeed, this infestation shouldn’t be left untreated as it can stack up a lot of damage and ruin the foundations of a home.
Removing pests needs to be done as quickly as possible, as leaving an infestation is likely to decrease your property value by up to 20%. By not dealing with them in the short term, your house could be worth almost $33,000 less with the damage done by the pests. Considering this, it is an increasingly popular practice to take out home insurance that covers the removal of pests should a problem ever arise – which, we’ve learned, is worryingly likely. Homeowners and tenants are expected to keep on top of the maintenance of their property as insurance won’t always cover the cost of all pest removal including a mouse or rat infestation or repair of the damage.
Jessica Willock, the home insurance expert at Confused.com, notes: “No matter how often you clean your house, sometimes pest infestations are inevitable. If you spot the first signs of a pest infestation it is important to take action immediately. Wyoming, Vermont, and North Dakota are most likely to be pest-free. I may need to move there…You can see more on the study here.
