How moisture meters can help with pest problems
Water damage doesn't just cause major structural damage to your home. In addition to rotting carpentry and framing, seams, swollen door frames and disintegrating masonry, moisture can expose your home to a variety of harmful pests.
If you find yourself with an infestation problem, especially one that continues to occur no matter what measures you take to address it, you may actually have a moisture problem on your hands. When moisture destroys the structural integrity of your home, it becomes easier for pests to enter your personal space.
How Moisture Attracts Pests
Just like us, insects and rodents need water and shelter to survive. Especially when temperatures drop and they're looking for a warmer place, pests can enter the cracks and crevices of your home, making it a new hot spot. What makes your home an inviting place for all sorts of creepy crawlies? A simple access point, lots of water and moisture.
Any leaks or unseen puddles can provide a competent place for mosquitoes to lay their eggs, but in addition to that, wood damage provides competent entry points for boring insects like termites, carpenter ants and powderpowder beetles. This compound wreaks havoc with existing moisture, but it also allows these insects to lay their eggs in the wood, and the wetter the wood, the faster the larvae grow into more wood-hungry insects that can wreak havoc on a home.
Additionally, small rodents can slip into the smallest of cracks caused by rot and water damage and start new nests inside your home. This can exacerbate moisture problems as rodents have been known to chew clear water through plastic plumbing pipes and cause flooding and additional moisture damage.
How to prevent unwanted visitors
What are the very best ways to protect your home from these pests? Repair leaks and cracks that allow moisture to start seeping in and seeping out of your home, taking insects and rodents with it. But finding the source of moisture problems can be challenging.
An effective way to locate areas of moisture is to use a universal moisture meter, which allows you to take moisture readings regardless of the material used. With the ability to take accurate readings on materials such as wood, gypsum board, and composites, you won't have to worry about whether or not the readings are correct. Once the water source is located, it will be much easier to make the necessary repairs, as they will be ongoing, keeping pests out of the area where they belong.
