Investor · Austin, TX · Member since 2013 · 443 posts · 174 votes
I know there are the standard rats, mice, termites, bedbugs, fleas but anything out of the ordinary you have found? Reason I ask is I am currently dealing with some birds that think they can just make nests in every nook and cranny of my siding/roof. Birds are just rats with wings as far as I am concerned!!
P.S. Bonus points if you have a solution to my bird problem!!
I've had snakes, bedbugs, fleas, mice, termites, rats, other rodents etc etc. But I would have to say the worst thing I have seen infesting my units is a BAD TENANT! Nothing is worse or causes more damage!
On your end of it...do you need to repair any soffit, facia, flashing, or siding where they are getting in? Or are they just nesting around the roof and siding?
Investor · Austin, TX · Member since 2013 · 443 posts · 174 votes
12y
@Chris Soignier Wow I can only imagine snakes.That is terrifying!! And yes a bad tenant is way worse than any pest.
I don't think there has been any damage yet but when I get a spare moment I am going to war with these birdsss!!!! I am thinking putting up those little spikey things that you see in the city to deter pigeons.
@Dawn Anastasi Bats are just like birds but they are half vampire :p
Residential Real Estate Agent · Hattiesburg, MS · Member since 2011 · 475 posts · 141 votes
12y
Lizards in the vinyl siding. Hundreds upon hundreds of green lizards. It was strange, but they didn't bother anything or make their way inside so I didn't worry about them much... Then there was this guy under the back deck at the same house...
Investor · Thermopolis, WY · Member since 2012 · 4k+ posts · 4k+ votes
12y
I hate to admit it but I had an incident that scared me pretty good. I had a doublewide trailer in front and a junk house in back. Well the junk house had a large trapdoor inside you lift. The power was off, and I only had a cigarette lighter, but hey no big openings so at worse a few mice or a snake right. I get down there looking around and I hear something move, I look and see a set of eyes, nothing else staring at me, and they are like 3 inches apart, it makes no noise but stares at me. I slowly back up the stairs and it follows me just a little staying in the shadows. I get out run and get a flashlight and my pistol and come back and go down again. This time I finally see about a 35 to 40 pound raccoon, there was apparently another way in. This is in town. I go back outside and ask the neighbors about has anyone seen a raccoon, and it turns out its one of the neighbors pets that runs around the neighborhood.
I'll bet the hair on the back of my neck stood up for 30 minutes after I flicked that lighter and saw those huge glowing eyes about 6 feet from me with no body behind them.
Investor · Narragansett, RI · Member since 2013 · 8k+ posts · 4k+ votes
12y
We have had just about everything the past eight months has been critter wars, raccoon in the basement, chipmunks running through one apartment and squirrels eating the windows in another (eight new windows -oh well I was deciding if I should replace or restore the old wood windows and momma squirrel decided for us). The worst though was the beavers. Every day building a dam, every day knocking it down so the flooding doesn't start. We think the trapper we called got him plus the people on the other side of the pond knocked down the lodge. The are such a pain and do so much damage with their tree cutting and flooding. Just hope they stay away. No snake- thankfully..
Investor, Entrepreneur, Educator · Springfield, MO · Member since 2009 · 21k+ posts · 12k+ votes
12y
Zombies, ghosts, (I don't believe in either one) and an ex-girl friend.
Zombie mice that you know you killed but that come back.
Ghosts making noises in the walls, cracking and popping sounds inside sealed walls, no pipes, just an empty wall cavity.
There are` squatters and then there are squatters of the ex-girl friend type, it's like you'll never get rid of them! :)
I have an old pump up BB gun, about two pumps will sting but not hurt a bird, they will leave. But, take care as Blue Jays will attack! Oh, some species may be protected, a spray hose works too . :)
Augusta, GA · Member since 2014 · 1k+ posts · 1k+ votes
12y
A dead possum under the house. Of course WAY on the other side of the one crawl space under the house. Thought it was a small dog at first. Once "poked" it quickly "shrunk" down to size although the smell was, well, enough to cause more than a few grey hairs.
Investor · Austin, TX · Member since 2013 · 443 posts · 174 votes
12y
I just wanted to update everyone on my bird problem because I didnt see a solution in any of the forum posts. I did some serious cleaning this weekend and found some nests. First of all these things are gross and will make a nest in any available spot.
Its important to clear out the nest and all the nasty gunk that goes with it. Next you need to seal off the area so they cant get in there again. I have been using peices of plywood and cutting them to fit in these crevices. Using a caulking tool to seal the peice in there helps becaue these little buggers are clever and will find a way in. Lastly if there are any areas where they are perching you can buy bird repelling spikes from home depot and install them whereever nessasary.
I dont think the war with the birds is over but I have won a few battles :)
Real Estate Investor · Hampton, VA · Member since 2012 · 562 posts · 109 votes
12y
Outside of a roach infestation, where we had to fumigate for 4 days in a row, plus have pest control come out for 3 visits. I have had a bird create a nest in the garage, which was a bird in a protected class so authorities couldn't remove it . Tenant couldn't use the garage because the bird was very protective of the nest and would try to attack anyone that came into the garage.
Racoons who would climb up into the roof to nest, we had to wait until the babies were actually old enough to venture out of the roof and close the hole the raccoons created.
Investor · Austin, TX · Member since 2013 · 443 posts · 174 votes
12y
@James Wise Lemme guess somewhere on the east side?!
@Andrea M. Well I'm hoping that the birds that are annoying me arn't some type of endangered species considering they are everywhere I woulc consider them to be doing just fine.
Investor · Austin, TX · Member since 2013 · 443 posts · 174 votes
12y
I know this is a bit of an old topic but I wanted to add some important information about my problem with the birds. Bird infestation is one of the worst type of infestations that you can get. Mostly because birds carry these microscopic creatures on them called bird mites.
Once you get rid of the birds these creatures will try to find a new host which will be you. If you start to notice small bites marks on your body after you wake up every morning your house may have been infested with bird mites. Its very important to make sure that you clear out any remaining nests and call a pest control professional ASAP.