Wholly Exploited and Found in All Places
It is amazing what you find sometimes living pretty much amongst us. They like peaceful comfortable living just like us. It's always good to keep as clleanas possible caulk everything you can and check unexpected places for unexpected guests. Just see Call of the Wildman to see more
It is interesting when inspecting a house to find that the small and sometimes not so small creatures also see the abode as a nice place to live. Most often these critters are not welcome guests, yet have been unknowingly invited. The form of invitation can vary from more or less unintentional to poor workmanship.
One of the most prevalent invites is a nice round hole in an electrical enclosure. Beside being a safety concern, these holes are an open enticement to;
Bees
and mice.
The mice are not much of an immediate concern as I have yet to be pursued by an angry mouse for uncovering his or her nest. Bees, especially, Yellow Jackets are another story. They are very aggressive and do not take kindly to an invasion of their nest.
I find bees will use the smallest of openings to gain access to a larger area where they can build a nest. These Yellow Jackets found an unsealed A/C condensate pipe penetration a golden opportunity to build a nest in the attic of this house. I almost walked right into them while inspecting the roof. That would probably not have ended well. if I had bumbled into these bees.
Sometimes the critters are not actually inside the house or otherwise creating a nuisance or causing damage. In fact they may be welcome residents as long as they maintain their own space. I have found on many occasions bats hanging out inside attic gable vents. Bats, all though not cute or cuddly, are very beneficial creatures. Each night they consume large quantities of mosquitoes. In fact I often find homes with a bat house mounted on the exterior wall to encourage these little winged creatures to take up residence.
These are just a few of the numerous critters that I find on every inspection. Most are a nuisance and can cause harm to either the house or to the occupants, while others are just sharing.
James Quarello
Connecticut Home Inspector
Former SNEC-ASHI President
NRSB #8SS0022
JRV Home Inspection Services, LLC
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