It’s a brand-new home, so there’s no way it can have pests in it, right? After all, there hasn’t been time for the foundation to shift (as they all do, over time) and make the pencil-thin cracks that are enough for a mouse to creep into the inviting warmth of a heated space. Furthermore, the sheeting, weatherproofing, and crack and gap sealing on the walls and roof make them practically a perfect, impenetrable fortress, right?
In many ways, yes! But also, not quite. There are lots of ways that pests can pose a problem, even in new construction.
Okay, that’s phrased with a bit of hyperbole. But think about the lot your new construction was built on. Most of our clients build custom dream homes in the Brainerd Lakes area. It’s easy to see why: the appeal of the lakes, the woods, the outdoors in general—that’s what makes it cabin country!
There’s a good chance your lovely, wooded lakeshore lot had to have some trees removed, possibly some leveling done, and at the very least a decent excavation for the foundation/basement. Even if your home was able to nestle perfectly within the existing landscape and foliage of the lot, a construction project itself is quite disruptive to the lot. It’s a lot of equipment, people, and materials coming onto the lot and being moved around every day.
For anything that was living there before construction started, well, they must find somewhere else to go. That’s not to say we need a land acknowledgment for bugs, but any displaced ants or mice or spiders or any other critters have to go somewhere.
No house is constructed in a vacuum. Building materials are dropped off on site, where they sit until they are needed. That means that while the foundation is being excavated or poured, the lumber for the walls and roof could be stacked off to the side of the lot, offering an enticing shelter to birds, rodents, or bugs. Most of those will be displaced again when the material is used in construction, but they might not all be.
Keep in mind, too, that before a place is a dream home, it’s a workplace for people, and those people must eat. The scraps of an electrician’s lunch can provide a feast for these pests, so they’re naturally attracted to them.
And while job sites are their own bustling hive of activity during the day, at quitting time everybody goes home, and the lot and house are left on their own. That leaves plenty of opportunity for pests—especially those that are nocturnal anyway—to start making your home their home.
Then there are bugs that can slide in undetected. It’s certainly not common, but it can happen. Many bugs lay their eggs inside trees. Those trees are felled and milled for lumber. In this process, they are dried, so they don’t change shape when used for construction. However, if lumber is incompletely dried, some of those larvae might still be alive. Eventually, they hatch and emerge from the wood.
Another method for sneak invasion is through exotic woods. These are typically expensive and used for trim, cabinets, or furniture. But they can have the same thing happen to them as regular building lumber. That brings in species not native to the area, or even foreign to the country. Local pest control companies usually don’t have much experience with bugs that they never see in their area, so it’s easy for them to mis-identify the bug and apply treatment for the wrong creature.
Sounds like you’re doomed to a house crawling with (literally) invasive species, right? Not at all! Most of these scenarios are merely possible, not likely. Furthermore, it’s now time to dust off the old saying: an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. If you’re building your dream home on a wooded lakefront lot in Minnesota, you know that bugs, birds, and critters will be part of your living area. Nature and the creatures that come with it are a huge appeal of this environment, after all. But there are some steps you (and we) can take that can help prevent pests from ruining your enjoyment of your new home.
We’ve been building dream homes in this neck of the woods since 1994, so we know a little bit about constructing lifetime homes that are people- and pet-friendly, but pest-free. We know what building materials work, and what are more likely to cause a problem. There are also building materials available that come pre-treated against pests, as well as building materials that are inhospitable to pests (such as concrete, stone, brick, metals, and composite materials). These can all be used in a way that helps prevent pests but still look just as incredible as you want your dream home to look.
Another good tactic is to hire a pest control company and have them inspect the lot before any construction begins. They’ll be able to identify and treat potential problem areas before they become a problem. Having them come by the site periodically during construction can also help prevent pests from setting up shop while your home is going up. They can pre-treat the basement or foundation/crawlspace before anything is built on top of or inside it. They can pre-treat the wood after your home has been framed. This kind of prevention can really pay off.
With smart choices in design and building materials, and smart pest prevention and maintenance, your dream home can be there for you and your family and friends—and only you and your family and friends—to enjoy for years to come. The only creatures welcome are the ones you invite in yourself.
Dotty Brothers Construction can help you keep your new home pest-free. The only thing you have to do is enjoy it. Contact us to get started on your (bug and pest-free) dream home.
