Split-level homes have been a part of Nashville suburbia since the 1970s, thanks to their unique architecture and efficient use of space. However, the multi-level designs present unknown hurdles for homeowners in areas such as Donelson, Antioch, and Hermitage. All those things that make split-levels appealing to test, different entry points, different foundation heights, and transitions between levels, provide an ideal location for pests.
Nashville housing data shows that almost 18% of homes built from 1960 to 1980 are split-level, and these properties are often more prone to pest infestations than single-level homes. Professional Pest Control. If you are seeing a lot of unwanted guests in your split-level, professional pest control from saelapest.com can help pinpoint the weaknesses inherent to your home layout.
Multi-Level Living and Hidden Entry Points
What you do not find in ranch-style houses are the multiple foundation lines meeting at multiple elevations that you see in split-level homes. That design might create additional gaps through which pests can enter.
Common entry points in split-level homes include:
- Foundation transitions: Settling-in levels can leave gaps where termites, ants, and roaches can enter.
- Multi-level crawl spaces: Those different foundation heights generate crawl spaces that are at varying depths, which makes inspection challenging
- Stairwell gaps: Voids in walls where pests travel concealed will often be found behind interior stairways connecting levels
The Basement Factor in Nashville’s Humid Climate
The partially below-grade layout of split-level basements certainly sounds great until you realize that the average humidity in Nashville is about 70% year-round. A moisture sink hole develops in that lower layer. Silverfish thrive in this moisture, which is why you typically find them around old cardboard boxes or books you might have kept in the basement.
Centipedes love moisture, which means you might run into some of those creepy house centipedes that move much faster than any human would be comfortable with. Those split-level basement partial windows? But they are another entry point for pests when window wells fill with leaves and debris.
Elevated Living Areas and Attic Activity
The raised living spaces in split-levels often include upper attics, which may inadvertently provide pests with more access from outdoors. Squirrels and raccoons can leap from a nearby tree onto lower roof sections and then move upward to attic vents. Split-level architecture often features multiple roof planes, which means more edges, valleys, and potential entry points.
The eaves, particularly between sections of a roof, are destinations that wasps and hornets love because they protect them from the elements while still keeping them close to the outside. That makes it possible to hear scratching noises above your main living area, closer than a conventional attic would be structurally.
Outdoor-to-Indoor Flow: Patios, Decks, and Split Entrances
Decks and patios at various levels are standard, with split-levels, like one off the kitchen and another off the basement walkout. These outdoor structures can create bridges for pests. Ants will make trails through the deck boards directly to the door threshold. Many spiders live in the wet, shaded areas where decks meet the house.
And those nice little underground entrances typical of Nashville split-levels? They are, in effect, open season for crickets and camel crickets, especially in our hot summers, when these pests come in looking for cooler spaces in our homes. The more entry doors you have in your home, the more you have to pay attention to.
Protecting Nashville’s Split-Level Charm
In Nashville, split-level homes are not going away; they are part of what gives places like Green Hills and Madison their flavor. The important thing is to understand how your home’s architecture affects pest behavior. Saela Pest Control treats split-level properties throughout Nashville, and they find that focusing on the unique weaknesses of multi-level construction is what makes the difference. Their technicians pay special attention to those transitions, multiple entry points, and moisture-prone areas that standard treatments may not account for, resulting in up to 40% fewer recurring pest issues in model-local pest control from split-level homes than in those treated with more widely implemented solutions.