Second-hand foosball tables and pest infestations. What can go wrong?
To buy a second-hand or a brand new foosball table? A question that every table soccer enthusiast will ask prior to purchasing a new unit. But are there hidden risks for second-hand tables and if so, what are they? Believe it or not, the one biggest treat is nasty pest infestations. Lured by the lower price a seemingly great appearance, the unsuspecting victim could bring in home a handful of terrible infestations that will not only hurt your health and that of your loved ones but also hundreds in cost.
Without further ado, let’s find out what types of pest you could come across,
Avoid Buying Upholstered Foosball Tables
Upholstery can be a great breeding ground for bed bugs. Contrary to popular belief, they can easily hide in any upholstered furniture and even clothes, not just mattresses. To make matters worse, they can survive without food for a very, very long period of time. Not many people would think about performing a bed bug inspection on a foosball table, right? However, the threat is absolutely real.
If you’re hell-bent on purchasing a pre-owned upholstered foosball table, then be sure to carefully inspect it before bringing it into your home. Spending half an hour looking for potential pests is nothing compared to the amount of time it would take to get rid of an infestation inside your home.
“Some of the signs of bed bugs include dark stains, eggshells, parts of exoskeleton or even live specimens,” adviced Alexander Crawley, a professional from FantasticPestsControl.com.au. “Bedbugs hide in the dark, in small crevices but you can usually find traces of them along the seams. Bear in mind that you might still not detect them, so keep carefully monitoring the foosball table for a few weeks if you decided to get one.”, he adds.
As a side note, bed bugs can also survive on leather. There is a very small chance of that happening, but if you’re buying a used leather upholstered foosball table, then perform the same inspection.
Wooden Units – Wood Borer
When we talk about pests that love to munch on wood, most people immediately think of termites. However, wood borer can be just as dangerous to your furniture as termites are. These pesky beetles can make short work of anything made of wood in weeks. Many foosball tables are built from wooden elements which makes them extremely vulnerable to an infestation, especially if not properly stored.
If the second-hand foosball table you’re eyeballing has wooden elements, make sure to carefully check for signs of damage. Even a small insignificant hole that looks unassuming in the beginning can mean something a lot more serious down the line.
And remember – if you bring wood-boring beetles into your home, it’s not just your foosball table that will be in danger. It will be all your wooden furniture.
The Rest – Cockroaches
Cockroaches are a universal pest. While it’s easier for them to thrive in poorly sanitized places due to the abundance of food, they can also infest even the best-maintained appliances and home accessories.
They usually hide in dark areas and tend to stay there until the coast is clear for food searching. And guess what – foosball tables are usually surrounded by food one way or the other. Making them the perfect place for cockroaches to hide in and reproduce.
You may not find live specimens in the foosball table you want to purchase, but that doesn’t mean it’s not infested. If there are eggs hidden in there, that may very well cause you to bring an infestation into your home. According to the British Pest Association, granted not all roach species abandon their ootheca (their eggcase), but there are those that do, which means depending on how long the eggs were laid, you can expect uninvited house guests within a month.
If It Was Held In The Basement – Mice
Before someone decides to sell their favorite foosball table, they often store in the basement for a period of time.
Aside from the usual dust and dirt that usually gets removed before the sale, the table may also attract some unwanted visitors. With all the holes and dark spaces, a foosball table is a perfect place for a rodent nest. It’s like a giant hamster cage crossbred with an amusement park. It’s like a mouse’s suburban dream – a giant place where they can walk around and hide all their food whilst procreating like, well – rodents.
This may sound like an improbable scenario, but it’s not and it has happened. Imagine the horror of finding that you brought home a potential infestation. It’s not as horrifying as bed bugs, but it’s definitely more graphics.
That’s why careful inspections are a must! Lucky for you, once you start inspecting the table, if there are any mice inside they will start to move around. Rodents are the easiest pest to detect in this scenario. Stranger things have happened.
If It Was Held In The Attic – Spiders.
Spiders are nature’s double agent. Sure, they’re a pest, but they also hunt down and kill other pests. Spiders are natural predators to some of the most annoying insects on the face of the planet.
That being said, the last thing you want to find while you’re reaching for the ball in the middle of a game is a giant arachnid trying to shake your hand.
When foosball tables are held in the attic, one of the most common pests that can infest them are spiders. Because of the limited space inside the propensity of insects to go inside such tables, it’s only natural that spiders would be stalking for prey there. Make sure you check if there are any eight-legged creatures creeping in the shadows before you dish out the money for your used foosball table.
Buying a high-quality foosball table is a far better option than buying cheap foosball tables because they are made of high-quality and durable materials. But, that doesn’t mean you can leave them in the attic for ages. So, if you are looking for a durable high-quality table, visit my post about them and pick one that suits your needs, no matter the size or brand.
