Sometimes, the pests you encounter on an inspection are not the usual snake or spider. Some are sneaky-er, mean-er, and much, much stupid-er.
I was called to a house with a floor issue in a basement. (Yay, not a crawl space for once.) It turned out to be a typical below-grade installation during a remodeled situation. The slab and basement were a little moist, and the engineered floor didn't handle the environment well.
I admired the sort-of-urban, sort-of-rural setting of this house, as I myself have a couple acres with a horse, goats and hens. It was in a neighborhood just off the main drag. Chickens were strutting the yard, and pecking at bugs and grass as chickens do.
During my inspection, I noted this curious chicken watching me through a basement window:
(The photo makes good documentation that the basement floor was below grade, right?) As I left the house, this rooster version of a chicken (females are hens) followed me, giving me the evil eye the whole time. I loaded the tools in my car, and BANG, something hit me in the ankle hard enough to make my eyes water. I looked back and here comes the rooster again, trying to spur me again. Spurs are bony points that stick out on the inside of where their ankles might be, and are used for fighting.
If you are familiar with the Michael Vick cock fighting situation, that was roosters fighting. A rooster's brain is so small you can't fit the word "retreat" or "give up" in it. So you can't push them away, or kick them away, or yell at them, or swing your coat at them in hopes they will go away. You just have to jump in the car and close the door before he comes in with you.
A week later, I still had a black and blue spot on my ankle. So forget the dogs, snakes and spiders. Watch out for the roosters on your inspections.
