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You’re considering calling an exterminator to eliminate the nagging concerns about termites infesting your home. You might think you hear termites chewing on your walls, but that’s your imagination. Or maybe you have just found a winged ant in your basement and are afraid for your life. After all, termites are destructive pests. Termites are found in 49 states, with Alaska being the only exception. They cause $50 billion of damage each year to homes and buildings.
Termites can do extensive damage to your home before you realize it. They are destructive to wood and can cause extensive damage if you don’t know what to look for. Everything will appear solid and sturdy until the porch collapses completely or starts to list to the left. It’s not that bad. Termites are slow to work, especially since nests can hold hundreds of thousands hungry termites.
You can often spot termites before they cause serious damage to your foundation if you have your home inspected annually. Termites can sneak into areas you don’t see very often, making it difficult to spot them. However, they are not always right. Let’s look at five things that a termite inspection in terrell will check to see if you have a termite problem. We’re on a bug hunt. Grab your work boots.
5: Evidence of Swarmers
There are three main types of termites in America. The most common are subterranean termites. We’ll discuss them in detail. From existing nests, termites form new colonies. This is how it works: After a few years, established termite colonies begin to produce winged, sexually mature alates. When the weather is warm and humid, the alates will fly to their nests in the spring. The nests release all of their alateat at once in swarms which quickly disperse. If you find multiple termites in your house, it’s likely that they are using your wood as food. You should inspect your window sills. Alates will attempt to escape so they may be found coiled around closed doors or windows.
Do not panic. Some ants form new colonies in the same way as others, so you might have forgotten to close the window and some winged ants landed by accident. Although they look very similar to winged termites there are three major differences.
- The rear wings of a termite (they have two sets) measure the same length as their front wings. The rear wings of flying ants are shorter than the front wings.
- Termites have a wide waist, while ants have wasp waist indentations beneath their second set.
- Termites have straight, beaded antennae while ants have elbows and joinedted bends.
Winged termites in your home are a sign that there is a problem. Get an exterminator.
Nature’s Termite Traps
For a time, you can leave spider webs that have formed around your property in the spring. You might be able detect termites in your area by looking for alates in the webs of your property.
4: Mud Tubes
The presence of mud tubes can also detect a termite infestation. They may be found near your home’s pipes, foundation, crawlspace, attic, or other entry points. Mud tubes, also known as shelter tubes, are used by termites to cross open spaces such as concrete footers. These obstacles are too difficult to overcome so they create highways around or over them.
Mud tubes are made from soil, wood cellulose, and other particulate material. Termites quickly lose their moisture so they require protection to keep it at the right humidity level. They are also protected from predators by the tubes. The mud tubes are approximately the same thickness as a pencil or drinking straw and look like dried dirt. They can appear straight or squiggly. If you find a mudtube and are unsure if it is from an old termite infestation, take a small piece out of the tube, but leave the other ends undisturbed. If the breach closes in a few days termites are likely active on your property.
3: Mud in Construction Joints
Termites are a kind of little builder, filling small spaces with dirt to make their lives easier. They may be responsible if you find termites in small cracks or holes in your concrete or sheetrock or mud in construction joints.
2: Wood in Your Landscape
While it is not an indicator of the presence termites, inspecting your property for signs that could indicate termites can be found will make your home more appealing to exterminators.
Wood fencing next to your house – Termites will find the fence and start eating it. They’ll then follow the fence like a welcome sign into your home.
Wood mulch within 4 to 6-inches of your home’s foundation – Wood mulch is, well, wood. Termites can eat it. Termites can also use it as a moist, protective cover while they chew their way closer to your home. Termites don’t like wood smell. Termites can only smell wood if they bump into it.
Firewood Termites may enjoy a picnic in your yard if you have a large pile of winter wood. This doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t have wood on your property. Keep termites away by storing wood above the ground and keeping the pile at least 20ft from your home.
Deadwood – Fallen tree branches are part of the natural world, so removing them is good maintenance. Tree branches can be natural, but termites will not tolerate them. Get rid of any dead wood.
Wooden structures Termite-resistant wood products can be used to build outdoor structures such as decks, trees, playsets, and sheds. Wooden improvements on your property made of termite-resistant materials, such as pressure-treated wood or other natural wood products, could be susceptible to termite damage in the near future.
1: Wood Damage
You won’t usually see any damage to the surface because termites eat wood from within. There may be dried mud tubes or other bits of mud around the area. A termite inspector might be able tap a wood beam to detect a low, or flat sound. This could indicate that the wood is hollower than it should be. However, this subtle distinction can be difficult to spot for novices.
During the advanced stages, you’ll notice little mud in termite-damaged wood. It will also be evident that the wood has been excavated leaving deep, parallel grooves. This is because termites prefer to eat the soft, spring-growth wood sections and leave the harder wood. These striations can help you differentiate termite damage from dry or wet rot.
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