They can often eat away at a home for years before they’re finally discovered, which is why it’s a good idea to have your home thoroughly inspected and treated if necessary.
Also, your homeowner’s insurance policy probably doesn’t cover the damages, so it’s smart to make sure you don’t have an issue or if you do, to address it early before it becomes a problem.
Fortunately, there are some telltale signs the little creeps leave behind to alert you to their presence, so let’s have a look at 3 of the most common ones.:
1. Wood flooring blisters
Beautiful hardwood flooring is a feast for termites. If you see blistering in your wood floors it could be a sign you have a termite infestation.
They could be eating away at your subfloor, which can make your wood floors look as if they have water damage.
Note: Laminate floors are mostly synthetic so they don’t typically attract termites.
2. Damaged or hollowed out wood
Your walls, ceiling, and floors could be hiding the damage done from termites eating away at the framing as they search for cellulose.
As they feed they leave behind long grooves that weaken the wood’s structure. A timber that has been eaten by termites will have a honeycomb appearance inside it and will sound empty when tapped.
3. Evidence of Swarms
Look for discarded termite wings near doors, windows and other access points into your home.
Termites will swarm from their nest to mate and to find a place to start a new colony. Once they’ve landed, the termites tear off their wings because they won’t need them anymore.
The wings are the same size, unlike ants who have larger wings in the front and smaller wings in the rear.
4. Mud tubes
If you see mud tubes the size of pencils in areas where the ground meets your house or another source of food it’s probably a termite tunnel.
Subterranean termites nest underground and travel to their food source (i.e. your house) via these tunnels.
These kinds of termites need certain humidity and temperature levels to survive, so the tunnels will block out cool dry air, which makes your home a place they can thrive.
5. Drywood Termite Droppings
Unlike subterranean termites who live underground, dry wood termites make their home in wood.
As they tunnel through and eat the wood they will create kick out holes where they dispose of their waste.
Their waste is, obviously, made up of wood, so it will create mounds of pellets that look like sawdust or coffee grounds.
If you find one or more signs that you could have termites it’s important to call in the professionals. Unlike other types of pest control, this is something you probably shouldn’t DIY.
For peace of mind, get a termite bond from your pest control company. This means that if termites are found after the inspection and/or treatment, the company will re-treat the house and will cover any damages to your home in the event the exterminator failed to kill all of the termites the first time.
