Figuring out if you have termites in your home is a time-sensitive issue. Why? Because in order to avoid excessive damage, you’ll want to take care of these pests as quickly as possible. And lucky for you there are several signs that will let you know pretty quickly if you have a termite problem.
Here are some sure signs that you’ve got termites in your home:
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Termites flying near light sources
Termites usually live underground in nests (Check out this great article by National Geographic on termite structures) and come out only to mate or feed. During humid, warm, and wet weather termites leave their nests and begin to swarm where light sources are to look for matesand fly in groups. You may begin to see a bunch of termites flying around your doors, windows, and porch lights. If they look like they’re coming out of the baseboards or the foundation, then you know there’s a termite infestation.
Mud tubes near your home
When termites are feeding they like to stay out of the open air and remain hidden. This is why they build mud tubes so that they can travel to any food source from their nest. If you have a termite infestation you might see mud tubes in the ground, walls, or foundation of your home that are about the size of a pencil. If you break the tubes you will most likely see worker termites inside that are white. If this happens, you have a termite problem.
Wood damage around your house
Because termites eat wood, one of the most obvious signs of a termite infestation is damaged wood on your house. Look at the drywall to see if there are any small holes. You might also begin to notice that the support beams or wooden baseboards sound hollow if you tap them or have become brittle. This means that termites have most likely made tunnels in the wood. There might also be small piles of pellets or dirt by the wood fixtures in your home. It is termite droppings.
If you see any of the above signs in your house, you most likely have a termite problem. If that’s the case, you should definitely call a Utah Pest Control professional. We will be able to fully assess the situation and give you advice on how to get rid of your termites. Often this requires pesticides to be injected into the soil surrounding your home to destroy the colony and prevent new ones from forming. Be sure to check your home for possible termite infestations regularly so you can avoid costly damage before it happens. If you have issues with termite damage then you may be interested in this simple, easy tool by Homewyse that will show estimated repair costs.
