There is a common misconception that termites only affect people with houses that are made out of wood, but in reality, it doesn’t matter if your house is made of wood, brick, stucco, or other materials. Termites are not only attracted to wood; they are also attracted to materials that contain cellulose, like the cellulose insulation in your home, drywall, and the framing timbers all over the house.
Despite their small size, termites can be very destructive because they live in colonies of millions. Not only are there a lot of them, each termite can eat up to 3 percent of their body weight, and they can cause a lot of damage in a short amount of time. Having a termite infestation in your house can be a very expensive problem for a homeowner to have, which is why it is a good idea to get your home checked for termites on a regular basis.
What Are The Signs of A Termite Infestation?
There are some common telltale signs that let you know that you have a termite infestation, some of the most common are:
• The presence of mud like materials that usually start from the ground, and are found on walls, leading to wood. These are generally referred to as mud tunnels and are the size of a pencil. They usually connect the nest to the food source, but sometimes they are there for different reasons. The tunnels that start from the ground and don’t connect to the wood are there for exploratory reasons, while the tunnels that originate from the wood and touch the ground are known as drop tunnels, because they help the termites get back to their nest.
• The presence of a swarm of insects that look like flying ants around light sources. This usually indicates that a nest is nearby.
• Piles of wings on the floor in your home without any insect bodies indicate the shedding of wings, which is common with termites.
• Tiny holes in wood or damaged wood is generally a good indicator that you have a termite problem. You can easily tell if a piece of wood is damaged by tapping a hammer on it, which should produce a hollow sound, or by probing the surface with a pen knife.
If you notice any of these things, it means that you have a termite infestation in your home. In this situation, the smartest thing to do is to call a pest control specialist to come check out your house to find out just how badly infested your home is, and to treat the problem. They are professionally trained, and will be able to find the termite nest more easily that you will be able to, and they will also know the most effective way to get rid of the termites.
It is not necessary to treat your home for termites every year, but it is recommended that you have a specialist come and check your house for termite infection every year. That way, they can catch it on time, in the event that you have it, and prevent serious damage to your home. If you notice your neighbors getting their house treated for termites, it is also a good idea to have a specialist come check your house after, to make sure that the termites from your neighbor’s house migrate over to your home and cause damage without you knowing.