Often considered to be the most destructive house pest, termites can completely destroy a home.
Early pest control is crucial to prevent termites from eating away at your home. But before calling in professional exterminators, it helps to know the key signs of a termite infestation.
If you spot these issues in your home, you may have a termite problem.
Holes and Tunnels
Termites dig their ways through the wood inside your walls, floor, and ceiling. So if you start to notice little holes in these surfaces, it might be the entrance to their hideaway.
Similarly, you may also see tunnels, called mud tubes, along the walls. These are pathways created by termites with their saliva, and they look like sprawling veins along the surfaces of your home.
You may also notice bubbling and blistering paint or wallpaper, which is another sign that termites are traveling through your home.
Flying Insects and Discarded Wings
One of the most noticeable signs of a termite infestation is spotting winged termites.
There are different types of termites, each with their own roles. One role is that of the swarmers, flying termites that are responsible for reproducing. You may see them traveling in groups in and around your home.
And aside from spotting these insects, you may also find their discarded wings lying around.
Termite Droppings
Like all insect and bug droppings, termite droppings are small—but that doesn’t mean they’re easy to miss.
Termites tend to collect their droppings in a mound, rather than scattering and concealing them. If you notice a mound of small, pepper-looking droppings, it could be from termites.
Hollow Wood
One sign of a termite-infested house is hollow wood.
Check around your home, tapping on wooden floorboards and other areas made of wood. Listen to how hollow and empty they sound. If the wood once sounded dense but now sounds empty, it could be because termites are hollowing it out from the inside.
Sounds From Inside the Walls
If you have a severe termite infestation, you may be able to hear them eating away at wood if you listen closely.
Put your ear up to the wall, and notice if there are any clicking, buzzing, or rustling noises from the other side. If the wall is filled with termites, you may hear them making these sounds as they hunt for food.
This is a major signal to get professional termite infestation treatment. Call trained exterminators, like Biotech Termite & Pest Control, right away to stop these pests from doing further damage.
Wood Rot
Signs of wood rot may indicate termites for a couple reasons.
First, if there’s wood rot, there’s likely a lot of moisture in the wood around your home. Termites prefer this kind of damp environment over dry ones.
Second, what looks like wood rot may not actually be wood rot. If your wood looks wavy, hollowed, and deteriorated, it could be from termites.
Identifying a Termite Infestation
If you think you may have a termite infestation in your home, look for these telltale signs. Then, call professional pest control to get rid of termites for good.
Read our latest posts for more ways to protect your home!
