Among other pests that are famous for causing structural damage, the most notorious are the termites. In the US alone, the cost of annual damages resulting from termite infestation amounts to approximately 5 billion dollars. Imagine an established termite colony can consist of millions of termites that are gradually destroying your home’s structure non-stop for 24 hours.
The truth is that termites never sleep. The workers of the termite colony unceasingly consume cellulose found in a plant’s cell walls and on wood (i.e. wooden furniture, wooden floors, and wooden walls). That is why detection of termites usually comes late and only when the structural damage becomes huge and visible. Frustrating, right?
Nevertheless, when it comes to these destructive pests, do we have to always wait for a major disaster to occur and for the damages to go full-blown before we take action? There is so much we can do to prevent termites from causing more havoc to our property. First, we simply need to take heed of the subtle indications that termites could be infesting our home.
Signs of Termite Activity
Here are things that will tell us that our home might be overrun by termites:
Mud tubes
It is termites’ nature to burrow into wooden structures. In the process, these pests create tube-like tunnels that are made of saliva, mud and dirt. These utterly visible mud tubes stretch to and fro the termites’ food source and usually appear on the external walls of the house. If you want to protect your home’s structure from weakening and crumbling down sooner or later, do not ignore this sign.
Weird tapping sounds
Termites typically make a tapping noise. This is their way of signaling the other termites for potential threat and they do this by banging their heads on the walls of their mud tunnels. The weird sounds they make may be heard from your walls, ceilings, under the floorboards, basements, and lofts. To confirm this termite activity, simply place your ears next to your wall and listen to the rattling sounds created by these notorious pests.
Wood damage
Clearly, having damages in the form of blisters on the wooden structures of your home indicates the presence of termites. Termites consume cellulose; hence, they are attracted to wood and dead trees. Wood infested by termites normally sound hollow when you tap on it. Once the wooden structure is severely damaged by termites, the safety and stability of the building become compromised. Another sign of wood damage caused by termites is the buckling or swelling of wood as if it is damaged by water. If you notice your floors, ceiling or other wooden parts of your house becoming swollen or deformed, termite infestation is a big possibility.
Bubbling paint
Termite damage also resembles water damage. One of the indications of such damage is bumpy or bubbling paint, which occurs when there is moisture build-up. This may be due to water or due to termites. Either way, you must get assistance from experts so you can have your home thoroughly checked for possible termite infestation.
Reproductives or Swarmers
Young winged termites are called “swarmers.” They are responsible for reproducing or increasing the termite population especially during the beginning of spring. After the swarming or mating process, these swarmers would leave behind their wings or even dead termites. You may find these discarded wings or termite corpses on your door or windowsills.
Termite droppings
Termites, specifically drywood termites, produce wastes that look like mounds of pellets whose color is similar to that of wood. If you see these wood-colored droppings within your home, you may be facing a termite problem. As soon as you can, you must contact a professional specializing in termite pest control to help you with termite removal.
Termites are known to be excellent sources of protein and beneficial to the ecosystem because of their natural tendency to make the soil rich and fertile. They have this innate inclination to eat or dispose of dead trees, thereby helping add nutrients to the soil, making it healthy and more viable for accelerated plant growth. However, since these pests tend to build nests in the soil near your home’s foundation or within wooden structure, depending on their species, they undeniably pose a great threat to human homes. In addition, some termite species may feed on other resources besides wood such as pipes or insulating materials. For effective termite removal and to save your home from acquiring termite damages beyond repair, call a trusted termite pest control company the moment you notice any of the subtle signs of termite infestation.
