Having a few insects in your home isn’t always a bad thing. If the odd ladybug accidentally flies in, you might see it as a good omen. However, once insects start infesting the house and causing damage, you have a problem on your hands. One of the more damaging creatures to look out for is the termite.
If undetected, you could find they’ve destroyed important structural elements of your home. If you’re unsure whether you would be able to detect the signs of termites, here are some of the most common to look out for. Knowing these could save you a lot of time, effort, and money.
4 Signs You Might Have Termites
1) Damage To Your Wood
Many homeowners will confess to having little knowledge about termites. They’ll know that they are similar to ants, but not the same and that they like to destroy anything made of wood. These bugs aren’t as destructive as you’ll see in cartoons, but that doesn’t mean you want them hanging around as house guests. If you don’t take control of the situation and exterminate them as soon as possible, you could be left with serious damage. The cost of repairing it all will be significantly worse than paying out for professional pest control. So, it pays to know the signs.
The chances are that you might hear the damage before you see it. Termites burrow into the wood to feed and aren’t often seen outside of it, making a pest and termite inspection essential. This can lead to areas of timber that sound or feel different from the rest. Tapping on wooden beams and supports can determine if there’s any hollow area. Your floorboard may sound different as well and start buckling a little. Watch out for any unexplained creaking. Other visible signs to watch out for include maze-like patterns, where the creatures have been crawling through the materials, and mud in some of the cracks, which they’ve brought in from outside the home.
2) Other Damage Inside Your Home
It isn’t just the wood you need to be concerned about here. There is the risk of termite damage in other areas, so it’s best to check out other changes to your home that might be a problem. One common issue is patches of drywall discolouring or drooping. Some also notice paint beginning to peel from the walls. Experts also say that any problems with windows and doors not shutting properly could also be due to termites. There’s a surprising amount to consider for such a small insect. Don’t get complacent and brush off any of these issues if you don’t have an obvious explanation.
Of course, there may be other issues going on here, such as environmental conditions from water damage or humidity. It’s best to play it safe and get an inspection from leading local termite control services in Ventura County and see what they say. They might tell you you’re wrong and recommend another service to help you get to the bottom of things. Or, they might say you were right to call them so early because they can handle the insects before they do any more damage.
3) Signs Of Entry Outside The Home
These little wood-eating menaces have to get into the house from somewhere. If there isn’t an obvious place of entry, they’ll find one. This is a sign that is easy to overlook because it’s so easy to focus on the wood inside your home. However, if you spot any strange mud tubes around the foundations of your home, you might have termites.
Because this isn’t the easiest sign to figure out, it’s a good idea to have a professional pest control team come and check it out. The best termite removal services will take the time to look inside and out to find the worst of the damage, the extent of the infestation, and the entry points. Remember that securing entry points and understanding how termites operate can make it easier to avoid future issues through preventative measures. A good removal team will help educate you on that while providing their efficient and friendly service.
4) Actual Evidence Of Insects
Finally, there’s the most damning evidence of all – finding physical evidence of living or dead insects within the home. If you ever find discarded, translucent wings at just under 1 cm in length, it could have come from a termite. Termite droppings are also a good sign if you know what to look for. They typically look like sawdust or wood shavings but are more pellet-shaped. To be honest, any strange signs of sawdust around the home are something to check out, whether it’s droppings or signs of burrowing.
As for the living insects, you might see one crawling around. Whether this is a lucky or unlucky moment depends on your perspective. Residents can sometimes find winged insects that are similar to flying ants but not the same. These are the winged termites whose wings you may spot on windowsills that have invaded to find somewhere new to start a colony. Also, some homeowners report hearing the sounds of termites with clicking or munching coming from inside the wood. This isn’t the easiest sign to spot because of the potential for other sounds in the home drowning it out or other clicks and cracks coming from the house settling.
Do You Need To Call For Professional Help?
If you’re looking at this list thinking that it’s a worrying number of possible signs, that’s OK. It’s actually better to know there are so many things to look out for and to be prepared. That is why you can call for help when you spot signs of infestation and are less likely to struggle with termite damage in the long term. Skilled pest control teams can come out and inspect your home to either confirm their presence or show you that your home is termite-free. You can then rely on them to take the necessary steps to either exterminate the insects or help you with preventative measures for the future. The sooner you act, the better the outcome, so don’t delay.
Images courtesy of unsplash.com and pexels.com
