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Termite Control: Red Flags That Your Home Is Infested

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Dealing with a termite infestation can be quite a frustrating experience. However, not many homeowners know that termites have overrun their home until the structural damage has become extensive. By this time, the structure may not be salvageable and this can lead to exorbitant losses. To try to prevent this, it would be in your best interests to know the signs of a termite infestation so that you can have the pest control contractors exterminate them before it is too late. Moreover, the termite contractors can also put measures in place to prevent a future infestation. Below are some of the red flags that you can be wary of that would indicate you have an infestation in your home.

Signs of swarmers

Swarmers are young male and female termites that have wings. They are also referred to as reproductives. Swarmers emerge on a seasonal basis to begin mating. As they leave their termite nests, they scout for new locations to settle in before they begin breeding a new colony of termites. When it is the mating season for swarmers, you will find that there will be a significant number of discarded wings at different areas of your home such as by windowsills, along doorways and more. The sign of swarmers is typically one of the first physical signs that you have a potential termite infestation on your hands. Neglecting to have a termite inspection will lead to them breeding a new colony right on your property.

Signs of mud tubes

Another red flag to look out for is you suspect a termite infestation is mud tubes. Mud tubes are trails of mud that are built by termites to provide them with a constant source of moisture as they travel from their nests to forage for food. These mud tubes will typically be found near the foundation of your home as they lead from the ground to the structure of your home. It would be prudent to enlist the services of termite control to not only eliminate the mud tubes but to locate the termite nests too.

Signs of wood damage

A misconception some people have is that termites will bore through the wood from the outside in. the reality is that they will feed on the wood starting from the inside and working their way out. As such, an early sign of wood damage would be when the wood sounds hollow when it is tapped. Over time, the wood will gradually become soft and show signs of blistering or will have small holes in it. It would be crucial to hire pest control services before the structural damage is exacerbated.


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