5 Signs Your Home Is Being Invaded By Termites
Few thoughts are creepier and less welcome for homeowners than the thought of a termite infestation. Termites quickly eat through wood, flooring, and walls, doing major damage to the structural integrity of your home and lowering the value of your real estate investment. Luckily, as long as you know what to look for, there are often clear signs that termites are present in or near your home. Here are five termite infestation signs to look out for:
Termite Swarmers
Every spring, large groups of termites rise from the ground in a swarm and go looking for mates. If you see a lot of unexplained winged insects inside or near your home, or find a lot of insect wings on your floor, it's time to call a pest control company for an inspection.
Try to capture one of the insects or at least some discarded wings for the pest control company to examine, in order to rule out similar-looking insects like swarming carpenter ants.
Piles of Termite "Frass"
Termite droppings are tiny pellets that look kind of like sawdust. If you keep finding unexplained piles of wood-colored debris around or near your home, it may very well be evidence of termites.
Mud Tubes
Termites build long, narrow (about the width of a pencil) tunnels made of mud along walls and other surfaces. They use these mud tubes to travel safely from one place to another. You might see mud tubes either outside or inside, but typically near the foundation or in the basement.
Sagging Wood Floors
As termites eat your hardwood floors from within, they will damage them structurally to the point where they sag or feel "squishy" when you walk on them. This sort of damage can also be caused by a hidden water leak, but in either case, it's something you'll want checked out as soon as possible.
Damaged Wood
Unexplained damage to wood floors, beams, or furniture, is often a major sign of termite damage since termites eat wood. If you notice small cracks or holes in the wood around your house that weren't there before, this may very well be termite damage. Another sign is if the wood sounds hollow when you knock on it, since termites eat wood from the inside out.
By recognizing these signs of a possible termite infestation, you can call a qualified pest control company and deal with the problem head-on, before it becomes more serious.
For more information, visit http://www.acewalco.com or a similar website.