Signs You Have A Termite Problem Inside Your Home
Termites are more than just a nuisance; they damage your home by feeding on the wood. This impairs the structure of the building. Termites can make their way through plaster and metal siding and feast on the wooden items within a building too. Even if your home is not made primarily of wood, you could be at risk of having termite problems. These pests often go unnoticed until considerable damage has occurred. Therefore, it’s important to know how to spot the signs of termites.
Warped, Sagging Or Peeling Surfaces
Drywood termites live inside of the wood in your home. They can create hollow tunnels within the wood long before they’re detected from the outside.
Some signs of termite infestations mimic water damage. Floors may buckle or sag, the paint around windows may peel and ceilings can droop.
As termites remove the material within floorboards, you may begin to notice that certain areas of the floor creak more than others. If the floorboards have lifted up slightly or the laminate over the subfloor is buckling, you could have termites.
Hollow Sounds
If you suspect that you have termite damage in your floor or walls, try tapping the area with a screwdriver. A hollow sound could tell you that the insects have eaten their way through the material. Sometimes, termite-damaged material will crack easily when slight pressure is applied.
Tiny Holes
Small holes may appear where the insects have entered your walls or floor. Inspecting any areas of your home that appear to be damaged by water might lead you to notice pinpoint openings in the surface. You might even see mud smeared around the holes.
Mud Tubes
Subterranean termites create mud tubes on the foundation of a home. These are narrow tunnels made from saliva and wood particles that protect the pests as they make their way into your living space. Mud tubes aren’t always noticeable, especially if they’ve been constructed behind baseboards or in cracks in the foundation.
Droppings
Although some people think that unexplained sawdust piles in their homes are made by termites, they’re not. Carpenter ants or powderpost beetles leave behind sawdust. Termites eat the fibers, leaving behind only droppings.
A professional pest control company can use specialized equipment to detect termites before they’re visible to the eye. Termagon offers professional termite control services. We can spot the signs of these damaging pests and take care of them so that they don’t completely destroy your property.