How to Recognize the Signs of Termites
The thought of termites strikes fear in the hearts of most home owners. These insects feed on the wood within your home, weakening the structure. Because most termite activity is behind your walls, you may not know they are there before they have caused significant damage. Look around your home for the following signs of termites. Does this Spark an idea?
Instructions
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Look around the foundation of your home, in the crawl space and along the walls of your garage for termite tubes. These tubes are earth-colored and about the diameter of a pencil. If you find any, break them open to see if there are live termites inside. Live termites are a sign that you have a termite problem.
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Wood damage is another sign of a termite infestation. Termites feed on wood from the inside so you may not be able to see the damage just by looking at it. If you see other signs of termites, tap on the wood in area and listen for a hollow sound. You can also prod at the wood with the tip of the screw driver; if the wood is significantly damaged, the screwdriver may break through the surface.
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If termites have been active for a long time, you may be able to see signs from the exterior of the wood. Wood damaged by termites becomes weaker, so look at weight bearing joints to see if there is any buckling or crushing. Look for buckling paint or crumbling drywall as this may be a sign that the wood behind is damaged.
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Termite swarms are a sure sign that your home has been invaded by termites. Termites swarm when they mate. These swarms most often occur in the spring during the daytime. Termite swarms are attracted to light so you can see them by windows or other light sources. Termites swarms don't last very long and they are often confused with flying ants. Termites drop their wings after they swarm, so if you see small piles of wings, that is a sign that a termite swarm has occurred.
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Some species of termites leave behind droppings called frass. As they tunnel through the wood, they push this frass out of a small hole in the wall making a small pile on the floor. If you see a small pile of tiny pellets, examine the wall above for the termite hole. The hole and pile of frass mean that you have a termite problem.
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Tips & Warnings
If you find termite tubes but don't see any live termites, you may be in the clear. Break the tubes apart and keep an eye on them. If the tubes are rebuilt, that is a sign of an active termite infestation.
Termite tubes are sign that there was termite activity in the past. Check around the area for any damaged wood that needs to be fixed.
If you see any signs of termites, contact a professional exterminator to kill the termites before the problem become worse.
