How to Determine If Your House Has Termites

Keep termites controlled or run the risk of losing your entire house over time.

A termite is a small-winged insect that looks similar to an ant. One of the differences used to tell them apart is that an ant has three body segments while a termite only has two. Termites live underground near the foundation of your home and are most active during the warm months of spring, summer and fall. Termites can be an extreme nuisance since wood is their main source of food. They have the capability to completely destroy your home so it's very important that you check often for damage.

Things You'll Need

• Flashlight (if crawling through a crawl space)
• Screwdriver (to check the wood)

Instructions

Discovering Termite Damage

1. 

   Wood hollowed by termites

   Check the wood around the foundation of your home with a screwdriver or by knocking. If the wood sounds hollow when you knock or tap on it, it can either be wood rot or termites. Another sign of damage is seen when the wood falls apart or cracks when you poke or scrape it with the screwdriver.

2. 

   Tree with termite tunnels

   Look for tunnels built by the termites. The tunnels are used for the termite's protection during travel and are made with termite fecal matter, saliva and mud. They can be located on the ground, the foundation or the wood. Also check around the house for a termite residence. You will see a hole in the ground and termites swarming around the inside of the opening.

3. 

   Always hire a professional to spread insecticides because they can be very harmful if handled incorrectly.

   Control these small and pesky pests by having an exterminator apply a bifenthrin solution. Bifenthrin is a restricted-use pesticide (for use only by professionals) and is a mixture of acaricide and insecticide that causes paralysis in insects. It can be toxic in children and pets if handled or ingested but will not contaminate an underground water supply as it's mostly insoluble to water.

   The bifenthrin mixture should be applied around the foundation of your home and around any other structures on the property. You also need to rid your yard of extra wood lying around (a definite termite attraction). Use the termite-control solution around any firewood piles. This treatment, depending on what brand you use, is noted to last at least five years.

4. 

   Treated wood prevents repairs needed in the future and saves money.

   Use treated wood for any repairs your home should need because of termites. Before the wood goes on the shelf at the lumber store, it's soaked in a chemical preservative made from arsenic, chromium and copper. This treatment can make the wood last for 20-plus years, regardless of weather or insects. Make sure you wear gloves when handling the wood, don't breathe in sawdust from chemically-treated wood or inhale smoke from burning treated wood.

   Replacing wood plates and seals underneath the house can be extremely costly, so if you're going to do it then be sure you do it right the first time. Save yourself by using wood that is resilient to wood-eating bugs.

Tips & Warnings

• Wear gloves when handling treated wood or pesticide products.

• Wear a mask if you are sawing treated wood to prevent inhaling sawdust.

• Always wash your hands after handling pesticides and pressure-treated wood. Make sure children wash their hands immediately if they come in contact with either product.

• Keep pesticides away from children and pets.

References

• Termites Gone Wild
• Massachussetts Department of Environmental Protection: Pressure Treated Wood
• Extension Toxicology Network: Bifenthrin