Termites are voracious wood eaters and often times can lead to extensive structural damage, so the earlier you catch them, the better. Fortunately, you can look for signs that you have termites and address the situation by getting help right away.
Seeing Termites in the Home
Since termites need moisture and damp areas to live, you should first look for any damp, moist areas near wood in your house such as leaky faucets or air conditioners, as they will be the most attractive to termites. If you find anything, make sure that they’re actually termites rather than ants. You can tell termites apart from ants by look at the body; termites have a broad midsection and curved antennae, while ants have thin midsections and right-angled antennae. You may also find them on the window sill or actually in flight around the house after a rainstorm.
Shelter Tubes
You should also look for cracks in the foundation of your home. Termites need moist and dark areas to live so they will build pencil-thick shelter tubes out of mud to find new sources of wood and moisture. To check whether the tubes are currently active and used, you can snap one off and see whether or not it gets rebuilt.
Wood Damage
This is the most conclusive sign of termites, even though it may be more difficult to find. Look for any weakened or cracked wood and break off a piece. Termites will have dug little holes all throughout the wood and may have tracked in dirt as well. Make sure not to confuse it with dry rot (where you’ll see fungus inside the wood) or water damage (where you will see dirt).
If you think you’ve found termites in your home, don’t panic. Termites are actually very slow at eating through wood, so you’re home won’t become unsafe anytime soon. However, you will need to call in a professional since actually getting rid of an infestation isn’t easy task. TalkLocal can help you by finding you a local high quality pest control expert to talk with in just minutes, so that you’ll be clearing up that termite problem in no time!
