Termites are a serious and expensive problem for homeowners. Subterranean Termite colonies can cause damage without the owner seeing it, and they can lead to a costly repair bill. In this blog post, we will discuss how you can identify termite damage in your home and what to do if you find them.

What are the signs of termites in your home?

Subterranean Termites can be found anywhere from the basement to the attic. There are several possible signs to look out for in your home. The first sign is a pile of wings near a window, door or around the baseboard in your home. They are produced by termites to escape the termite colony to set up new colonies.

If you are trying to diagnose whether or not subterranean termites are present in your home and want to know if there is an infestation, then one good way would be by looking for mud tubes that they leave. Mud tubes are tunnels and pathways that the worker termites build to get from point A to B in your home.

These thin tubes made out of soil and resin may be built on top of surfaces like walls or furniture. Termite mud tubes are seen around the outside and inside wood surfaces. These thin mud tubes made out of soil and resin will sometimes contain termites if you poke them gently with your finger.

The third sign are termites themselves. If you see small, slow-moving pale in color bugs that resemble ants, they may be termites. Termites usually have an orange head and gray body with six legs. A colony of termites can range from a couple hundred to several thousand members, so it’s important not to confuse a termite with other bugs.

The fourth sign is the presence of live subterranean termites, and this may be found in tiny piles with wings at one end near a food source, such as wood where they are eating away at it. A colony of termites can range from a couple hundred to several thousand members, so it’s important not to overlook the presence of termites in your home.

The fifth sign could be property damage to the walls of your home, which could be signs of termites eating away at the wood. Termites eat wood and can cause structural damage to your home if left untreated, so it’s important to find them as soon as possible before they spread throughout the house.

What happens if you have subterranean termites in your house?

As soon as you find a termite infestation you should call an exterminator. If you do not take care of them, they will continue eating away at your home and cause serious structural damage that can only be fixed through costly repairs or construction.

A termite exterminator will be able to give you options for treating your home. Termite control can include: pesticide applications outside and inside to give your home a chemical barrier to protect against termites or a termite baiting system which is less invasive to your home and environment.

It is important that you go over any treatment options with an termite exterminator before choosing one, so that he or she can go over which would be best for your situation and home.

What attracts termites to a house?

Termites seemed to be attracted to a house because of the wood. Termites want to live in moist, warm environments and eat wood which is full of cellulose. Cellulose is a carbohydrate that termites love to eat. Wood is one of their main sources of food, so termites will be attracted to a house with an abundance of it.

Termites also seem to love areas with moisture, because these are ideal places for them to set up their colonies and reproduce in large numbers. If your home has any water damage, termites love moist wood that is rotting on your property.

If you have had a leak in your pipes, or moist areas on your property that are not being dried out quick enough, then these are perfect spots for termites. The more moisture there is around your house, the more likely it will be for termites to feed on your home.

Firewood placed against the side of your home can also attract termites. If you have a fireplace, or wood stacked near the back of your house, termites may also be drawn to this area.

How do you kill termites to protect your home?

The best way to kill subterranean termites and other termite species is with the help of a termite control professional. They have the tools and know-how to identify where the termite colony is, how large it is, and determine if there are other pests inside your home that will need to be dealt with at the same time.

The termite and pest control exterminator will treat with either bait stations or a liquid termiticide.

Treating the termites with a liquid termiticide can be one option. One can be sprayed and injected in the ground around your home. The liquid termiticide will kill the termites that come in contact with it.

Another great option is to treat termites with a baiting system. The termite control professional will place small stations in the soil around your home. The stations will have bait inside of them. The termite colony will feed on the baits and slowly die off.

There are several different types of bait stations. You will want to make sure that the termite exterminator uses a bait station that is been proven to eliminate termite colonies. Some types of termite bait stations are better than others, so you want to make sure your Termite control professional uses a proven product for best results.

Termite infestations are a problem in many homes across the United States. What’s worse, termites can be difficult to find because they’re hidden from sight. To learn more about how you can protect your home from these pests, get in touch with our experts today for an inspection of your property!