Posted on Sunday, September 6th, 2020, 3:44 pm
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One thing that should alert every homeowner is the presence of termites in their residential area. Termites can invade your home and irreversibly damage the foundation and walls of your home, and also spoil the image of your home. Unfortunately, termites often go unnoticed until they have done real damage.
Recognizing the signs of termites in your home can help prevent serious damage by identifying an infestation early on. Once you have done this, you can take the necessary steps to get rid of the termites. In this article, we’re going to look at the 7 signs that you can use to determine if you have termites in your home.
1. Termite tubes
Typically, underground termites build mud termite tubes over the surface to protect themselves from the environment and predators. Mud tubes are one of the most obvious signs of the presence of termites. The mud tubes allow them to get between their food source and the colony. So, if you discover a mud pipe or mound in your home, know that there must be termites in your home.
2. Damaged wood
Damaged wood is the other sign of the presence of termites in your home. Termites feed on wood from the inside out and leave a unique pattern on the wood surface. As the wood is fed, it becomes hollow and weak. This leads to costly structural damage to your home.
It is difficult to spot damaged wood because the insects feed on the wood from the inside out. However, you may notice wood swaying or creaking, or you may find it difficult to open some windows and doors. In some cases, the damaged wood can also crack or crumble under pressure.
3. Head anxiety
The other sure sign that you have termites in your house is the soft clicking noise coming from the walls or other wooden parts of your house. Termites have been known to shake their bodies and hit their head against the wood to signal danger. Fortunately, the worker termites, who love to feed on wood, are noisy eaters, which makes it easy for you to spot their presence in time.
4. Paper or hollow sounding wood
As mentioned above, termites feed on your wood inside out, leaving behind a hollow sounding wood. This means that the inner part of the wood has been cut off and eaten, making it one of the most obvious signs that you have termites in your home. With a simple knock on your walls you should be able to hear the hollow sound.
5. Termite droppings
Termite droppings are another sign of the presence of these insects in your home, particularly termites from dry wood. The sign is usually checked at every termite inspection. These feces are small, round particles. They can look like a pile of pepper and be scattered around your house.
6. Difficult to open doors and narrow battle doors
The other possible signs that you have termites in your home are warped doors and stiff windows. Termites produce moisture as they feed on the wooden door and window frames, causing the frames to warp. This makes it difficult to open the windows and doors. This sign alone doesn’t necessarily mean you have termites, but it can signal an infestation when accompanied by other termite signs.
7. Discarded Swarmer Wings
Shedding of hawk wings is one of the most common signs of the presence of termites in a given area. Swarmers refer to the winged adult termites that act as future queens and kings of a colony. Swarming termites will shed their wings before finding a new nesting site. Therefore, if you discover discarded wings in your home, there is a possibility that there are active termites in your home. However, it is important to pay attention to the wing length, body type, and antennae as you can easily mistake these for flying ants.
Termites can cause severe structural damage to your home if not discovered in time. However, with the signs discussed above, you may be able to spot an infestation before it gets too bad. You should check your home regularly for these signs. The more proactive you are, the better!
