Did you know that termites cause an annual $5 billion worth of damage to U.S. homes? And to make matters worst, the damage isn’t covered by most U.S. home insurance companies.
Despite their size, these little insects can cause serious destruction to your home. And if you don’t recognize the signs of a termite problem before they get serious, you could end up paying a fortune to cover the damage.
If you don’t want to pay the price for a pest problem, read on. Here are the seven telltale signs of a termite infestation.
1. Swarmers
Swarmers are young termites that leave their nest in the springtime to mate and start new colonies. They typically fly in groups or swarm, hence their names. You’ll often see them swarming near outside lights or near your door or windowsill.
2. Discarded Wings
Swarmers are poor flyers and they are consistently shedding their wings. Are there collections of discarded wings at your windowsill or at your door? This is an unfortunate indicator of a pest infestation.
3. Mud Tubes
Mud tubes around your foundation are a sure indicator that you have termites. The termites create these tubes using soil, wood, and saliva. They provide termites moisture for survival as they travel between their colony and their food.
This article explains that mud tubes are more common during the summer when termites are seeking entry points into homes.
4. Wood Damage
Are you seeing any blistering wood in your home? Tap around the area and see if it seems hollow. Unfortunately, that could be termites eating your home from the inside out.
5. Paint Damage
If your paint looks uneven or bubbly, you should identify the cause quickly. This sort of damage is usually due to moisture build-up, and it’s either water damage or a buildup of termite saliva.
6. Frass
If you see little piles of dust on the ground near your walls or furniture that Kind of looks like specks of wood, it’s very likely termite droppings. Termites leave little droppings of wood behind as they eat. These droppings are referred to as frass, and if you see them on the ground, you know you have termites.
7. Ticking Noises
Do you hear ticking sounds in the wall? Does it almost sound like sucking? That could very well be termites gnawing at your wood, and they could be doing some serious damage.
Stop The Termite Infestation
If you see any of these signs of termite infestation in your home, you need to have a termite treatment done on your home right away. Contact pest control or an exterminator. They have several termite solutions that will help you get rid of the little wood home eaters quickly.
Save yourself from paying large repair costs. Call a professional the second you start seeing these signs.
For more content on home maintenance, check out our other home improvement articles today.
