Any home or building can suffer from termite damage and it gets worse when you don’t notice it beforehand. Termites can ruin foundations when left alone for long and this would cost you thousands compared to hiring a professional termite control service.
Pests are dangerous when they start forming an infestation. When you have unwanted infestations scattered throughout your property, it will be harder to remove them. That’s why it matters that you spot the pests as early as possible.
Some people opt to use DIY solutions when it comes to controlling pests, but this isn’t effective most of the time. Simple home-based solutions often only take care of the problem on the surface area; they don’t completely get rid of the source of the infestation.
Familiarizing Yourself With Termite Damage
It helps to be familiar with termite evidence in your house. It’s because when you find one, you will immediately know if you have a pest infestation or not. Homeowners must be aware of the conditions of their homes or places of residence to help prevent worse infestation damage in the future.
Drywall Damages
Your drywall has plaster panels that are covered with paper. One thing you should look out for is small holes in the drywall and even on the ceiling. The termites will use the holes to push in their feces. Look for small-sized holes that look like they have pellet-like objects in them.
It’s usually drywood termites that cause this type of damage. They start chewing from inside the walls and this doesn’t show signs in the first stages. If you want to know if there is termite activity beneath your walls, try to look for bubbling or paint that begins to peel.
If the infestation goes on longer, you will start seeing maze-type tunnels or veneer cracks forming on your floorboards or walls. When you find drywood termites in your home, it shows that you have a mild termite infestation and should be treated by pest control as soon as possible.
Structural Damages
Wood isn’t the only thing that termites damage. They can also hew through plastic and even metal sidings. Structural damage is very risky and dangerous for homes and this is one termite activity you need to look out for at all costs.
Your home or building’s structure relies on its foundation, columns, and support beams. The bad news is that there are termites that like to attack these specific places. Having an infestation will greatly endanger the structural integrity of the building.
Not only would this cause you harm and danger, but it could also reduce the value of your home. Repairs can cost a lot; that’s why you have to control the situation before it gets out of hand. Call professional termite control services as soon as you notice Subterranean termite activity in your home.
Furniture Damages
Another common termite infestation can be found on your furniture. Lots of houses have wooden furniture in them and the pests like to hide and chew on these items. Not only do they live off of them, but they can also spread to other furniture in the house or area.
One thing you can do is to knock on the furniture and find hollow areas. When you locate a hollow sound check to see if there are any small holes around it. These could be the entrance of the pests into the furniture and that’s your cue to have your items inspected.
Unused Wood Damages
Infestations are also prevalent in places where you store unused wood. If you have fresh wood that suddenly starts decaying then you should suspect that termites are the reason for it. There are dampwood termites that attack wood and build colonies in them.
These pests are attracted to wet wood, logs, tree trunks, and even piles of leaves. You can often find them in gardens or lawns where the wood usually gets wet from the weather changes. If you have unused wood that you don’t need, it’s better to regularly dispose of them.
Not only do dampwood termites affect wood, but they can also negatively affect your plumbing. Once the exterior windows and doors aren’t able to close properly, then it is a big sign that you might have a pest infestation in your area.
Simple Signs That Show You Might Have a Termite Infestation
There are also some other simple signs you could look for to know if you have pests in the home or not. You might find one or more of these signs depending on the location and state of your house or building. It’s still important to take note of them especially when you are planning to call pest control services.
Signs of infestation include termite droppings, mud tubes, water damage in the building, discarded insect wings, and a mildew smell in some house areas. Other signs would include seeing small holes in your walls and wooden furniture, seeing maze-like tunnels in wood, buckling walls, and curling in laminate tiles.
Probably one of the biggest signs is seeing the termites themselves. They are rarely alone and would often be found in colonies crawling on one side of your walls. When you see hollow walls with holes in them, you can crack them open and possibly see a line of termites crawling behind them.
Saving Your Home From Infestations
It’s always recommended to have your home inspected for any type of infestation. If you feel like you are dealing with pests at home then don’t wait for the worst to happen. Always call the experts as your first line of defense.
Pest control services will do an initial inspection of your home or building. This is to help determine if there is an existing infestation on your property and how bad it is. After inspecting, pest control will give you their report and suggest treatments to help rid of the insects.
It will be up to you what kind of pest control services you decide on using, like fumigation or barrier treatments. If you are unsure if you can afford them or not, always ask for a quote. Pest management companies will often give you quotes based on the service type that you plan on using.
What’s good about working with professionals is that they can give you plenty of advice on how to take care of your home and furniture. They will also suggest ways for you to keep your property infestation-free in the future. You can avoid severe termite damage when you work with a reliable pest control service.
