Thursday, May 2, 2024

7 Signs That You Might Have a Termite Infestation

termites inside house

Orkin Pros are trained to address any current signs of termites in a house, as well as implement solutions to help prevent future issues. Through a specialized approach to termite control, Orkin can help protect your home with a termite treatment plan suited to your specific needs. The presence of these tunnels near the foundation of your home is a sure sign of subterranean termite infestation. Just like drywood termites, subterranean termites produce winged swarmers which indicate an active termite colony. This is by far the most common type of termite you’ll encounter in the United States.

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If these scouts find their way into your home’s crawl space and discover that it has wood and moisture, it’s the termite jackpot. To implement the plan, Orkin will use three primary types of treatments. If you suspect you have termites in your home, it’s important to take action quickly. Telltale signs like hollow-sounding wood and mud tubes will let you know they’re taking over.

Set Out Bait

The tubes that these different kinds of pests build look similar, but they have some features that can help you tell whether you’re looking at a termite’s mud tube or a mud dauber’s nest. Subterranean termites can take advantage of even the smallest opening. Some of the places that are most vulnerable to this type of termite are gaps along the foundation.

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They are the sexually mature males and females of the colony that are attempting to reproduce and start a new colony. Depending on their colony size and species, they can emerge in substantial numbers, ranging from hundreds to thousands. Explore what to do if you find mud tubes and when you should conduct a termite inspection. Termite control specialists have the tools, training and equipment needed to thoroughly inspect your property, figure out whether you have an infestation and treat the pests.

termites inside house

What Are Common Types of Termites?

Beneficial nematodes are natural parasites that can be used as another eradication method to poison and destroy a colony. When eaten by a termite, the nematodes will burrow into the termite’s body, poisoning it from the inside. Beneficial nematodes can be purchased online or at most garden stores.

Flying termites don't normally stray too far from their nest, so you might be able to locate those that are hidden by following them when you turn off lights. If you plan on getting your house treated for termites, expect to pay around $767, on average. The first is the extent of the infestation, with preventive treatments costing less than treating established colonies.

Sarah Horvath is a senior-level home service review professional with more than 10 years of experience in the homeownership industry. You can find her writing on sites like Robinhood, MoneyLion, Benzinga, Forbes Advisor, and more. When she's not busy writing, Sarah enjoys spending time in her home in Orlando with her fiance and her parrot. There are several reasons why you might suddenly notice a colony of termites invading your home. The good news is that it’s nothing you did, but is mostly environmental factors that have to be just right to attract these critters to your home.

How to Get Rid of Termites

These pros can help take care of your pest problem before it gets worse, plus they can help reduce the chance of termites coming back to your property. Drywood termites might get into your house through a gap along a door frame, crack in your roofing or an unscreened vent or window. For this reason, it can be beneficial to check and make sure furniture and other wooden items aren’t infested before you bring them into your house.

How to Identify Termite Activity

This species can even infest wood furniture and framing if they gain inside access. As such, they can easily and unknowingly be transported in wood items from one location to another. They are found in the southern states, from North Carolina through the Gulf Coast and in to the coastal areas of California.

“We think a lot about the ways in which our work is situated in a particular place, time, and cultural context, and how buildings create experience and memory,” Jimenez Keenan says. “The casita will eventually feel like a ruin, overgrown with foliage, something that looks as if it belongs here,” she notes. You should only tent for termites when a professional has determined that you have an infestation, and that the infestation can not be eradicated through other methods of extermination. Wooden floors are often made thin and brittle by termites, in which case other treatment methods would be unsuitable because there isn’t enough surface area for the treatments to be applied. She has been writing content for Future PLC for the past five years, in particular Homes & Gardens, Real Homes and GardeningEtc.

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They love the humid and moist climate of the Deep South, but they’re found all over the country. These termites need not only wood to establish new colonies; they also require soil and moisture to construct their signature mud tubes (also known as drop tubes). The technicians from an experienced, reputable pest control company know exactly how to find entry points, identify colonies, and create a treatment plan. Most pest control companies use a multi-pronged approach, depending on your home’s specific needs. Termites also look to eat anything with cellulose, such as magazines, books, textiles, and furniture. Another issue is if your home has already sustained water damage, then it's easier for termites to infiltrate.

Tenting is not an ideal solution, but if you have a bad enough termite infestation that’s especially difficult to reach, it may be your best option. Of course, tenting has many disadvantages as well, including the fact that you, your family, and your pets (if you have any) must all leave the house. The tent holds the gas in and prevents it from dispersing into the atmosphere, while ensuring that any pests trapped inside the enclosed area are killed. The HomeAdvisor Community Rating is an overall rating based on verified reviews and feedback from our community of homeowners that have been connected with service professionals. Maintain pipes and gutters regularly to prevent wood and moisture buildup.

However, typical DIY pest control methods against termites, aren’t often as successful as they are against common household bugs. Discarded wings as the swarmers mature are another sign of a termite infestation. You may also notice bubbling or blistering on your paint on doors or windows, or anything wooden. These are tell-tale signs that termites are tunneling through the wood. You can further test this by pressing down on the bubbling paint — if the underlying structure has damaged wood and comes away easily or feels hollow or spongy, termites are the culprits. However, this doesn’t mean applying essential oils around your home with a spray bottle will be effective.

If you’re building a deck, Webb suggests pressure-treated wood, which is more resistant to termites though not termite-proof. If you have wood steps, a concrete block at the bottom of the steps may confuse the termites enough to keep them from climbing to wooden steps. Termites only need one small crack to get inside, and if you miss even one the problem may persist. If you hire a professional, ask about their guarantees if the termites show up again; different companies make different promises. If you take the necessary steps, and continue termite prevention and exterior home maintenance, you will keep termites away for good. Get your home regularly inspected by a professional to keep termites at bay.

However, while waiting for professional intervention, you can use the methods below to keep the population down and keep your home as clear of these flying pests as possible. Drywood, dampwood, and subterranean termites are the three primary types of termites you may encounter around your property. Termite swarms may take place inside or outside of a home as mature termites leave the nest to start new colonies. You may find small piles of wings in spider webs and on surfaces around your home’s foundation, like window sills.

However, if they find a moist place in your house, such as the area around a plumbing leak, they can use this area as their new home, multiply within your house and feed off any of the wood in your home. They can survive off the moisture they find in wood, so they do not need moist tunnels to travel through like subterranean termites. Instead, they fly to the wood they feed on, which means they can enter your home through a crack at any level of the structure.

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