In our area, the termites we battle are subterranean termites. These are insects that live in the ground and feed on materials with cellulose, such as wood and cardboard. If they get into your Aiken home, they can secretly damage it for years. It is vital that you don't let them do this. Here are three easy-to-spot signs that termites have invaded your home, as well as a few warning signs that are not so easy to spot.
1. Wood Damage
Over time, termites can do a lot of damage to your home. While wood damage is one of the easiest ways to tell that you have a termite infestation, it is the worst. Termite damage isn't obvious at first. Unlike carpenter ants, carpenter bees, wood-boring beetles, and other pests that damage wood, subterranean termites rarely create holes that are visible. When you start to see termite damage, it is likely to be serious. Your floors will start to have a noticeable depression, or your walls will start to bulge. Doors and windows will start to stick, or windows may not stay up when you open them. Paint may start to bubble. We hope you don't wait to see this warning sign.
2. Swarmers
If you wake up and find dozens or hundreds of white-winged insects inside your home, you won't have to wonder if you have a termite infestation. While each individual swarmer is only about ⅜ of an inch long, a swarm of these tiny insects will make an impression on you. This sign is easy to spot. Unfortunately, there are two problems with waiting to see this warning sign.
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A termite nest doesn't start producing swarmers for years. Those winged insects are male and female reproductives that are tasked with leaving their nest and creating new nests. They're only produced when a nest has matured. That means, by the time you see this sign, termites have been damaging your home for years already.
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Termite swarmers rarely emerge inside. The subterranean termites we have in our area nest in the ground. When swarmers are released, they emerge outside. If you see them in your home, it is a warning sign of a severe infestation. It likely means the termite nest is very close to your home or underneath your foundation.
3. Shelter Tubes
If you're tending to your landscaping and you see mud lines on the side of your foundation walls, you may immediately recognize the lines as shelter tubes. This could be an easy sign if you know what to look for and if termites have created tubes where you can see them. Unfortunately, they don't usually create these tubes out in the open. Termite workers are photosensitive and prefer to work in areas that are extremely dark. This leads them to create shelter tubes underneath decks, stairs, porches, and other structures. Even when termite workers create shelter tubes in a dark crawl space, they may do so within concrete piers, where it is even darker.
Not-So-Easy Signs
Do you want to catch termites before they've had a chance to damage your home? Do you want to uncover shelter tubes where they are likely to be? If so, you're going to have to roll up your sleeves and maybe get a little dirty.
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Inspect your home annually and get into every dark location around and underneath your home.
If you have a stump, dead tree, or log in your yard, cut into it and look for worker termites, soldier termites, or tunnels.
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If you have wood that is lying on the ground, turn the wood over and look for termites. After you do this, we strongly recommend that you remove the wood from your property. It will attract termites.
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If you have mulch in your landscaping, dig under it and check to see if there is any termite activity, especially in areas that stay damp.
The Best Way To Protect Your Home From Termites
Termites can eat away at your equity and cut into your retirement savings. Protect your investment by hiring the termite experts at Aiken Pest Control. We use the most advanced termite control products to ensure complete protection for your property and your finances. Connect with us today. We're here to help.
