Each year, termite infestations destroy 600,000 homes in the United States, leaving behind $40 billion in damages across the country.
A termite infestation can be really damaging to your home, so it’s best to catch an infestation before it gets too bad.
To do this, you’ll need to recognize the signs of termites. Thankfully, we’ll break down some warning signs here for you.
1. You’ll Realize There Are Wings Lying Around
One of the first things you’ll notice is that there are discarded wings lying around your property. You may notice these either inside or outside of your house.
When termites become adults, they leave the colony to start a new home. Once they’ve flown to the new place they shed their wings. If a bunch of termites has made your home their new nest, they may have left their wings behind.
If you don’t notice any at first, check around the foundation of your home or around your window sills.
2. You Keep Noticing “White Ants”
Some people often complain that they keep seeing white ants in their homes. Unless you’re a bug expert, it’s really easy to mistake termites for ants as they look similar and act almost the same way.
However, if you look a little bit closer, you’ll be able to notice some differences. Termites are normally lighter and are white and creamy. Sometimes you’ll even be able to see through them. Ants are normally red or black in color.
3. You’ll Find Mud Tubes
Another sign of a termite infestation is that there will be mud tubes on your property. Sometimes you’ll find them outside, but they can also be found close to the foundation of your home, which will be their food source.
As they travel between their food source and their nest, they create a tube of mud to keep them moisturized and safe as they work on destroying your home.
4. There Will Be Termite Droppings
Another, more disgusting, sign is termite droppings all around your home.
For example, if you have dry wood termites, they’ll create small holes in the wood where they’ll discard their droppings through when they’re done eating.
These droppings are very difficult to notice, but they’ll look bigger once they start to pile up. You can normally identify as small, brownish pellets.
5. The Drywood Sounds Hollow
Lastly, since termites eat wood, you may start to notice that your walls sound hollow. If this is true, the infestation has probably been there long enough to eat most of the inside of your drywall.
Drywood termites will eat the inside of the wood, but they won’t eat the paint or the very last layer of your drywall. It might also feel papery when you knock on it.
Call an Exterminator if You Have More Signs of Termites
If you have these signs of termites, you should call an exterminator as soon as possible.
Termites are no joke, and if they’re not dealt with soon, they could cause hundreds of dollars in damage to your home.
If you’re looking for an exterminator who treats termites, make sure you contact us today!
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