How To Tell If Termites Are In Your Home

November 21, 2014

In: Termites

In Connecticut and Massachusetts, termites are a year-round problem. Sure, they only swarm in spring and fall, but if you already have termites living in your walls, they eat wood twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week. It's a scary thought that these little buggers cause over $5 billion in property damage each year. Don't be a part of that statistic. Read on and find out how to detect these silent invaders.

If termites are damaging your house, you may see signs on the outside of your home. Typically, homeowners will notice the swaths of chew damage on their fence. It looks like leprosy or, if you're lucky, like someone took a wood carver to it. Why do I say, "if you're lucky?"? Because it is better to fix a fence than fix a support beam in your basement.

Inside your home you may find a patch where the paint looks peeled and the wood under it looks rough. This could be a sign of termite activity. Many believe that if they see a pile of sawdust on the floor, down the wall, or in a ceiling corner that they have termites. This is not true, termites eat the wood but other wood destroying pests like carpenter ants do leave behind sawdust piles. 

Another way to tell if you have termites is to inspect your exterior foundation for mud tunnels. These will look like veins on your foundation walls. Termites use them to travel from the soil around your home up into your wall voids. If you have mulch around your perimeter, peel it up and look under. Termites look like flying ants except they do not have the three distinct segments. They are more pill shaped.

If you find termites, call a pest control company. This is not an insect you want to take the chance on trying to remove yourself. They can do a considerable amount of damage to your home. In fact, a termite infestation can completely total a home. Get them removed by a company like American Pest Solutions which has a record of professional and thorough termite removal. They can also instal a monitoring station to make sure you don't have any more problems with termites. Learn more about protecting your Mass. or Connecticut home from termites. Don't be a statistic.