Few home issues are quite as terrifying as the discovery of termites. While the actual insect is quite small, the path of destruction that they can leave behind can be enormous. Because they expand the colonies every year and produce hundreds of eggs a day, the termites will infest more places in your home until you find them and eliminate the entire colony. The best way to determine if you have termites in your home is to have a regular termite inspection. But there are other clues that can tip you off that there may be a termite infestation in your home.
Damage
The amount of damage a termite colony can produce may surprise you. US homeowners spend an average of a whopping $3000 on repairs after a termite infestation is discovered. Catching termites earlier rather than later makes a huge difference when it comes to the cost of repairs. Not only can a termite infestation be expensive, but they can also be dangerous. Termites thrive on eating the cellulose of the boards and beams in your home. They do not eat every piece of wood but just this softer material found inside each wooden board. This weakens the board. The reason why this can be so dangerous is because the wall, floor, or ceiling can maintain its outward appearance and look sturdy and then will crumble or break at an unexpectant time.
Signs of termites
As you clean or tidy your home, keeping a sharp eye out for a few tell-tale signs of termites could possibly save your home from becoming the next demolition project for a termite colony. While you most likely will not see an actual termite, knowing what they look like is also important. A few signs to look for are:
- Warped wood
- The appearance of water damage
- Tiny holes around your windows
- Small piles of frass, excrement that resembles saw dust
- Baseboards and trim that appear paper thin
- Mud tunnels on the exterior of your home
- Shed wings on your exterior window sills
If you see any of these signs, do not hesitate to call your trusted termite exterminator immediately.
If you see an insect in your home that you may think is an ant at first glance, take a closer look. While most termites stay hidden in your walls and can not endure sunlight, swarmer termites who are leaving the colony to start new ones may be crawling or flying around your home, looking for a way out. Termites look similarly to ants but have some key distinctions.
- First look at their antennae. Termites have straight antennae while ants are bent.
- Next, notice their wings. Both insects have two sets of wings. Both sets of termite wings are the same length while ants have a longer set on top.
- Lastly, check out the waist of the insect. A termite abdomen and thorax are about as wide as their heads, with little variation in width. An ant has a wasp-like waist that comes in sharply in a pinched look.
If you have seen any of the above signs of termites in your home, call your termite exterminator immediately. If you are in San Diego County, Nixtermite is the termite eliminator you can trust. Give Nixtermite a call today.
