Wood-destroying insects, like termites, can become a serious problem for both home and business owners alike. The problem with these pests is that they are often easily overlooked inside a structure, even when minor signs of their presence become obvious. Although termites are tiny, they have voracious appetites, which has them feeding on the wood in your structure 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. After a while, the termites that have found their way into your wood can cause it to become weak structurally, which can eventually cost you a great deal of money.
Have you had termites in your home or business before? If you haven’t, maybe you’re just worried that your structure is at risk of becoming infested with these pests. The best thing you can do to prevent a termite infestation in your home or business is to start a termite monitoring program. These programs are available through certified pest control companies and they typically remain on your property year after year, recording any activity if termites are present. With regular checking, a pest control professional can tell whether or not termites are present and if they are, a treatment plan can be put into place immediately to eliminate these pests. The benefit of a termite monitoring program is that termite damage can be caught quickly before it is allowed to get out of hand and begin costing you thousands in repairs.
If you don’t think a termite monitoring program is necessary, another option is to have yearly termite inspections performed by knowledgeable professionals. These pros know what signs of termites to look for and can identify a problem quickly. If the damage is old and a termite infestation is not currently present, they can let you know that too. They can also offer tips on how to make your property less attractive to termites.
If you don’t want to get a termite control professional involved and prefer to deal with things on your own, you can be armed with knowledge to help prevent a termite problem. Knowing the signs that termites leave behind is invaluable in the fight against termites and can help save you time and money. Here are some of the signs to look for when investigating a termite problem on your own:
- Shed termite wings show that a termite ‘swarm’ has occurred on your property (or even inside your structure). These wings can be left in piles sometimes or can be spread all over the place, but they are definitely present in large numbers. If you find shed termite wings, it’s very possible you have a termite infestation nearby.
- Wood that appears to be weather or water-damaged. This wood may just look worn to you, but if you look really closely, there will be mud packed inside it. This mud isn’t actually mud- it’s termite droppings that they use to patch up holes in the wood they are feeding on.
- Wood that looks to be blistered under painted areas or that appears to sag or droop. This is wood that typically has termite damage inside it.
- Termites must protect themselves from the dry air, so they build mud tunnels to get their foragers from the satellite colony that is located away from your structure into your structure. These mud tunnels may be seen along drywall and foundation walls, as well as along decking.
If you’ve seen any of these signs of termites, contact a professional immediately. Termites are not a problem that you can get rid of on your own. The pros at Big Blue Bug Solutions offer residential and commercial termite solutions; give us a call today to discuss our services or to schedule your first inspection.