Three keys to termite detection
What’s just under 3/8” long and causes extensive property damage every year? If you thought, termite, you are right!
These destructive little creatures can invade your home unnoticed and take a bite out of your home (and your wallet) without you even knowing it! That’s why we recommend a termite inspection to tell for sure if your house is becoming dinner for termites!
Termites can be very hard to spot. They eat wood from the inside out, preferring the soft spring wood growing in layers deep inside wood construction materials, fences, fallen branches, firewood and even wood mulch. You might not be able to see their handiwork until they’ve caused a lot of damage and even spread to multiple locations on your property. Termites do leave a few clues to their presence, though. Grab your work clothes and a pair of walking shoes. We’re going to take a trip around your property to look for subterranean termites, the most common termite species active across the U.S.
Termite colonies are decentralized, spaghetti-like things that can range from 10,000 insects to millions – and might even travel from your neighbor’s yard a half-acre away.
But if you see these three things, chances are good that termites are using your house as their favorite eating spot. 1) Swarms usually happen in the spring, when some of the termites take flight from the colony in an effort to establish a new colony. A homeowner with a termite problem will often find their bodies and/or wings lying on sashes and below windows where the termites have tried to exit.
2) Termites themselves. Simply pull back mulch around suspicious areas of the house or rotting wood near the house and look for termites.
3) Hollowed wood. Probe suspect wood with a knife or flat-blade screwdriver to see if it’s been hollowed, Jones says. Severely damaged wood may sound hollow when tapped.
What to do? Call us right away!