How to Spot Termites in your Home

Appearance of Termites

Although there are only about 40 different species of termites in the United States, there are over 2000 different species in the world. They are typically between ¼ and ½ inches in length and have soft bodies. The king and queen termites in a colony are larger and can reach up to one inch in length. Most people imagine termites being brown, but they can appear much lighter and even white colored.

Signs of Termites to Look for

1. Blisters in Wood Flooring

When termites are feeding within or below the wood, sometimes blisters form. Sometimes this can be confused with common water damage, so it is important to schedule a free inspection with Bugg Busters Exterminators.

2. Hollowed or Damaged Wood

A lot of times, termite damage is found below and behind the surface of walls, floors, and other wooden objects within the home. Termites will chew through wood in search of cellulose, leaving behind unique grooves within the wood. Over time these grooves combine, weaken the wood, and create structural damage. If you knock on hollowed wood, it will make a clear, empty sound.

3. Clues from Swarms

Termites will swarm in order to venture out of a nest inside a home once it has reached maximum capacity. They will try to find any space they can squeeze through to attack the foundation of your home. When termites have swarmed into your home, you will find wings near closed windows, doors, and other home access points. When they land, termites oddly peel their wings off as they won’t need them anymore. Finding these wings is a telltale sign of a termite infestation.

You can tell the difference between ant and termite wings as typically one wing is larger than the other for ants.

4. Mud Tubes

Mud tubes are made of small pieces of soil and wood and most commonly used by subterranean termites. Termites build these mud tubes to protect themselves from predators and dry environments while traveling between a food source like a tree or shed and their nest. They are mainly found where the ground meets your house.

5. Drywood Termite Droppings

These specific species of termites, the drywood termites, nest inside the wood of your home. While tunneling and burrowing into the wood, they create galleries that they like to keep clean for themselves. Since these termites need to go to the bathroom like any organism, they normally kick the feces outside of the hole and will appear as a mound of tiny pellets. Many people think they look similar to piles of sawdust or coffee grounds.

Unfortunately, if you don’t see any of these common signs, there is still a chance that your home is infested with termites. The only surefire way to know the truth is to hire a professional pest control technician to check out your home. Remember that it will always cost less to be proactive and prevent than to react and rebuild.