Termites can do serious damage to your home if left untreated. That’s why it’s important for homeowners to understand what signs to watch out for that point to a termite infestation. By familiarizing themselves with the signs of possible infestation, homeowners can act quickly to eliminate these pests from their living environments and avoid serious structural damage.
In this blog, we help families stay prepared by teaching them about the tell-tale signs of termite infestation. We’ll discuss:
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- Signs you have a termite infestation
- Mud tunnels
- Discarded wings
- Termite swarms
- Cracked wood
- What to do when you find termites
- Signs you have a termite infestation
Signs You Have a Termite Infestation
Termites invade roughly 600,000 homes in the United States every year, costing homeowners and landlords more than $2 billion in structural damage and pest control. Keep an eye out for the following signs of termite trouble in your home so you can avoid costly damage to your personal property:
- Mud Tunnels: One of the most common signs of a termite infestation is a mud tunnel. Termites are private creatures that love to build underground tunnels to avoid contact with others. As a result, homeowners may notice mud tunnels on walls, concrete foundation, patios, and other wooden structures around the home.
- Discarded Wings: If you start noticing dried, scattered wings around your doors, windows, air vents, and other openings around your home, it’s a sure sign of termite infestation. What’s worse is that termites only shed their wings when they begin to reproduce. That means more termites are taking up residence in your home!
- Termite Swarms: When their home isn’t big enough to house the entire termite population, the colony may swarm to another possible home. They’ll move out en masse in search of a better place to live. If you start to see flying termites flocking towards your light sources, you can bet your home will be the next place they attempt to take over. .
- Damaged Wood: Cracked, hollowed wood on furniture, floorboards, and other wooden fixtures around the property is another tell-tale sign of termite infestation. Termites typically get in from underneath, so it’s important to inspect your flooring for these obvious signs.
What to do When You Find Termites
Once termites are spotted, it can be tempting to try and eliminate them immediately; however, we caution against this. Disturbing a termite nest can trigger their survival instinct, causing them to move to another spot in your home where they can do even more damage. Avoid treating termites yourself with household insecticides.
If you have already tried to kill the termites using a DIY pest control method, don’t worry. Do not disturb them any further.
Next, you’ll need to schedule a termite inspection with a pest control professional. GreenHow offers free termite inspections to all Auburndale area families, thoroughly evaluating all areas in and around your property to ensure all vulnerabilities are addressed. Once complete, we’ll provide you with a comprehensive report on all key findings and suggestions for how to move forward with extermination.
GreenHow is proud to offer eco-friendly, powerful termite removal solutions that keep properties safe from severe structural damage. If you suspect a termite infestation in your home, don’t hesitate to contact us at (617) 964-4733 to request a termite inspection today!
Best Ways to Kill Subterranean Termites
Subterranean termites are more commonly found in the New England region. These destructive insects nest underground and tunnel into your home through mud tubes. They live in larger colonies ranging from 100,000 – 1 million members, making infestations extremely problematic for homeowners.
There are several different methods you can use to kill subterranean termites, including:
- Insecticides: Foaming termiticides and dust agents can easily seep into hard-to-reach cracks and crevices where termites may be hiding, effectively eliminating them from your living space.
- Termite Baits: Treat unsuspecting termites to a feast full of poison by using termite baits to lure in termites and have them carry poisonous materials back to their colony as a food source.
- Termite Barriers: Liquid termiticides can be applied to your soil, mulch, or wood chips in your backyard to create a barrier that kills termites as they pass through the barrier and spread pesticide poison from colony member to colony member.
Tips for Termite Prevention in Your Home
Once you’ve killed the termites in your home or backyard, it’s important to take steps to prevent infestation from recurring. There are several preventative measures that homeowners can take to mitigate their risk of termite infestation:
- Avoid Moisture: Subterranean termites in particular are drawn to moist areas, so be sure to keep your home dry and take care of any plumbing problems that might increase leaks or dampness.
- Remove Wood: Get rid of firewood stacks or tree stumps that are close to your home, patio, crawl space, deck, or any other wooden structures around your property.
- Yard Materials: Whenever possible, avoid using wood materials around the yard, choosing rubber, gravel, and mulch instead of wood chips to prevent giving termites a readily available food source.
- Keep Clean: Make regular maintenance a must for your gutters and pipes to prevent moisture and remove any wooden debris that might create a perfect food source for termites.
- Professional Inspection: If you’ve noticed signs of termite infestation or have dealt with termites in the past, request a free termite inspection to ensure your home is pest-free — the way it should be.
When to Contact A Pest Control Professional
Any termite infestation requires professional attention. This is because termites live underground, feed on wood from the inside out and there are very limited control options legally available to homeowners. Consider contacting a professional for help if:
- You’ve noticed the signs of infestation in your home or yard
- You’re concerned about the long-term damage termites can do to your home
- You have pets or small children and want eco-friendly yet impactful solutions
- You’ve had termite infestations in the past .
GreenHow is proud to offer free termite inspections to families throughout the Boston area and beyond. Our team understands that termite infestations are a cause for alarm, which is why we provide all inspections within 24 – 48 hours of your call.
Equipped with the most sophisticated pest control solutions, our professional team will eliminate termites from your home or yard in no time. Call us at (617) 964-4733 to request a free termite inspection today!