Termite Signs And Prevention

Signs You Have Termites

Swarming Termites  

• This is a mass of winged-termites that have grouped together to find and establish their new colony.

• Finding winged termites in your home is often the first sign of an infestation.

• Swarms usually occur in the spring and can have as many as 65,000 termites in the swarm.  

• Check out the About Termites section to see the difference between flying ants and termites.

Mud Tubes

• Mud tubes are probably one of the more visible signs of subterranean termites.  They use mud tubes to travel between the colony’s nest and their source of food and water. 

• Mud tubes are about the diameter of a pencil and originate in the soil and move into your home as need food sources are discovered.

• Check the woodwork, foundation walls, drywall, crawl spaces or any other type of surface for mud tubes.  They can extend for many feet.

Discarded Wings

• After subterranean termites swarm they will discard their wings.  If you find piles of insect wings near your windows, doors, light fixtures or in spider webs, there’s a good chance there’s a swarm of termites nearby.

Wood Damage

• You need to look carefully for this as wood damage isn’t always easy to detect

• Termites feed on the wood from the inside out, leaving a thin exterior layer intact.  

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  Here are a few simple ways to check for damage:

• Break off a piece of the damaged wood.  Small tunnels winding throughout are a sign of termite damage.

• Tap on the wood.  If it has a hollow sound, there could be termite damage.

• Look for wood that appears weakened, has small cracks or is blistering

Termite Prevention Tips

• Termites need moisture to survive, so eliminate their access to water both indoors and out:

                           •  Repair leaking pipes, faucets, etc.  
                           •  Remove any standing water near the foundation or on the roof of your home.
                           •  Keep gutters and down-spouts clear of debris to allow water to flow out.

• Make sure shrubs, mulch and other landscaping are away from the foundation.

• Keep soil at least 6 inches away from the bottom of stucco, siding, wood steps, lattice work and door frames.

• Think twice about leaning that wooden trellis against your home.

• Stack firewood and scrap lumber away from any structures and eliminate old stumps and wooden debris.

• Keep crawl spaces and basements clear of wood debris, newspaper, excess cardboard, etc.

• Screen all exterior vents to prevent entry.

• Seal all cracks and holes in your home’s foundation to eliminate easy access to termites.