Serious home damage due to termites is not unheard of in Utah. Since they are very secretive pests, preferring to build their nests in areas usually inaccessible to inspection, it’s easy for an infestation to get out of control. If that happens, not only will the termite fecal pellets cause wall discoloration and a bad smell, but your home’s structural integrity will be at risk. This is a dangerous situation, especially in an earthquake-prone area such as Utah.
To keep ahead of any damage, be on the lookout for these signs of an infestation so you can take protective action.
Dried Mud Tubes
Subterranean termites nest in soil because they need protection from the elements of weather exposure. When these pests are invading, they build mud tubes overexposed foundational areas to travel undetected into the wooden parts of your home. If you notice dried mud tubes on the ground outside, there is a good chance you have a termite infestation.
Swarming
In the spring or fall, winged adults fly around and swarm, sometimes inside your home. To identify them, they are dark brown in color and have two pairs of nearly equal-sized wings. They are also weak flyers. If you notice swarming, you probably have a termite infestation.
Damaged Wood
When most people are inspecting for termite damage, they often look for damaged wood. However, since termite tunneling occurs inside the wood, damage may not be noticeable at all. To know if the wood is tunneled through, use a screwdriver to try and penetrate the weak wooden shell. If it breaks easily and you can see irregular wood tunneling, you have a termite infestation.
Places to inspect for termite activity in wood include:
- Basements and crawl spaces
- Wood window sills
- Joists and support posts
- Wood porches
- Scrap wood piles
- Dead trees and wood stumps
Termite Removal
Termite control cost is quite minimal when you consider how much it will cost to repair moderate or severe termite damage to your home (which may require a complete gut job). It’s in a homeowner’s best interest to get rid of termites as soon as they are detected.
For more information on termite removal, contact Preventive Pest Control today!