Most people don’t take termites seriously because of their size. They’re so tiny that you may wonder what damage such little pests could possibly cause. However, you shouldn’t underestimate the extent of trouble based on the size of these pests. Termites can damage your property significantly, but that’s not the worst part. The worst part of a termite infestation is you won’t even know there are termites in your home till it’s already too late!
But that doesn’t mean early detection of termite infestation is impossible. If you look around carefully, you might find signs that indicate an active termite infestation in your home. The earlier you detect an infestation, the better your chances of controlling it.
This blog post highlights some signs that’ll tell you that you’ve got termites in your home.
You See Discarded Termite Wings
Another sign that can tell there’s a termite infestation in your home is discarded wings. Flying termites (swarmers) shed their wings after they take flight from their nests. If you see piles of wings near the foundation inside or outside your home, it’s a visible sign that you need to get professional termite treatment.
Holes in the Wood
You should be alerted if you see holes in the wooden structures around your house. Termites feed on wood from the inside, but to get inside the wood, they’ve got to make holes to enter. So, closely examine your wooden furniture and other wooden structures around your home for any tiny holes.
Wood Sounds Hollow Upon Tapping
If you see any holes in wooden structures in your home and want to be sure it’s a termite infestation, tap on the wood. If the holes are due to termites, the wood will sound hollow when you tap it. As we said earlier, termites eat the wood from the inside, leaving the interior hollow. If you press into this hollow-sounding wood, it might break easily.
Termite Droppings
Termite droppings can easily be confused with sawdust. They’re wood-coloured and primarily drywood that these pests feed on round the clock! Termites push their droppings out of the hollow wooden tunnels through the holes they’ve poked for entry. Some termites (subterranean termites) use their droppings to build tunnels, so if you see any tunnels, know that you’ve got termites in your home,
If you suspect there’s an active termite infestation in your home and need a professional to confirm it for you, get in touch with Bell4 Building Services and get a thorough pest infestation check.