Having termites living inside of your home is a really bad situation. You probably don’t even realize how big of a deal it is when termites start to eat away at the structure of your home. A termite infestation can turn badly really quick. You will want to be sure that you catch any signs of an infestation before it is too late. A New Castle pest control company gave us some really good advice regarding how to catch termites early and what to do to get rid of them.
Signs of Termites
It is much easier to catch termites living on the outside of your home versus the walls inside of your home. You should always start checking for termite damage on the outside of your home as it is usually much more visible. Visual signs include wood that looks very aged, moist wood, and small cracks.
When termites start to eat away at the wood it quickly starts to look a lot like barn wood as many people would explain it. However, the wood has not just aged to look like that. If you start to touch the wood you will realize that it is actually very brittle. If you find wood like this, you probably have a termite problem.
Termites eat the wood away as they make their way into the home. Unlike other species that can damage wood, they don’t just chip away at the surface, they are actually eating the wood. Moist wood is more attractive to termites because it is easier for them digest. If you have wood that is constantly wet around your home you should check it for termite damage as it is a great place for them to start.
You may notice small lines in the wood that look as though they have been etched away. This is a sign of a termite. They start eating away through the wood in a small tunnel. Once inside of the wood they will hollow out the inside. If you can catch the termites easy, you may be able to catch them before they have had the chance to hollow the wood and the damage will be less.
If you think that the termites are on the inside of your walls the best way to check is to knock on the wood surfaces and see if you can hear a hollow sound. If the wood sounds hollow there is a fairly good chance that they have made their way into your home.
The Solution
Finding termites inside or outside of your home can be frightening. The damage that termites cause can be really expensive and can really take a toll on your home. You can spend thousands of dollars repairing damages if you allow them to get out of hand. It is always best to call a pest control company who handles termites as soon as you think you may have a problem. The earlier you catch the problem the less of a problem it can be and the cheaper it is to fix it.