February 06, 2024
7 Signs You Need Termite Treatment in Your Home
Have you ever wondered if termites are making themselves comfortable in your home? Well, don’t shrug that feeling off. Instead, roll up your sleeves and look for the telltale signs of a termite infestation. Ignore those early warnings, and before you know it, your place could become termite HQ. Don’t let this happen to you.
Here are 7 signs of termite infestation.
7 Signs Your Home is Infested by Termites
1. Termite Swarmers
Do you see colonies of thin-winged flies outside or inside your home? If yes, this is the very first sign of termites beginning to reproduce and spread. Termite swarmers use this mating strategy to disperse and create new colonies.
If you see them nearby, it’s a clear indicator that you will see them more frequently as they continue to reproduce and disperse.
2. Discarded Wings of Termite Swarmers
When male and female termite swarmers mate, they drop to the ground and lose their wings before quickly finding a place to lay their eyes and build a new colony. While this reproductive process usually happens in broad daylight outdoors, sometimes they also make their way indoors near windowsills.
If you see a lot of discarded wings anywhere near your home (indoors or outdoors), this is another potential sign of termite infestation.
3. Mud Tubes
Mud tubes are one of the many common signs of termite presence in your home. Termite colonies usually live in the soil. They create these mud tubes using soil above the ground as a pathway toward a food source. This is why you will mostly find them along foundations and walls.
These mud tubes also help lock in the moisture necessary for them to survive.
However, mud tubes are not always an indicator of active termites. You should break open a mud tube and check for the presence of termites. If you see that the mud tubes are empty, there may not be active infestation. However, it is still advisable to get your inspected by a professional to make sure.
4. Hollow, Damaged, and Blistering Wood
Termites feed on wooden door trims, laminate flooring, baseboards, and other wooden structures in your home. If you see tiny pin holes in wood, it’s not a sign of termites but of a woodworm.
Termites do not pinhole wood but eat it away from the inside, making it hollow. When you tap on such wood, you can see the outer layer breaking free like paper. Termites only feed on the cellulose part of the timber. Nonetheless, the wood loses strength and sheds away as termites tunnel through and eat its insides.
Unlike any other damage, hollowed wood cannot be fixed and has to be replaced. Therefore, it is important to stop termite infestations in their early stages before they cause severe damage.
5. Termite Droppings
Termite droppings, also called frass, can be easily mistaken for sawdust. These tiny waste particles are discarded by dry wood termites through small openings near their nests, forming small piles. It is worth noting that subterranean termites, on the other hand, use their excrement to build tunnels.
Such droppings should not be overlooked and should be immediately inspected to stop infestations.
6. Bubbling or Flaking Wall Paint
While bubbling and flaking wall paint is most commonly mistaken for the effect of moisture-laden walls, it could also mean termite infestation. Termites love to live in moisture, and there could not be a better home than moisture-laden walls. If you notice signs of moisture in your walls, following up with a professional termite inspection can give you peace of mind and help you catch an infestation before it gets out of control.
7. Clicking Noises
When you sit in a quiet environment, you may notice some clicking sounds coming from near your baseboards and walls. If you hear it persistently, it could be the sound of termites chewing. Some termites also make banging noises as a sign of danger when their colonies are disturbed.
Termite Treatment Options
So, now that you’ve played detective and spotted those termite signs, are you thinking, “Uh-oh, do I really have a termite situation at home?” If you suspect a termite infestation, the next step is to choose a suitable termite treatment option with the help of a professional.
There are several options, and their suitability depends on various factors, such as termite signs, the type of termite, the extent of the infestation, and more. Some of the termite treatment options include:
1. Liquid Termiticides
For signs like hollow wood, clicking noises, and termite droppings, common termite treatment is a liquid termiticide. Liquid termiticide is a chemical injected inside walls and cracks where there is an infestation
It’s crucial to rely on professionals for this task, as they possess the expertise and equipment for precise termiticide injection. This method is widely preferred by professionals for treating wood and soil in cases of termite infestation.
2. Bait system
The bait system is another common termite treatment used against subterranean termites. With this approach, a bait system that contains tempting treats is installed near the colonies of termites.
The termites swarm to this new food source and, in turn, lose their ability to reproduce and grow. The baits used in these bait systems contain growth inhibitors that methodically and gradually dismantle termite colonies at their core.
3. Fumigation
This termite treatment is often used for destroying dry wood termites. If you see frass around your foundation, fumigation may be necessary. Fumigation works well against large-scale infestations and typically involves covering the whole house with a tent in order to deliver and contain the fumigation treatment. Once the house is tented, the pest control professional fills the tent with a toxic gas known as sulphuryl fluoride to kill all the pests inside the structure.
4. Foam Termiticides
Foam termiticides are used for termite infestations where liquid termiticides cannot reach. It uses a form of insecticide that foams similarly to shaving cream. This foaming agent can spread sideways and even upwards when injected into the wall.
5. Borate Treatments
Borate treatments are used in the preconstruction stage of a building where the walls are yet to be installed and covered. The active ingredient used in borate treatment is disodium octaborate tetrahydrate, which is diluted with water and coated on the lower part of studs and sills.
The Importance of Professionals in Termite Treatment
1. Effective and Guaranteed Termite Elimination
Calling a termite control professional will ensure that the whole process of identifying and removing a termite infestation occurs in a systematic and orderly manner. Professional termite control services are well aware of the pest management process and know how to eliminate the most stubborn termites from the house. Furthermore, they also provide guaranteed assurance of termite eradication before they begin their services. For example, Esparza Pest Control provides a 60-day guarantee. If you see termites after treatment, we will come back for free.
2. Proper Identification and Inspection
Before you treat your home for termites, you should confirm the presence of an infestation. A pest professional can help by examining your home and property, identifying any termites, determining the extent of any infestation, and helping develop an appropriate response to eliminate the pests from your home. This professional can then execute the appropriate treatment and confirm that it has successfully removed the termite infestation from your property.
3. Familiarity with Treatments and Applications
A professional termite company has a thorough knowledge of the chemicals suitable for effective termite eradication in each case. They are also experts in finding in-ground termite colonies. Furthermore, they are aware of the right dose of chemicals to be used in each case. They also ensure the application is odor-free and poses minimal to no threat to the occupants of the home.
If you see possible signs of termites in your home, call us right away for help in identifying and eliminating termites and other pests from your home!
