Termites already have an almost limitless supply of food out in the world, and our homes make the perfect all-you-can-eat buffet. To help you spot termites around your Waldorf property, keep your eye out for these five signs.
Sign Number 1: Termite Damage Around Your Home
Termites don’t just infest homes; they also find a lot of their food out in nature. You have probably seen a dead tree or stump that has been chewed away by termites. To identify these pests around your property, look for fallen trees, stumps, and other wood-based structures that look as if they’ve been tunneled through or almost completely broken down.
Sign Number 2: Mud Tubes
Subterranean termites, the most common termites here in Waldorf, need to stay moist to survive. To maintain moisture, these termites dig tunnels several feet underground and use constructed mud tubes when above the surface but not in a piece of wood. Look for these mud tubes around the exterior of your home, and specifically its foundation.
Sign Number 3: Clicking Noises
Termites are mostly quiet pests, which is one of the reasons they are so difficult to notice. What most people don’t know, however, is that termites make a soft clicking sound when they eat wood.
If termites are chewing through wood inside your home, you will be able to hear them by placing your ear up to infested walls, ceilings, frames, etc.
Sign Number 4: Swarmers
Only so many termites are sustainable in a single colony. To expand without overpopulating a single nest, fully mature termite colonies produce swarmers. These winged reproductive termites leave their colonies and look for new areas to build and repopulate.
To identify swarmers around your home, look for six-legged white insects that are similar in appearance to queen ants. Tiny wings left on windowsills are another sign that swarmers were around recently and are probably settling in near your home.
Sign Number 5: Structural Damage
It often takes over a year for termite damage to become serious around a property. If your home has had termites for a while, you might start to notice some subtle and concerning signs of structural damage. Here are a few to keep your eyes out for:
- Overly squeaky floorboards
- Water-damaged and bubbling wallpaper/paint
- Sagging, wet drywall
- Tight-fitting doors/windows
- Visible tunnels running through structural wood
- Buckling walls, ceilings, and beams
What To Do About Termites
If you suspect termites are in your home or around your property, it’s time to get the professionals involved. At Mike’s Pest and Termite Control, we are in a constant battle against these tiny pests for the sake of local homes and businesses, and we are the best at what we do.
Using only industry-leading equipment and advanced termite-eliminating and exclusion strategies, we will give your property everything it needs to stay termite-free.
Contact us today to discuss your options and to find a plan that best fits your needs.