A termite infestation is a serious problem that can leave you dealing with structural damage to your home, so early intervention is key to minimizing the damage and the expense of rectifying damage caused by termites. Here's an overview of how to identify a termite infestation and the treatment options available for eliminating them from your home:
Signs Of A Termite Infestation
There are a few tell-tale signs when termites have taken up residence in your home. If you have subterranean termites, which damage the subfloor of your home, you will notice blistered areas in your wood flooring. This can look like water damage and is indicative of termites eating their way up through the flooring and weakening the wood. Other wood structures in your home can also be weakened by termites, and common signs of termite damage include long grooves in wood, a honeycomb pattern, or hollowed sections. When damage occurs inside walls, the affected areas will sound hollow when knocking on them.
You may also see termite droppings around the wood they are infesting. The droppings look like coffee grounds or dark sawdust. Another clear sign of termites in your home is the presence of discarded wings around access points to your home. This indicates a swarm has taken place, which occurs when termites find a place to start a new colony.
Termite Treatments
Termite treatments should be administered by a pest control specialist, as eradicating termites involves the use of insecticides, which must be handled with care. Chemical treatments are applied directly to the wood in your home or the soil around your home if it's been determined that termites are accessing your home from a nest around the perimeter of the property. Approved termite treatments either create a barrier that kills termites when they come into contact with it, or they involve the use of slow-acting insecticide bait traps, which allows the termites to return to their nest with some of the bait. The bait is then shared with other termites in the colony including the Queen. Bait traps are more effective at wiping out a colony, but barrier treatments can be used to quickly protect wood structures that are being damaged, so sometimes both types of treatment are used together.
If you suspect termites have infested your property, contact your local pest control company that offers termite services and arrange a home inspection. They will determine the extent of the problem and formulate a treatment plan based on their findings.