How Do You Know Whether You Have Termites In Your Home?

For so many of us it is difficult to ascertain whether our homes are infested by termites or not.

How can one treat termites without knowing whether they are present or not and where they are exactly?

Unlike what most people would think termites do not come from soil, food sources or mud tubes. To be able to identify termites you must know a little bit about them first. There are two types that can infest: Termites that rely on wood for survival and those that live underground. The former is called dry wood and the latter, subterranean. Dry wood termites are not necessarily found in firewood; they can be present in that wooden frame that hangs in your lounge or the furniture that adorns your house.

The unfortunate thing with termites is that in more than 80% of the cases people do not notice them until they see damaged furniture or come across a swarm of these. You should be looking for mud tubes with tiny, white insects. You may not notice any termite damage now but you can always check to see if they have proliferated by:

• You can probe wood for hollow spots. If you notice cracks or disturbed paint coat on a wooden surface seal it otherwise, it will give swarming termites the opportunity to enter.
• You may not see the termites but you may be able to see plenty of discarded wings. Termite swarms fly together to make new colonies. The subterranean termites do that in the spring while the dry wood do not have a set time. If you notice a swarm or just the wings, you need to call for Phoenix pest and termite control professionals ASAP.
• Subterranean termites like to build mud tubes in surfaces like a home’s foundation so that while they search for food there is moisture available. To counter this you can start putting mulch, wood chips or firewood away from your house so that there is no moisture rich habitat to attract any termites.
• On the other hand Dry wood termites are known to make droppings called frass while they eat through wood. This is also wood colored and so is hard to detect.
• Termites feed on wood but not on its surface because they prefer dark and humid environments and to remain hidden. To check for them you need to check for hollowed wood. Regardless of the smooth surface of the wood you must check whether any damage is being inflicted there or not. Tap it to see.

Termites are a huge threat to your home which is your biggest investment. Therefore, if you see any of the signs listed above do not hesitate to contact a good pest control agency. Taking appropriate measures now will ensure your home remains pest and especially termite free saving you from stress and unnecessary costs.

For more services and information feel free to contact us, or visit us at www.kykopestprevention.com.