One of the worst things a homeowner can have to deal with is termites. Termites are very expensive pests to remove from your home. They can cause huge damage to wood, and in some cases, entire houses can be destroyed just because of them. Fortunately, there are quite a few ways you can protect your home against these destructive insects. Here are some tips to do just that.
– Look out for signs of termite activity around your house. There will generally be damp wood around the foundation of your house. This is where termites get water for nourishment. In the summertime, termites will use the humidity on your hot tub or heating system to help them survive the winter. If you see any signs of termites, especially around the foundation, you should take action right away before these critters can do enormous amounts of damage.
– Watch for dry wood termites. Drywood termites live below the surface of your house foundations and can cause a lot of trouble if not taken care of quickly. They build mud tubes (or protection tubes) to serve as passageways to the moisture they need for living. As these tubes become saturated, termites can make their way into your dry wood beams and crawlspaces, which can lead to serious structural damage. You should take extreme caution with any house foundations that appear to be wet due to termites.
– Watch out for termite swarms. There will generally be termites that emerge from the ground and start marching around your yard. These termites, called swarmers, will usually arrive in large numbers and follow the path of others coming from underground. It’s easy to confuse spammers with other small piles of mud tubes, but the difference between these two types of termites is that termites using mud tubes as a means of transportation are called carpet termites and farmers are the ones using open holes to move from place to place. Farmers tend to be in larger numbers and are most often found in large areas.
– Watch out for subterranean termites. This is the most destructive type of termite because it can invade your house foundations and build mud tubes as well as invade and eat other household pests. You might be surprised to know that this termite type also builds mud tubes under the house foundations. Unlike farmers, subterranean termites are usually found inside houses. While they are the second most destructive pest in North America, they are still quite easy to take care of, especially when you hire an experienced termite control company to do the job.
– If you see swarmers or mud tubes on your property, then there is a high chance that termites have made their way inside your house. Farmers and mud tubes are the first signs that termites have made their way inside your house. You should call up an expert right away, so you can have the termites removed right away. The longer you wait, the more damage will be done.
– If you have drywood termites, you need not be worried about getting them too. However, if you have wet wood termites, you will definitely want to hire a pest removal service to get rid of them in the best possible way. Common symptoms of drywood termites include dead termites, mud tubes and swollen termites.
– On the other hand, if you have wet wood termites, your main problem is probably going to be with farmers. The reason why this is such a big problem is that the termites will make honeycomb cells where they lay their eggs. If the mother termite sees the farmers, she will follow them to where the farmers are. This is when the termites will attack the wooden parts of your home. You can also have subterranean termites, which are totally different from drywood termites.