7 Signs That You Might Have a Termite Infestation

Table Of Content

• What’s the Best Way To Get Rid of Termites?
• Learn More
• Don’t Ever Ignore These 6 Signs of Carpenter Ants in the House—Here’s Why
• Get professionals in
• STEP 7: Hire a professional if you need help or if the infestation is too large to handle with DIY methods.
• What’s the Difference? Identifying Termite vs. Carpenter Ant Damage

She writes on a broad range of subjects, including recipe articles, reviewing products, writing ‘how to’ and ‘when to’ articles. Lola now writes about everything from organization through to house plants. Lola is a graduate student, who completed her degree in Psychology at the University of Sussex.

5 things to know about Formosan termite swarms - Beaumont Enterprise

5 things to know about Formosan termite swarms.

Posted: Thu, 11 May 2023 07:00:00 GMT [source]

What’s the Best Way To Get Rid of Termites?

Termite baits are strategically placed around your yard to lure termites in. Once there, the termites are covered with a slow-acting insecticide or insect growth regulator. Many termiticides are highly toxic, making it critical to follow label directions with added care.

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Using their saw-toothed mandibles to bite off tiny pieces of wood, one piece at a time, they can chew through wood 24 hours a day, seven days a week. If subterranean termites are left unchecked, they have the ability to cause significant structural damage to a building, even causing a total collapse in some cases. To answer these questions, it’s important to know the different types of termites that are likely to infest your home. In the U.S., the two most common types of termites are subterranean termites and drywood termites.

Don’t Ever Ignore These 6 Signs of Carpenter Ants in the House—Here’s Why

When the termite infestation is too much for a DIYer to handle, it’s time to call the professionals. Termite exterminators can identify the termite species, note the problem areas around the home, and suggest treatment options. Professional termite treatments typically include bait stations, fumigation, and termiticide applications. Another sign you can look out for is mud tubes, which can indicate subterranean termites are present. These pests build most of their tunnels inside soil, sheetrock, walls, the foundation and other areas of a structure. You’ll likely see signs of mud tubes instead of the tunnels themselves.

However, they find entry points into places in your home like the attic, which is guaranteed to be a smorgasbord of dried out wood for them. Some methods can be applied directly to infested areas no matter what type of termites you have. These microscopic, segmented roundworms are natural parasites to many garden pests—including termites. Beneficial nematodes burrow into their host and release a symbiotic gut bacteria that poisons the termite’s blood, killing them within a matter of days. Apply a mixture of nematodes, potting soil, and cold water to the infested areas of your lawn and garden.

These spots are especially susceptible to termites when there is something built next to the foundation, like a porch or a pergola. These pests can also enter the home through bath traps, expansion joints or siding that partially extends into the soil. Drywood termites are unique in that they nest directly in wood, not in the soil, so different control measures must be used to control them, Webb says. Drywood termites are found commonly in central and southern California, Hawaii, and in central and south Florida.

However, you must officially disclose the infestation during the selling process. Additionally, if you had termites previously, it may be possible for the new homeowners to sue you if another infestation occurs. Schedule annual termite inspections if you’ve already had an infestation, or set up a monitoring system.

Recognizing the differences between these scenarios can help you decide whether tenting is the right choice for you. In some cases tenting makes the most sense, and in other cases, a more localized treatment option is the best course of action. It really depends on the location and severity of your infestation, as well as the type of property you have. This method should only be used when an established termite colony has reached a part of the home that is too difficult to access in other ways. All of these reasons are why tenting can help eradicate a termite infestation that has gotten out of hand. Anyone who lives in a warm, sunny state is probably already aware of the importance of tenting for termites as a method of fumigation.

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Works like radar to detect termites moving through wood and under drywall or tile. When used in combination with a heater, can also make termite galleries visible. The detector must be placed within a foot or two of where termites are feeding. Remember, early detection and proactive prevention are your best defenses against termites.

The best way to use these parasites is to combine the nematodes with water and potting soil and spread the mixture around the border of the home. The two primary types of termites that infest American homes are subterranean termites and drywood termites. There are also dampwood termites, though they typically only infest damp, rotting trees, and logs.

Swarms of termites infest Houston neighborhoods as mating season begins - Houston Public Media

Swarms of termites infest Houston neighborhoods as mating season begins.

Posted: Mon, 15 May 2023 07:00:00 GMT [source]

Originally from China, Formosan termites are the most aggressive known termite species, capable of consuming one foot of 2X4 wood in just 25 days. They live in huge underground colonies with an average of 350,000 workers and build intricate mud nests inside the walls of a structure. This species is known as the most aggressive termite, able to rapidly reproduce and cause significant damage. In fact, a mature Formosan termite colony can cause severe structural damage to a home in as little as six months and queens can birth over 1,000 eggs each. In addition to wood, this species can damage electric cable insulation and telephone coverages, potentially leading to costly damage and power outages. On average, homeowners can expect to pay between $237 to $975 and $572 on average for termite treatment.

They are larger than the two varieties mentioned below, although across the U.S. today, they are not as common. They are mostly found along the Pacific Coast because of the heavy rainfall and abundance of wood. We back up our pest control recommendations with a detailed rating methodology that we use to objectively score each provider.