SolveYourProblem
Article Series: Pest & Bug Removal
How
Do I Get Rid of Bugs & Pests?
Do
I Have Termites?
Termites
lead a “hidden” lifestyle, so it
is often difficult to identify them when they have infested
a home. These tiny insects are always hidden from view either
beneath the surface of the soil, beneath the surface of the
wood, or in mud tunnels, which makes them so successful in
invading buildings. Termite activity in a home can
be undetected for many years, and some signs of activity may show up unexpectedly,
or discovered by accident or during home repair. Common entryways
for termites are fairly small and may be found in a slab wall,
in lumber in contact with the soil, in an earth-filled stoop,
expansion joints, or foam insulation in contact with soil.
Most termite infestations occur in basements and in structural
timbers above cellar walls, and termites typically prefer areas
around furnaces, chimneys and hot water heaters and pipes.
The presence of termites is not detected until damage
becomes evident or termite swarming takes place. However, there are
some signs of termite infestation, including mud tubes, termite
swarms, and wood damage.
Termites
die when exposed to open air and sunlight, so
they use travel tubes made of mud, bubbled
paint, or wooden surfaces
that are damp and cool to the touch. The moist earth-colored
tubes may also be used as swarming exits for winged termites.
Owners should be on the lookout for these narrow tubes running
along the base of their homes; these mud tubes are a tell-tale
sign of a termite infestation. These mud tubes extend from
the ground to the infested wood. The tubes used for shelter
by the termites are muddy in appearance, flattened, and the
width of a pencil. Mud tubes are most obvious to the human
eye when they extend over concrete foundations and other exposed
surfaces, including cellar walls, wooden posts, exterior masonry,
and trim around doors and windows. However, if the tubes are
running along a crack, underneath flooring, or behind siding
and baseboards, owners will be unable to see them.
Reproductive termites swarm during spring inside or near a
building or window. Winged termites will emerge from indoors
or outdoors from swarming tubes adjacent to the infested structure,
and may sometimes shed wings, which makes it easy to detect
termite infestation. These swarming termites are attracted
to light, and may be found indoors around lighting fixture,
windows, doors, and vents. The winged termites may sometimes
be confused with winged ants, so it is important for homeowners
to be able to distinguish between the two. Ants have narrow
waists, much like the wasp, while termites have broader waists,
and ant’s wings are the same length as its body, but a termite’s
is almost twice the length of its body. Homeowners should lookout
for swarming termites inside and outside of the home, and discarded
piles of wings or seed-like pellets left behind by termites.
Wood damage is the most common indication of a termite infestation.
A common indication of termite infestation is the presence
of dark areas and blisters in wood flooring. However, some
damage may go undetected because termites only eat the spring
wood, and often leave the grain and exterior surface of the
structure intact. Tapping the wood, every few inches with the
handle of a screwdriver will help detect damage that is not
visible. Damaged wood will sound hollow and the screwdriver
may break through the wood into galleries, and worker termites
may fall out during the intrusion. Wood that has been infested
for a while, may be hollowed out with passages, and may even
appear rotten. Homeowners should be on the lookout for pinholes
in drywall and wallpaper, damaged or hollow wood, cracks in
walls, or blistered areas on the floor, wall or window frame.
Piles of sawdust caused by wood damage may also appear on the
floor, and may be another indication of termite infestation.
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SolveYourProblem.com
: 2008
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