As a homeowner, your property as a whole is likely one of the biggest investments you have made or will make in your lifetime. So don’t you want to do everything you possibly can to ensure that your investment is taken care of properly? If so, this means you’re going to need to know how to spot the signs that termites have infiltrated your living space. Plain and simple, termite infestations can happen extremely quickly, with lasting damage occurring even faster. This will ultimately lead to the value of your home being completed destroyed as well.
Prevention of termites starts with being knowledgeable about them and knowing the key signs of an infestation. Continue reading below if you want to know what you could possibly be doing to attract termites to your home.
What Exactly Attracts Termites?
For the most part, termite colonies will be built around food sources. Since the main food source of termites is soft or rotting wood, they like to seek moist spaces. This is precisely why older homes are the ideal spot for termites to hole up…literally. The following scenarios are the most likely ones if you are attracting termites to your home.
Wood Piles
If you have piles of firewood outside of your home, you are absolutely attracting termites. Wood that sits outside in the elements all the time becomes moist extremely quickly, making it the perfect habitat for termites. When a woodpile is found by a termite colony, they will begin to make their way towards the housing structure that is storing it. In order to avoid an invasion, you should store or stack your wood at least 20 feet away from your house and keep it five inches off the ground at minimum.
A Lot Of Foliage
As dead trees and stumps rot, they attract termites in an extreme way. This obviously draws the termites closer to your home. Once they are done feeding on the dead tree, where do you think they are going to go next? That’s right, your house is the next stop for a colony of termites. In order to prevent this, it is a good idea to remove any dead trees or stumps from your lawn.
Leaves & Limbs
If there are any tree limbs or leaves that touch your roof in your front or backyard, it is a good idea to deny that access to termites. These critters are crafty and will not hesitate to use the bridge created by the trees in your yard to gain access to your home. Simply by getting your trees trimmed regularly, you can avoid this possible termite access point.
Mulch
Much like tree limbs or dead trees, mulch invites termites to get close to your home. The wood chips that mulch is made of act to attract termites to your home. If you want to still have mulch and not attract these pests, keep it at least 15 inches away from the foundation of your home.
Signs Of Termites
There are many different signs that will let you know that termites may have created a colony near your home. Even if you are not able to catch an actual termite in the act of heading back to their colony, seeing these things is a great way of knowing you have or you soon may have an issue with termites.
Wings
Shortly after they find a mate, termites will shed their winds. If you happen to see a pile of wings on your porch or your window seals, you may have a termite infestation.
Mud Tubes
In order for them to commute between their food source and their main colony, termites will build mud tubes.If you happen to find mud tubes around the foundation of your home, you will also likely find termites soon after.
Frass
The small brown droppings that termites leave behind are known as “frass.” If you notice that there are small, pellet-shaped spots around your home, it’s likely that you have termites.
Structural Damage
In the more advanced stages of a termite infestation, homeowners might start to notice damaged wood around their home. However, you won’t know if that damage is due to termites or other structural issues until you hire a professional pest management company.
Can Termites Eat Through Plastic or Concrete?
There are plenty of misconceptions about the abilities of termites. Two of the most common ones we hear is that termites can eat through plastic and concrete. This is not the truth at all. When it comes to plastic, termites may try to break through plastic in order to gain access to a food source, but they cannot eat it. When it comes to concrete, termites are small enough to fit through the cracks, and therefore it leads homeowners to think the termites have chewed through this durable barrier.
Do You Need Help From The Pest Professionals?
If you suspect that you have a termite issue in your home and you want to get it resolved as quickly as possible, you’re going to need to contact Earthwise Pest Management today. We can help you to rid your life’s largest monetary investment right now. Call us for more information!
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