Once you see the initial signs of termites in your home or business, you know that you’ll have an uphill battle on your hands. These tiny, winged bugs are often mistaken for a swarm of ants. Termites cause expensive damage to the wood structures throughout your property. Unfortunately, most insurance policies refuse to cover damage done by termites.

Rather than resolve the problem yourself, turn to an experienced pest control professional to eliminate the problem.

How Did Termites Enter Your Home?

Homeowners dealing will a termite problem may not believe that these destructive bugs have an essential role in the ecological system. They help turn the dead wood into soil full of nutrients by speeding up the natural decay process.

Unfortunately for property owners, termites can’t tell the difference between fallen trees or the wood on your deck. While they are generally found outside in a forest, they can also enter homes via firewood or contaminated furniture.

Buildings and fences throughout the sunshine state are not only beautiful but also well built. Termites can destroy a well-built structure, and unless you have a trained eye to know their signs, you may miss important clues. It’s crucial to turn to a licensed pest control expert at the first sign of termites.

Types of Termites

The three kinds of termites found in the area are dampwood termites, drywood termites, and subterranean termites. Their names offer clues about their destructive nature, but there’s more to them than their descriptive titles.

Dampwood Termites

Dampwood termites have one thing on their minds: wood. More specifically, they feast on wood that’s been damaged by water or is in the process of rotting. That means these pests are commonly found near sources of moisture, such as leaks, standing water, and plumbing problems.

Avoid dampwood termites by eliminating moisture sources by diverting water away from the home’s foundation and repairing leaking faucets and pipes.

Drywood Termites

Thriving in dry areas, drywood termites feast on firewood, lumber, and any wood structure. These termites build their colonies away from the ground and soil, unlike dampwood termites. Drywood termites live in wood and do not require contact with the ground or soil to survive. Instead of building mud tubes, they build tunnels inside the wood they are infesting.

Subterranean Termites

Out of all the termite species, the subterranean termites cause the most damage to homes and businesses. They build distinctive tunnels or mud tubes to reach food sources and protect themselves from open air.

These persistent pests eat wood throughout the day and night, continuously chewing through wood fragments. In very little time, subterranean termites will cause major structural damage, and they are known to cause a total collapse of a building.

Common Signs of Termites

If you suspect that your home or business is infested by termites, there are some common signs to look out for.

One of the most obvious is finding the mud tubes or tunnels they build in areas where the wood meets the ground. Mud tubes are long tunnels that the termites construct to protect them from drying out as they travel.

Other signs include softwood in the home that sounds hollow when tapped, blistering wood, bubbling paint, and small piles of sawdust that area feces near a termite nest.

If you see detached wings near doors or on windowsills, that’s another sign that swarmers are present on your property. Swarmers are termites that leave the nest to mate and start new colonies. The presence of wings suggests a termite colony has already begun building and breeding.

While some of these signs may seem minor, it’s important to have a professional inspect your property if you suspect you have a termite problem. If left untreated, termites can cause major damage to your home.

How to prevent termites

Keep termites from finding a way into your home by adequately ventilating crawl spaces, attics, and the basement. Also, store firewood at least 20 feet away from your property. Termites can easily infest wood that is left outside in the moisture. It is suggested that homeowners seal gaps around pipes, electrical wiring, and other openings.

The best way to avoid a termite infestation is to have a yearly inspection. Call AAI Pest control today to schedule an appointment.

There’s an Answer to Your Termite Issue

Don’t ignore a potential pest problem, hoping that it will go away. Turn to the licensed and highly trained pest control experts at AAI. We offer homes and businesses in California’s Central Valley and the Bay Area complete protection from termites and other pests through specialized control services.
Tackling a termite infestation is a significant task. Contact us today for a quote and find out more about our termite services.