Early signs of termite infestation

The Early Signs of a

Termite Infestation

Termites are referred to as silent destroyers. They cause extensive damage to properties before their presence is even detected. Recognizing the early signs of infestation is crucial to preventing these pests from turning your property into their next meal.

This article will give you all the information you need to recognize the subtle signs of termite activity. You will learn the steps you need to take if you see these signs and the necessary measures to prevent them, potentially saving you thousands of dollars in repairs.

Why Worry About Termites?

Termites are often an afterthought until they start infesting your property. Here’s why you need to take immediate action when you detect them and implement pest control services before they start an infestation:

Termites can cause significant destruction to buildings and furniture by feeding on their wood. These pests can also damage materials made of cellulose-based materials, like paper, cardboard, and certain fabrics.

Termite colonies never sleep. Termite workers are active at all hours and every day of the week, gathering food, digesting it, and sharing food with the rest of the colony. And the queen is continuously laying new eggs that develop new termite workers and soldiers that collect more food or expand the colony.

Termites can chew through any material softer than their hardened mandibles. These include thin lead sheets, plastic, foam, insulation, plaster, and drywall. And, they will chew through these materials to reach food sources or expand their colony.

Early signs of termite infestations are easy to miss, given how subtle they are. Once you start noticing termite damage with the naked eye, the infestation has probably gone on for a long time to leave obvious signs and for a lot of damage to be done.

Termites thrive in hot, humid areas. This is why they have moderate to very heavy activity in the South, Southeast, West, and Southwest regions of the U.S. But, with global warming, termite activity might start becoming more of a concern for other Americans.

Repairing termite damage can range from a few hundred dollars to a little more than $20,000 on average. The costs can increase in cases of more extensive damage or larger buildings.

Termites can eat through the structural elements of your building. With enough damage, the structural integrity of your property can be compromised, making it a risk to everyone’s safety inside.

What are the

Early Signs of Termite Infestation

Recognizing the signs of termites as early as possible is crucial to addressing them immediately and reducing the damage they can inflict on property. Here are the signs you need to look out for:

Mud Tubes

Termites build mud tubes out of soil, wood, and their saliva. These tubes protect them from predators and provide them with a comfortable environment while traveling between their nest and a food source. Termite mud tubes are often found along a building’s foundation or surfaces of walls, ceilings, joists, or subfloors.

Discarded Wings

Discarded wings on floors and window sills are the initial sign of a termite infestation. This is an indication of swarmers, which are young, winged male or female termites looking to mate and build colonies. If you see this, you have a termite infestation on or near your property.

Wood Damage

Wood damage is a clear sign that your property has a termite infestation. Look out for blistering or darkening of wood structures, hollowed-out wood, crumbling wood, and small, pinpoint holes in your drywall.

Termite Droppings

Termite droppings, or frass, look like tiny, wood-colored pellets and have a size similar to pepper flakes. You can find their droppings near window sills and door frames, in crawl spaces, and on wooden floorboards.

Visible Termites

Seeing live termites when renovating or remodeling an area is a clear sign you have an infestation. Removing the damaged wood will not get rid of them. Instead, you should have a pest control service do it for you. You may also find them in areas where there’s rotting or damp wood and in tree stumps or wood piles.

What to Do If You Notice Signs of

Termite Infestation

If you notice signs of termite infestation, here’s what you need to do:

Do not panic: They work slowly. You have time to make informed decisions. So, consult with a few pest control services in your area and choose one that offers the best deal.

Avoid disturbing them: Disturbing them can cause them to abandon and relocate. This can make it difficult to find and address the infestation.

Take photos: Take a photo of damaged areas for future reference. These help ensure the pest control service does not miss any areas when they treat your property.

Contact a professional: DIY is not advisable when it comes to termite control. Professionals have the knowledge, experience, and tools to identify problem areas and provide a thorough termite extermination on your property.

Termite Prevention Tips

If you don’t see any signs of termite infestation, that’s great news! But you should still take proper measures to ensure it stays that way. Below are some termite prevention tips you can do for your property:

Have an annual termite or general pest inspection done. Regular inspections by a professional are the best way to prevent termites or any other pests from infesting your property. This helps in early detection before any extensive damage is done.

Fix water leaks. Termites thrive in damp environments. So, if your property has any leaks or water damage, it will attract termites. Fix leaking plumbing and any signs of dampness in your walls.

Keep water away from your foundation. Storm drains, downspouts, dryers, air conditioners, and sprinkler heads should be pointed away from the foundation to prevent moisture from building up around it.

Reduce soil-to-wood contact around your property. Subterranean termites, which are the most prevalent in the U.S., get into your property in spots that have contact between wood and soil.

Remove cellulose-based debris around the foundation of your property. Lumber, wood, mulch, paper, and cardboard can attract termites. Keep them away from your foundation to reduce the chances of termites finding their way into your building.

Keep food sources away from your property. Make your property less attractive to termites by removing tree stumps, any leftover wood, and dead and rotting trees. And do not leave any newspapers, cardboard boxes, or other paper products on your property for extended periods of time.

Schedule a

Free Inspection and Estimate

Action Pest Control specializes in non-invasive termite inspections and eco-friendly termite treatment options. We approach each case of infestation with integrated pest management (IPM) methodology, allowing us to prevent and control termites long-term without harming the environment or posing a health risk for pets and humans.

Let the professionals determine if you have a pest issue, instead of inspecting every nook and cranny of your property for early signs of termite infestation. And, with our help, we can provide the necessary measures for treating your property and an existing one by contacting us today. Our team will respond within 24 hours to ensure your pest control issue is addressed immediately.

Early signs of termite infestation

The Early Signs of a

Termite Infestation

Why Worry About Termites?

What are the

Early Signs of Termite Infestation

Mud Tubes

Discarded Wings

Wood Damage

Termite Droppings

Visible Termites

What to Do If You Notice Signs of

Termite Infestation

Termite Prevention Tips

Schedule a

Free Inspection and Estimate

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Olive Branch, MS

Batesville, MS