Signs of Termites - Why You Shouldn’t Ignore Them

Not every homeowner sees signs of termites. This doesn’t mean though that there are no termites. The truth of the matter is that termites are not be easy to spot if you just perform a passing inspection. Subterranean termites which are the most common type often stay out of sight. They hide behind wood panels or in mud tunnels. Your first glimpse of them may be when infested wood accidentally breaks.

Not detecting termites early could prove to be a problem. If you are selling your house, having an infestation could drastically lower its value. A worse consequence would be not being able to sell it at all. Buyers easily get turned off by termites simply because they are difficult pests to get rid of and no one wants to carry the financial and effort consuming burden of termites.

Even if you don’t plan to sell your house, termites could still prove to be burdensome. If you don’t find signs of termites early, they could wreak damage to more than just wood panels. They could start eating the structural support of your house. Joists and beams could become severely compromised. Serious damage in these sections would mean more expensive repair costs. This is especially if structural beams are side by side with wires and plumbing.

It should be obvious to you now why early termite detection is important. Fortunately, there are ways to determine the presence of these insects even if you can’t physically see them. Swarming termites may leave behind their wings. Aside from these, they may also leave behind granulated pieces of wood as they feed. Subterranean termites in particular need the moisture and protection of the soil. Hence, you may be able to observe mud tunnels extending from your house over the soil. Finally, you can reasonably suspect an infestation if there is a change in the quality of wood surrounding your house. Wood that sounds hollow when tapped is an indication of an infestation.

Sometimes, you may have nothing to rely on but secondary signs of termites. These should be more than enough though to convince you to act quickly before it is too late.

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