One of the scariest things a homeowner deals with is termites, especially in older homes made of wood. It’s not pleasant to think that these bugs are literally eating the house out from under you. Before you start packing your bags, there are four simple steps you can take to tell if you have termites or not.
- There are holes in the wood. Termites love to eat wood, which is why older homes without the proper wood protection are so susceptible to these bugs. Termites will bore their way through wood and come out of the other side. All you will notice is little holes, roughly the size of a pin head. If there are multiple tiny holes in a particular area or room of the house, that may signify a termite problem.
- You find termite droppings. This one is trickier to determine because termite droppings do not look like feces. Instead, it looks like little sand pellets or birdseed. If you see what might look like wood shavings, especially under a window sill or near door thresholds, it’s a sign of a termite infestation and it’s a good idea to get it checked.
- Small tunnels or tubes along the walls. When termites make their nests, they will often form a tunnel or a tube along the wall nearby. It will look like a small line of dirt or sand along the wall, with a distinct branching off pattern. Good places to check are near electrical outlets, plumbing, and windows. Basically, any place which leads to the outside.
- You see wings. Termites have a nasty habit of leaving part of themselves behind when they infest a home. One thing they almost always leave is their wings or at least one of them. They are very small, so it might be difficult to tell them apart from leaves, but they will have a specific look. Termite wings are typically see-through, with a brownish or gray color. Also, there are light veins running throughout them, making them slightly easier to spot.
If you think you have termites, or if you spot any one of these signs, please don’t hesitate to contact us. We can answer all of your questions and do a termite inspection to help put your mind at ease.
