Termite Infestation: How To Identify The Signs
Termites are small insects, and infestations of these pests are easily missed as they commonly start underground or deep within the wooden structures of your property. It’s important to identify termites as soon as possible, as the sooner treatments are received, the less likely serious damage is to occur to your home.
Common warning signs of termites include sightings of mud tubes around interior and exterior areas, termite mounds around your property, galleries carved into walls or wooden furniture, and termite frass, which appears like small wood shavings, scattered around your home. Other notable indicators of infestation include rustling or clicking sounds coming from walls, pinpoint holes around wooden areas, and wood that appears damaged or breaks away easily.
Devasting Effects: Understanding The Potential Damage Of Termites
While termites may be small, they bring major issues with them, and a widespread termite infestation has the potential for serious damage to your property. Termites are constantly chewing and working their way through wood, and once these pests make their way into the wooden structures of your home, they will tunnel through it to create their colonies. Over time, a termite infestation can hollow out and weaken wood so much that it starts to crumble or collapse; wood that is structurally compromised like this is a dangerous risk to your property’s integrity.
Other costly damages that termites cause with their tunneling activities include bubbling paint on walls, sinking floors and ceilings, and tight-fitting doors and windows as the wooden support structures of your home start to sink and crumble.
Professional termite removal is necessary to prevent these devasting damages from occurring on your property.
Protecting Your Property: Effective Termite Prevention Methods
The following termite prevention tips are effective ways of protecting your property from infestations of this pest and ensuring your home remains free from costly termite damages:
- Clear outdoor areas of long grasses, debris piles, fallen trees, abandoned tree stumps, and woodpiles, as termites are drawn to these spaces to create their colonies.
- Seal cracks around the foundation of your home in addition to the windows, doors, and utility areas to stop termites from slipping into interior areas.
- Create a barrier between the soil of your yard and the foundation of your property with gravel or rocks to make it difficult for termites to cross into your home.
- Reduce excess moisture around your property by fixing leaks and using dehumidifiers, as damp conditions and water-damaged wood make it easier for termites to invade your property.
- Inspect any lumber coming onto your property for signs of termites such as frass and termite sightings before using it to ensure you don’t introduce an infestation around your home.
Contact Hawk Mosquito & Pest today for more termite prevention advice or control solutions.
Don't Wait To Act: Contact Us At The First Sign Of Termites
Termite removal is best when received the very moment you suspect that termites have infiltrated your property - professional termite removal, when received quickly, can help limit the damages that termites bring and ensure that infestations are completely removed. With the help of Hawk Mosquito & Pest, your Chesapeake home can be returned to a safe, termite-free place, and you won’t need to worry about tackling infestations of destructive termites all alone.
Reach out to Hawk Mosquito & Pest today to request a quote or to get started.