Pest Control Termites Springfield Missouri – What To Do About Termites
Pest control termites Springfield Missouri suggest homeowners schedule pre-winter inspections now. If termites are present in your home, it’s critical to find out as early as possible. Termites are very active during the fall and winter establishing colonies that quickly spread. They nibble away at the very structure of your home – support beams, floor joists, ceiling joists and wall studs. And not only wood but termites also feed on plaster, metal siding and insulation! Termite damage is a bad thing for a lot of reasons, including the fact that homeowner’s insurance policies do not typically cover termite damage.
Even though termites are as small as ants, and individually they may not be much to worry about, when an entire colony gets to work, the damage they can do is significant. According to the NPMA, termites cause more than $5 billion dollars a year in damages.
Detecting an infestation and eliminating it can significantly reduce structural damage to your home. So what can homeowner’s do, beyond watching their home fall down around them?
First, you need to determine if termites are present. You will know you have a termite problem if you pay attention because they leave obvious signs – you just have to know what to look for, and where to look.
The most common species of termites in this area of the Midwest are subterranean termites. Here are a few facts that describe their behavior.
- Subterranean termites build their nests in the soil under and around a building’s foundation. Although, in some cases, an old and well-established colony may nest above ground if conditions are moist enough.
- Termites most often gain access to a structure when wood touches the ground or through mud tunnels that they construct from below ground to the wood. However, they also find entrance into a home through cracks in concrete walls and foundation made of concrete blocks.
- Worker termites only eat soft wood, chewing ‘with the grain’, rather than across the grain. The wood will appear to be layered due to the termites not eating the hardwood portion of the wood. An accumulation of soil or mud inside the tunnels in the wood they are eating makes it relatively easy to determine there are termites present.
- Subterranean termites can stay virtually invisible for long periods of time. An infestation that has gone unnoticed for a long period of time can create major problems including structural damage to your property.
Other things to look for around your property to check for a termite infestation.
PEST CONTROL TERMITES SPRINGFIELD MISSOURI – SIGNS OF INFESTATION
- Hollow sounding wood – Termites eat wood from the inside out, leaving a shell of wood. Tapping on the damaged area will have a hollow sound.
- Windows and Doors Stick – Termites produce moisture when eating and tunnelling through wooden doors and window frames. This causes warping making doors and windows hard to open.
- Tunnels – You can’t usually see them from the outside but you may see them in a piece of wood or a log near your home. It’s a sure sign of termites.
- Droppings – A key sign of subterranean termites is their droppings, called frass. An infestation is clearly indicated when you see this sign of termites. Look around odd-looking openings in the ground or the wood for the small black marks and a dark powdery substance.
In addition, swollen floorboards and warped ceilings are another sign you may have some termite damage going on. Look for little piles of sawdust in unlikely places, and holes in pieces of firewood or stumps in the yard. Also, you can look for their droppings and discarded wings.
So what do you do when you have pretty solid evidence of a termite infestation?
Homeowners who have never experienced a termite infestation may not realize how devastating it can be. Termites can damage a house beyond repair, in some cases, but if discovered and treated in time, most often termite damage can be repaired. Generally, repairs involve removing the damaged wood and replacing it with new wood, or attaching new wood to the damaged sections to provide additional support. This is a less expensive option but is not always feasible. However, you should not have any repairs done until the termites are exterminated completely.
FALL & WINTER PEST CONTROL TERMITES SPRINGFIELD MISSOURI
While getting rid of termites can be a long and difficult process, fortunately, it can also be manageable with help from the right pest control termites Springfield Missouri experts. An inspection can quickly determine if termites have taken up residence on your property because they know what to look for.
Expert Pest Solutions will send an experienced, qualified technician to inspect your home and property for signs of termite infestation, and if found, provide you with recommendations for treatments.
For more information or to schedule an inspection for pest control of termites give us a call right away. We provide service to Springfield, Nixa, Ozark and surrounding areas. We do termite inspections and treatment to all structures. Prices vary depending on the size of the structure and type of foundation. We offer Quarterly Pest Control Services.
EXPERT PEST SOLUTIONS
(417) 413-4776