Pest Control Termites – Signs That You Have Them

Pest control termites is a fact of life when you live in the Midwest. You may not even know you have termites. If you’ve seen them actively swarming you may have mistaken them for some type of fly or other insects. Unfortunately, all too often you won’t know you have termites until your foot goes through the floor or some other dire consequence.

You should inspect around your home periodically for pest control termites in order to identify them and get treatment as soon as possible. Termites can do a lot of costly damage to your home. Here are some signs to look for that can help you identify termites.

 

Drywood Termites
The most common termite in this area is the drywood termite. They can be found in foundations, window and door frames, subfloors and any other piece of wood in your home – even furniture. If you have outbuildings, wooden retaining walls and other wooden structures – you may find them there, too.

 

Termites have certain characteristics that are unique to them.

• Head Banging
  Not to heavy metal music – from termites! You can hear the clicking sound they make by banging their heads against the wood. When their colony is disturbed, soldier termites shake their bodies to create a distress signal to the colony.
• Worker termites make noise when they eat – listen closely, you’ll hear an unusual, scratchy kind of sound.
• Flying Termites
  Termites swarm when they leave the nest to look for a mate in order to establish a new colony. This is often the first indication your home has termites.
• Discarded Wings
  Shortly after a flying termite has found its mate it will lose its wings.
• White Ants
  Don’t mistake white ants for termites. There is no such insect as a white ant. While ants and termites are distant cousins, a termite is more closely related to bees and wasps. If you think you’ve seen white ants, you’ve got a problem and need pest control termites right away.

What a Termite Looks Like

• Termites are a light color, almost translucent.
• Their antennae are completely straight.
• They are thick in the middle where the thorax meets the abdomen.
• A termite has two sets of wings of equal size.
• Other signs you may have termites can be found

Signs That You Have Termites

• 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 tunneling 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 drywood 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.

If you’re thinking the most destructive pests that can plague your house is rats, spiders or cockroaches, you’re wrong. Termites have them all beat. Termite damage is very costly. The best line of defense is to prevent them from entering your home. Here are a couple of steps you can take for pest control termites.

• If you have a woodpile, move it away from the home.
• Keep your lawn clear of fallen limbs and branches.
• Seal around exterior faucets, doors and windows
• Repair leaks and seal openings in your roof and foundation.

Termites are one of the most destructive pests. Preventative steps for pest control termites will help avoid extensive damage. If you have found a termite infestation, get treatment as soon as possible. Any time termite activity is found, the technicians at Expert Pest Solutions can provide you with recommendations for pest control termites.

Expert Pest Solutions does termite inspections and treatment to all structures. During the inspection, we look for any visible signs of termite activity or damage. For more information or to schedule an inspection for pest control termites give us a call right away. We provide service to Springfield, Nixa, Branson, Ozark, and the surrounding area.

Expert Pest Solutions – Contact us by calling (417) 413-4776

or visit us ONLINE for answers to your questions or to schedule an inspection. We also offer Quarterly Service Plans.