Hello There,
The most common sign of a termite infestation is when there are winged varieties that are trying to escape the home. Homeowners will find them around their windows and doors especially, but they may be anywhere outside of the colony. It is also fairly common to see a cabinet infestation of termites have winged pests hovering around the colony site. This discovery usually happens during the first days of Spring.
Here’s some good news: you don’t have to wait until Spring to find out if you have a termite infestation. There are some common warning signs that can be observed at any time of year that can let you know that there’s a colony of these pests hanging around.
* Paint that has bubbled or cracked. Termites are feeding off of the interior of a structure, so as they approach the surface of it, the paint or coating on the surface will begin to bubble. There might be frass within the bubble, which is what the waste of the termite is called. Walls might also crack in ways that aren’t normal for foundational cracking.
* Solid wood now sounds hollow. Termites will leave the outer structure of a cellulose item intact, carving out the interior like a hollow chocolate Easter bunny. Tapping on the wood leaves a slight echo because the sound vibrates.
* There are mud tubes outside. Termite tubes look a little different than hornet or wasp tubes. Wasps and hornets tend to stay congregated in one place. Termites will spread along exterior walls, wood beams, and down in crawl spaces.
If Spring has turned into Summer and you find a bunch of discarded wings in your home, this is also an indication that termites are present. You’ll need to remove the pest completely to recover from the infestation.
