Are you noticing signs of termites in your home? If you are, then you are right to be concerned and looking for information; termites cost United States home and business owners billions of dollars each year. The wisest thing you can do when it comes to termites is protect yourself before termites have a chance to eat away at your equity. But there are some things you can do to adjust your home to make it less attractive to these wood-destroying insects.

Signs Of Termite Damage

Siding: Wood siding may have chewed areas low down near the soil, especially if the wood actually comes in contact with the soil. If firewood has been piled against the siding, termites may access the siding in this way.
Studs: Sheds or outbuildings may show termite damage. Termites create long channels inside the wood and make strong timbers brittle enough to splinter.
Garage door frames: Termites may chew away at garage doors and make holes appear. This is most likely to happen where soil touches the door.
Walls: This damage is unlikely to be visible unless you are doing renovations but, if termites have been at work for a long time, you may begin to notice that the wall is beginning to bulge or that doors and windows in that wall no longer work properly. If a wall is torn out, then the damage will be unmistakable. If you’re looking at wood that should be solid, and it is porous and filled with troughs and channels, it has been eaten by termites.
Crawlspaces: If termites are eating away at crawlspaces, you will likely see mud tubes going from the soil to the wood of your home. These tubes protect termites from the drying effects of the air.
Water damage: Sometimes a termite infestation will reveal itself in the form of damage that looks like it was created by water. Walls, floors, or ceilings may look swollen or bumpy.
Ceilings and floors: Ceilings and floors may begin to be warped or have a dip in them because of the weakened timbers inside.

What Attracts Drywood Termites?

Drywood termites are drawn to any home that has wood in it. If there is any dry and untreated wood on your property, this will be an even greater lure because drywood termites prefer dry wood, as their name suggests.

Drywood termites can establish themselves inside wood and they do not need contact with the ground. So, if your home has any gaps or cracks, drywood termites can get in and then show little or no signs of eating away at your home. If you have damaged screens these termites may be able to chew their way into door frames.

What Attracts Subterranean Termites?

The same wooden or organic materials that attract drywood termites also attracts subterranean termites. But these insects will be especially likely to invade if the wood of your home touches the soil. They are also attracted to yards that have wood objects such as woodpiles or construction materials on the ground.

Any kind of moisture on the ground can attract these termites. It is important to fix leaky spigots and keep gutter systems in good working order. Also move items away from your perimeter to allow things to dry out.

Subterranean termites can feed on dry wood, but they prefer wet or rotting wood. They are also attracted to dark, shaded areas and will most often create mud tubes on foundation walls that are in hidden, dark places. These termites don’t only eat wood, they are also attracted to plants that have cellulose. And subterranean termite swarmers are attracted to a home that is lit up at night.

How Termite Control Works

At Innovative Pest Control, we protect East Texas homes from termites with industry-leading termite control products like the Sentricon® System with Always Active. Sentricon® with Always Active is an eco-friendly termite bait system that is installed around your home, creating a barrier of protection that used termite workers to destroy the colony that sent them. This happens when worker termites share the bait with other workers and it works its way all the way back to the queen. When the queen is gone, the rest of the colony cannot survive.

Categories:

Termite Control,
Termite Prevention,
Termites,
Termite Identification

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