It can be incredibly devastating to have a pest problem in your home because it can kill your mental peace and ruin your valuable possessions. But, it can be even more devastating if you are not aware of the pest problem in your home, which is why many homeowners around the world look to prevent pests from entering their homes in the first place.
Not all pests are the same in terms of their damage potential because some are mellow like ants, and others are ruthless like termites. It would be best if you always were on the watch for termites because they can eat up most of your home in no time. Therefore, we have discussed here six alarming signs of termites’ presence in your home, and if you witness any of these signs, immediately consult professional pest control services like Barrier Pest Control.
- Discarded Wings:
It is part of their lifecycle of termites that they tend to shed their wings once they have swarmed and formed new colonies. If you find heaps of wings near the window sill, or anywhere near the wooden valuables, do not shrug it off, and instead, look for more signs of termite infestation.
People often confused winged termites with flying ants because both are quite similar in color, but there are some differences between them. Firstly, ants’ wings are of a different size than termites, and secondly, their bodies are segmented.
- Pellets like droppings:
Like any living beings, termites need to excrete as well, and they produce peculiar pellet-shaped droppings that look like sawdust. You can find these droppings anywhere near the infested area, but the area itself is always clean because termites keep their pathways clean to ensure better mobility. Therefore, if you find heaps of droppings that match the description, look for some other signs of termite infestation.
- Mud Tubes:
Termites travel along the well-paved pathways that are visible to us in the form of mud tubes. They use these passageways from the point of their origin to the source of their food. Therefore, if you happen to witness these tubes on your wooden structures, be assured that your home is infested with termites.
- Knocking Sounds:
Termites are loud eaters, and they knock their heads against the surface of the wood to caution other termites of any dangers. You can hear these knocking sounds by putting your ear on the infested surface at any time of the day because the worker termites munch 24 hours a day. Therefore, you may have to deal with an acute infestation problem if you hear any such sounds.
- Hollow Structures:
You can check whether a wooden valuable is infested or not by knocking on the structure, and if you hear hollow sounds, be assured that the structure is eaten up from the inside by termites. You can also check for hollowness by pushing a screwdriver into the wooden structure such that if it gets through quickly, it means that the integrity of the structure is compromised.
- Swollen doors, windows, and wooden floor panels:
Our doors and windows often tend to swell up, and this anomaly is largely attributed to the humid climate. But, it can also be a sign of termite infestation because they release moisture when at work, and prevent your windows and doors from fitting into their frames. Moreover, bumps, cracks, and bubbling of paint on the walls is also a sign of termite infestation.
If you witness, one or two of the signs mentioned above, do not dawdle and immediately engage the professionals so that the damage can be minimized.