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North Augusta's Ultimate Guide To Termite Identification
January 17, 2020
People say that ignorance is bliss, but when it comes to termite infestations, ignorance can turn into tens of thousands of dollars worth of damage. If termites are in your North Augusta home, you want to know it, so that 3 years down the road, hindsight isn’t painfully 20/20. Want to know how you can thoroughly inspect your home for termites? Jury Pest Services has your answer.
How To Spot Termites
The majority of termites will never see the light of day. Born underground, termites spend the majority of their lives tunneling through dirt looking for wood to eat. Upon reaching the walls of a home, termites will build mud tubes (a sign we will talk about later) to stay out of the sun and wind to maintain moisture for their skin as they crawl up a home’s foundation to find wood. All of this makes termites one of the most difficult pests to spot within homes. This does not, however, mean it is impossible to identify termites. Here are some great signs you can look for around your home.
- Mud tubes running up your home’s exterior foundation.
- Tiny pin-sized holes in the structural wood of your home.
- Galleries inside structural wood.
- Frass (termite droppings) on the ground or clinging to walls around your home.
- White ants (termite workers) crawling through your home’s wood.
- Hollow-sounding wood.
- Swollen wood.
- Tight-fitting doors.
- Hard-to-open windows.
- Soft clicking coming from inside your walls.
- Bubbling paint/wallpaper.
- Dipping floors.
- Buckling walls.
Remember earlier when we said most termites will never see the light of day? There is one caste of termite that does. They are called termite swarmers and their only job in life is to leave their colonies in search of new locations to build nests. Most people mistake these swarmers for winged ants. Seeing these flying wood eaters around your home is an indicator of two things.
- There is a full mature colony of termites nearby.
- They are most likely already destroying your home.
Spotting termite infestations early can be very difficult. Most often swarmers are the first sign homeowners notice. Because of how discretely termites invade and how quietly they eat away at homes, years can pass and thousands of dollars in damage can be done before the problem is noticed.
Ways You Can Deter Termites
If termites have not already invaded your Augusta home, there are some things you can do to keep them away. Here are some suggestions.
- Repair or replace water-damaged or rotting wood around your home.
- Make sure your gutters are properly channeling water away from your home’s exterior.
- Fix any leaks around your home.
- Create a non-wood barrier between exterior soil and the foundation of your home.
- Clear debris from your yard (especially wood, cardboard, and other paper-based products).
- Install dehumidifiers around your home where it is humid.
Anything that reduces moisture is key when it comes to termites. Anything you can do to keep your home dry will increase your chances of remaining termite-free.
Why Professional Termite Control Is A Must
Owning a home without termite protection is a lot like playing Russian roulette. You may not have a problem at first, but eventually, something is going to go wrong. Here at Jury Pest Services, we offer long-term protection against termites. Don’t take a gamble on your home’s safety. Give us a call today to make sure your Augusta property has the defenses it needs to stay termite-free.