Do you live in an area where termites are common? Do you know how to tell if termites have moved into your home? Despite modern wood treatment methods, termites may still attack your home or the trees outside. While you should absolutely get professional confirmation that termites are indeed a problem, there are still things that you should watch for that are signals that a termite colony has invaded your property. Some things that you should be looking for include:
Tiny piles of "sawdust": One of the first signs that termites may be in or around your home is going to be small piles of a fine sawdust-like material. These piles may have a portion of actual sawdust in them but are most likely to be termite droppings. If outside, these piles may disappear after a storm, only to reappear later. If inside, you should contact a qualified termite control expert as soon as possible.
Discarded wings: In a termite colony, as with an ant or bee colony, the reproductive female is called a queen. Queen termites and male termites are born with wings so that they can fly off and start a new colony. When they get to a good nesting location, they break their wings off and burrow inside the wood. Piles of wings located on a windowsill are a good sign that a new termite queen has found your home and has moved in. Try to save a few of the wings by lightly pressing a strip of scotch tape to the wings in question and then applying that tape to a notecard or piece of paper. This will allow your termite control expert to confirm whether or not the wings belong to termites or if they actually came from ants. Obviously, you want neither of them in your home, but they have different treatment methods.
Sagging or bending ceilings or floors: Termite colonies are often almost entirely subterranean. This means that the main colony lives in the ground outside your home and they only enter your walls and floors to feast on the wood there. This can cause your flooring to start to sag noticeably when you walk across it. If the termites happen to enter through your attic or crawlspace, however, they may start at the top and work down. The first sign that you need to call a termite control company may be a sagging and potentially leaky roof.
A professional pest control company that deals with termites and other pests like bed bugs is your best bet for dealing with your situation quickly and efficiently.
