Of all the household pests that a person might encounter, one of the most dreaded problems among homeowners is the notion of having a termite problem. While roaches and mice are certainly no fun, termite treatment can be one of the more costly endeavors for a person to face on the pest management front. Since termites do have the ability to cause serious structural damage to a home over time, it’s important that homeowners do whatever it takes to protect themselves – and their properties – accordingly. Vic Palermo is president of Ultra Safe Pest Management Inc., a Boston area company specializing in various methods of pest control, and according to him, one of the best ways to detect a termite problem is to know what to look for. He therefore shares the following facts about termites:
Termites require a specific formula in order to survive
Most people are aware of the fact that termites tend to feast on wood. However, termites must also have water in order to sustain themselves. Termites on the East Coast are generally subterranean, and they’ll only come to the surface to find wood to snack on. Additionally, termites cannot be exposed to sunlight; for this reason, if they’re going to pay you a visit, then they’ll do so via the siding of your house or the cracks in your home’s foundation.
Termites are usually hard to spot
Unlike carpenter ants or roaches, which are certainly noticeable little creatures, termites are usually difficult to spot. In fact, most people don’t actually know what termites look like, and understandably so. Since termites won’t simply go prancing across your floor, you might never see any in your home; however, this doesn’t mean that you don’t have a problem. For those who are curious enough to want to know what to look for, termites are soft-bodied insects that are often likened to white ants.
Termites come in colonies
When termites invade your home, they don’t tend to come alone; rather, they usually come in huge colonies. The fact that there are so many of them enables them to cause a significant amount of damage over time.
There are certain termite signs to look out for
While you might never actually spot a termite crawling about, certain signs inside the house could indicate a termite problem. Termites tend to travel through mud tubes, which are tunnels that they build in order to minimize their exposure to the outdoors. Therefore, the presence of mud tubes is a pretty likely sign that termites are lurking. If you also happen to find that your floors are settling, then termites could be to blame. Additionally, if pushing on exposed wood within your home causes it to break or cave in, then there’s a good chance that termites are the cause.
The earlier you get rid of termites, the better
While termites do have the ability to cause serious structural damage to your property, this type of thing does not simply happen overnight. Therefore, as soon as you find yourself having reason to believe that termites could be a problem in your home, it’s important that you contact a pest management company that specializes in termite elimination. Although some “do it yourself” methods of killing termites are out there, most people are advised to leave the extermination process to the professionals, as eliminating termites improperly or ineffectively will only worsen the problem. Additionally, if you’re going to enlist the help of a pest management company, then be sure to find one with experience in dealing with termites. Termites are a tricky breed of creature to combat, and the cost of extermination is often significant, so you’ll want to find a pest management company that knows how to deal with termites and is willing to offer a warranty to back up its claims.
When left untreated, a termite infestation has the ability to get worse and worse over time. Therefore, by knowing how to spot the signs of termites, and by acting as quickly as possible, you’ll be doing your part to nip this rather unfortunate problem in the bud and preserve your home in the process.
