Termites can cause a lot of damage. The average colony will consume six inches of 2×4 in five months. That may not sound significant but, they can often live under your home undetected for long periods of time and you can have more than one colony in your home.
That’s why estimates suggest the cost of treatment and repair of damage caused to be $10,000 per home.
In short, you want good insurance and you need to be aware of the best techniques to detect termites and termite damage in your home.
Regular Inspections
Contact your local pest control specialist today and book them in for an inspection, even if you don’t think you have an issue. Pest control specialists are trained and experienced in spotting signs of pests in your home. They can identify them and treat them, helping to minimize any damage caused.
By having a pest inspection every year you’ll minimize the amount of time any pest has to do damage.
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Holes In Wood
All good quality wood will have knots and potentially holes where knots have come out. But, if you look closely at your wood and notice pin-sized holes you’ll be looking at the entry or exit point of termites and other wood-boring pests.
In short, pin-sized holes in your wood mean you have an infestation that needs to be treated as soon as possible.
Hollow Wood
Termites eat their way through the inside of your wood. That means it can look okay on the outside but, if you tap it, you’ll find it sounds hollow. The more they’ve eaten the more hollow the wood.
Tapping random spots in your home, especially on ground floors, will help you notice hollow spots.
Buckling Wood
Once wood has holes in it, there will be a difference in the way it shrinks and contracts. This is likely to make the boards warp or buckle. If you start noticing warped boards anywhere in your home, you’ll want to look into it further. It could be a serious issue.
Soft Wood
Another critical tell-tale sign that you have a termite issue is when your wood is soft. If you see pin-sized holes or buckling wood then get a screwdriver and push it into the wood. You shouldn’t be able to push it in easily. If you can, the wood is rotten and you probably have an infestation.
Loose Tiles
Loose tiles are often overlooked as a sign of mosquitoes. The most common reason for tiles to become loose is thanks to the moisture in the walls. This can be from a leak or from the additional moisture in floors, created by the presence of termites.
It’s worth investigating further to find out which is the issue and resolve it quickly.
Don’t forget, termites love damp environments, preventing leaks and moisture build-up is critical to ensuring your home is less attractive than others, persuading the termites to go elsewhere.
