Wood destroying pests can wreak havoc on your home, especially if they go unnoticed for a length of time. Insects, including termites, carpenter ants and carpenter bees, are all known for burrowing into wood, but probably the most problematic of these pests is termites because they are known as the ‘silent destroyers’. Typically, a carpenter ant or carpenter bee problem can be noticed before severe damage is done because a home or business owner will see these insects milling around their structure. Termites are capable of staying under the radar, so although they may be present inside the wood in your home, you have to wait until signs of their damage become apparent before you really are clued into the fact that you have an infestation of termites.
At Thomas Pest Services, we often get phone calls from concerned home or business owners wondering about termites. A call we have been getting a lot lately is “Can you tell me how to tell if I have termites on my property?”. Here are a few signs of these wood destroying pests to help you determine if a termite problem is present.
Termites need moisture to survive, so, when traveling from their colony to your home, they tend to build mud tunnels which their foragers can travel through. These mud tunnels are sometimes obvious along the outside of foundation walls or in the basement.
When termites mate, they do so as part of a ‘swarm’. Winged termites fly up out of the ground and search for a mate. After this swarm, their wings drop off, they fall to the ground and wander off to find a good place to build their next colonies. If you’ve seen lots of shed termite wings or witnessed a swarm, you could have a termite problem in your structure.
Termite damage may appear as wood that has been water or weather damaged, but if you look inside the wood, you can see lots of mud. If your wood is full of mud, you probably have a termite problem.
Termite damage can cause wood to look warped or slumping, especially around door and window frames.
Wood that has been damaged by termites sounds hollow when tapped upon.
All of these signs may be present in a termite infestation, or just a couple of these signs- it depends on how serious the infestation is. If you suspect a termite infestation in your home, contact the pros at Thomas immediately for a professional termite inspection.
When it comes to determining the difference between termites or carpenter ants, it is important to remember that termites don’t live inside the wood- they travel to the wood from a satellite colony that is usually underground but still on your property somewhere. Carpenter ants burrow into the wood in your home to create their nest- from there they travel into your home to forage for food. If you have a carpenter ant problem, you will probably know it! You’ll see the ants inside your home searching for food and you may even see tiny holes in the wood where they have burrowed into it to create their nests. Carpenter bees burrow a deep hole into the wood in the exterior of your home to deposit their young. Because they come back year after year to the same nesting spot and because they attract wood destroying birds (like woodpeckers), carpenter bees can cause damage to your structure as well.
If you are looking for ways on how to keep carpenter bees away, or you need carpenter ant control or termite control, look no further than the professionals at Thomas Pest Services. We know how to get rid of carpenter ants, termites and carpenter bees! We’ve been in the pest control business since 1949 and have a great deal of experience dealing with wood destroying insects. Our professionals can offer the most up-to-date treatment options available to eliminate these pests and keep them from returning. If you are unsure whether or not you have a wood destroying insect problem, we can help you with that too! Contact us today to schedule a termite inspection or a general inspection and let us take the stress out of dealing with these pests.