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7 Signs of Termite Infestation

5/16/2017

20 Comments

 
Termites can be a nightmare for home owners. Pest damage on your structure would be a problem for anybody. Termite damage costs Americans over $5 billion dollars a year.

Termites like to stay hidden. They usually stick to dark, moist, and warm areas. This makes them hard to detect. Termites are small, soft, and have white bodies. They feed on cellulose in wood. In Baton Rouge and New Orleans, we deal mostly with native termites and formosan termites. They are subterranean termites, meaning they live underground.

Termites venture out to find wood and water, or to reproduce. Winged termites are flying about at dusk trying to find a new home. If they find a place with dirt, wood, and moisture, termites are staying. Termite detection early can reduce the cost of repairs. Typical home owners do not notice termites until their house is heavily infested. Hiring a pest control professional to inspect and treat your home for termites is always recommended in south Louisiana. Below are some signs of termites.

Termite Tunnels

termite tunnel and termite damage
Termite tunnels are a sure sign of termite activity in your home. This is the reason to have your foundation exposed and siding/brick not touching the ground. Walk around your home and look for a small trail of packed mud leading from the ground up to your house. This is the path termites take from subterranean nest to get to the wood in your home. The view of termite tunnels can be obstructed when they are on piers under your home, behind stucco touching the ground, or if you have dirt higher than your foundation.
​

Termite Noises

Termite soldiers click their mandibles and tap their bodies on wood. This is how they communicate with the termite colony. In heavy termite infestations, this can be heard in a quiet room. 
​

Termite Frass

Termite frass is essentially termite poop. Termite frass usually forms at a point of entry into a pile. It resembles a mound of coffee grounds. This is another strong sign of termite activity.
​

Termite Wings

Termites have wings when they are looking to reproduce. Finding these inside your home is reason enough to get an inspection. If you already have a termite infestation, you will walk into a room that is filled with flying termites. Swarming termites are often attracted to light and wings can be found beneath recessed lighting or on window sills.
​

Mud in Trees

Termites often eat damaged or rotten trees. Sometimes termites will make a colony in a tree if the right circumstances are present. Large amounts of mud up in a tree are a sign of termite damage and possibly a termite colony. This can be dangerous since your tree has a higher chance of falling. Look into having your tree inspected for termites and possibly taken down.
​ 

Small Holes in Trees or Wood

Termite damage on a tree
Small holes the size of BBs are a sign of termites or other wood destroying insects. If your wood or tree appears to have a buckshot spread of holes on it, you most likely have cause for concern. Unless you live near a hunting camp, call to have a termite inspection.
​

Sagging Floors and Soft Wood

Sagging floors and wood that has a little give to it are signs of termite damage. Have these areas inspected as soon as you can to prevent further damage from occurring to your home. Sometimes soft wood is due to water damage alone. Termites tend to target soft wood, so repairing it can help prevent additional damage.
20 Comments
Millie Hue link
6/29/2018 01:31:49 am

Thanks for helping me understand that a large amount of mud in a tree could be a sign that it is infested with termites already. I have been noticing that there is always a mud on my neighbor's tree even if there is no rain that day. So I am curious and worried about it. It appears that they should call an expert to check that tree because there might be a colony there already.

Reply
Amethyst Boheur link
7/6/2018 07:42:06 pm

I really appreciate it when you said that a large amount of mud being present in the tree is an indicator that there is a termite colony. You also mentioned that this is a sign that the tree is receiving heavy damage. If that is the case, then I need to get the tree in the yard inspected. I am not worried that it might fall and damage the house-- my worry is that the termite in it might transfer to the house eventually. That must not happen.

Reply
Sam Li link
6/14/2019 11:44:15 am

Getting rid of termites can be a complicated process, so it's important to hire experienced professionals. You made a great point when you said that termites tap their bodies on wood and how this can be a sign of their presence. My friend has noticed termites in his shed, so I'll help him find a pest control company that can take care of the problem.

Reply
Zachary Tomlinson link
2/3/2021 08:52:14 pm

I had no idea that termites leave wings around your home if they start to swarm around it. My friend, who's usually away from his home because of work, noticed that small insects are gathering around his wood figure collection. I'll suggest that he contact a pest control expert for help before it gets worse.

Reply
Afton Jackson link
6/18/2021 01:13:13 am

Thank you so much for explaining what discarded termite wings can be a sign of. My assumption was that since I've been seeing more and more of these wings, that meant that the termites were dying somehow and I had nothing to worry about. After reading your article, I better act quickly and find a termite control service right away.

Reply
Thomas Clarence link
7/30/2021 01:55:00 pm

I appreciate you helping me to understand that sagging floors can be a sign of termites. I would imagine that it would be important to remove termites as soon as possible if you have them. That way you can prevent as much structural damage as possible.

Reply
kate hansen link
9/1/2021 05:11:33 pm

It's good to know that clicking noises are a sign of termites. At night, or when my house is quiet, I've been hearing a clicking noise, and it has been going on for a couple of days now. I'll have to look into hiring a pest control service to help me with a possible termite infestation.

Reply
Henry Killingsworth link
9/30/2021 05:06:41 pm

Thank you for helping me to understand what the signs of termites are. I think working with a pest control agency would be the best way to prevent termites. Preventing termites is probably easier than trying to repair the damage they cause.

Reply
Mia Evans link
12/13/2021 06:17:48 pm

I never took into account the fact that termites would have clicking sounds, because they tap their bodies into the wood. With that in mind, I should hire professionals for an inspection first to see if that is the issue I have been hearing from the attic. If that is the case, I will make sure to immediately get them to proceed with termite treatment on that same day.

Reply
Olivia Smart link
1/26/2022 12:52:27 pm

Thank you for explaining that in a quiet room, you can hear termite noises. My husband was telling me that he was in his office looking over some paperwork and bills last night and noticed some weird clicking sounds. I'll be sure to mention this to him and see if it sounds similar to what he heard so we can see if we need to call someone to check everything out soon.

Reply
Eli Richardson link
2/28/2022 03:18:40 pm

It's great that you talked about termite infestations and how to detect them before it's too late! The other day, my wife was organizing our attic, and she realized one of our wooden chairs had termites! My wife loved that chair, so we need to find a pest control company fast! Thanks for the information on how termites tend to hide out and are hard to find!

Reply
Victoria Addington link
5/5/2022 10:45:42 pm

It made sense when you mentioned that a buckshot spread of holes on your wood is a sign of termite infestation. I think we got termite since I noticed this sign in our woods. I better hire a pest control near my place to get rid of them.

Reply
Olivia Smart link
5/26/2022 04:51:09 pm

Thank you for explaining that sagging floors can be a sign of termite damage. My sister has been thinking that she has termites. She mentioned the floor in her home not looking that great right now, so I think she might be right.

Reply
pre purchase pest inspection Harrisdale link
7/1/2022 05:20:25 am

Found your post interesting to read. I can't wait to see your post soon. Good Luck with the upcoming update. This article is very useful, interesting, and effective.

Reply
Afton Jackson link
7/18/2022 05:11:30 am

Learning what termite tunnels look like is quite helpful, so I appreciate you talking about it. I've been seeing a couple of these around our shed lately, and I really wanted to know if this was something to be afraid of. Now that I know what these are, I'll ask for some help from a pest control expert in the area.

Reply
Braden Bills link
7/18/2022 09:15:17 am

I noticed some areas on my wooden desk that are becoming soft and breaking. I didn't realize that this could be a sign of termite damage. I'll be sure to get a professional to help me out with this so that I do things right.

Reply
Luke Smith link
7/26/2022 01:27:18 am

It's great that you pointed out how swarming termites are usually attracted to the light and wings could be found under recessed lighting or on window sills. I was looking for one of our tables in our basement the other day and I noticed some termite wings on the small basement window. This is quite an alarming sign, so we should call for termite control services as soon as possible.

Reply
Jessie Holloway link
10/6/2022 06:56:35 pm

Thanks so much for talking about the signs of a termite infestation in your home. My sister has been talking about how she's noticed some damage to the wood in parts of her house. We'll have to call a professional to rid the house of termites, but we want to be sure that's what it is first.

Reply
Pest Authority of Columbus link
10/28/2022 07:07:51 am

Informative article. Homeowners should be aware of the signs of termite infestation in order to protect their property. These pests can cause extensive damage to buildings, and early detection is critical.

Reply
Charlotte Fleet link
12/14/2022 03:26:10 pm

Thanks for explaining how clicking and tapping noises inside of wood are a sign of termites. My mom told me she's been hearing a clicking sound in her living room for the past couple of days. I'll make sure she hires a pest control service to inspect her house tomorrow and remove termites if they are found there.

Reply



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