Few problems in life can be as threatening to your home as termites. They are a pest that can quite literally eat you out of house and home. There are several ways to prevent termites from getting to your home, but how do you know if they have already gotten to it?
Use these 6 signs to check if your house is infested or under attack from termites.
Damaged Timber
One sign that your house might be infested with termites is damaged timber. Now if you know how the timber was damaged then there is probably no need to worry. But if you come across weak or damaged timber that has no clear explanation this may be a sign of termite infestation, and it may be time to consider getting rid of termites quickly and efficiently.
Check if the damaged timber is hollowed out, a simple knock test will tell you if the timber has been hollowed. Hollow timber that is damaged is a simple sign that termites have arrived.
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Termite Leads
Termites are not particularly high on the food chain in the insect world. In fact, they are quite vulnerable to predators. Travelling for termites as a result can be very dangerous. If an underground or timber route isn’t available then termites will create small tunnels made of dirt and cellulose. These tracks are known as termite leads.
Termites are not particularly high on the food chain in the insect world. In fact, they are quite vulnerable to predators. Travelling for termites as a result can be very dangerous. If an underground or timber route isn’t available then termites will create small tunnels made of dirt and cellulose. These tracks are known as termite leads.
When checking your house for possible infestations, these leads can be a definitive sign of termites. If you are having trouble identifying these leads, they are similar size and shape to straws.
Alates aka “Flying ants”
When termites reproduce and are ready to seek new areas to nest they will send out their young. Termite young are technically referred to as Alates. They are small in size and resemble flying ants. When ready, swarms, sometimes in excess of hundreds will leave the nest in search of warm and humid areas to nest.
Generally speaking these swarms will travel in the warmer months between October to March. During these months if you notice a large population or increase in flying ants in your house or around your property, this can be a sign of termites potentially nesting. It is only a matter of time before this nesting becomes a full infestation.
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Generally speaking these swarms will travel in the warmer months between October to March. During these months if you notice a large population or increase in flying ants in your house or around your property, this can be a sign of termites potentially nesting. It is only a matter of time before this nesting becomes a full infestation.
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Softer than usual fixtures
Termites can often be very good at covering their tracks. If they eat through any internal skirting or flooring, they will cover the hole again with mud. Those cheeky buggers! This can make it quite difficult to check or notice signs of termites. One sign which could point to termite infestations is softer than usual fixtures.
For example, if the skirting boards are damaged, they'll have holes or when touched will create holes. If part of your flooring feels ‘softer’ than the rest of your home, these are potential signs of a termite infestation that has been well hidden by the termites themselves.
Evidence of droppings
With different species of termites there are different calling cards or signs to watch out for. If you have any drywood within your property then these termites leave a very specific sign behind. Drywood termites don’t use their dropping to form part of their leads or nests. Instead they push their droppings through the holes they create.
To the human eye this will look like very small black grains, or black dust. If you see signs of this build up around door frames or skirting boards, this can be a sign of termite infestation.
Termites can often be very good at covering their tracks. If they eat through any internal skirting or flooring, they will cover the hole again with mud. Those cheeky buggers! This can make it quite difficult to check or notice signs of termites. One sign which could point to termite infestations is softer than usual fixtures.
For example, if the skirting boards are damaged, they'll have holes or when touched will create holes. If part of your flooring feels ‘softer’ than the rest of your home, these are potential signs of a termite infestation that has been well hidden by the termites themselves.
Evidence of droppings
With different species of termites there are different calling cards or signs to watch out for. If you have any drywood within your property then these termites leave a very specific sign behind. Drywood termites don’t use their dropping to form part of their leads or nests. Instead they push their droppings through the holes they create.
To the human eye this will look like very small black grains, or black dust. If you see signs of this build up around door frames or skirting boards, this can be a sign of termite infestation.
[source]Windows or doors sticking
Similar to the effects of extreme weather, or of steam damage in a bathroom, as termites move through door or window frames they can cause warping. It is important to keep an eye on any windows or doors which suddenly start sticking.
Termites are not a fun problem. It can be expensive to treat but most importantly it can be a problem that goes undetected for a long time. The key to lowering your risk is vigilance in inspecting your home regularly. Remember these six signs whenever you are inspecting and if there is evidence of any then call a termite specialist immediately.
Till next time... remember to conduct a quick termite check this weekend!
If the weather cannot reasonably be expected to cause this sticking then it may be a sign of termite infestation. If you do experience windows or doors sticking and aren’t quite sure why, it could be best to organise an inspection to err on the side of caution.
Termites are not a fun problem. It can be expensive to treat but most importantly it can be a problem that goes undetected for a long time. The key to lowering your risk is vigilance in inspecting your home regularly. Remember these six signs whenever you are inspecting and if there is evidence of any then call a termite specialist immediately.
Till next time... remember to conduct a quick termite check this weekend!
The fear of getting attacked by the termites is really horrible, therefore, as a homeowner, I would like to take very good care of my home from termites, especially the wooden parts. In most of the cases, we have found termites in the door corner, window corner, in the air sealing parts, and the wooden parts. So, we need to some kind of pest control in our home and also use to take the help of some chemicals to remove termites permanently. In this way, we can easily improve our home condition.
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