Termites may look small and harmless, but these cheeky chompers can chew their way through your walls before you even know they are there. The key to preventing termite damage in your home is early detection, so read on to find out how to tell if these insects have moved in before it’s too late!
1. Check for any living termites
Start by walking around the outside of your house. Look for any living termites in the area. You may also see loose termite wings lying around your yard, which are a sign that flying termites are around. Flying termites are on the look-out for a place to set up a new colony, so these may be the first sign that your house has been chosen as their potential new home.
2. Look for tunnels in dead wood
Did you spot some termites around your yard? Maybe you spotted some; maybe you didn’t. Either way, your job is not done yet! If you have a termite colony close to your house, it’s likely to be underground and out of sight, so the insects may have set up camp many weeks or months before you spot them. You’ll need to continue looking for signs if you want to be thorough, and the next step is to look around your house for any dead wood. Can you see any tunnels, or maze-like patterns in the wood? These are a tell-tale sign that termites are active in the area. Even if the termites have not moved into your actual home yet, they may have started eyeing your foundations!
3. Look for frass (termite droppings)
While you’re still in your yard, check for any little black dots, or a dark brown or black powder in the soil or around the bases of trees. This may be frass, or termite droppings – a sign that the insects are living on your property.
4. Put your ear to the walls
Now it’s time to inspect your house. If you have wooden walls or floors, put your ear against the wood. Do you hear any clicking sounds? Termites are loud chewers and you may just hear them snacking on your walls or wooden fixtures. The soldiers in the colony sometimes also tap their heads against surfaces to warn others of danger. So, if you listen carefully, you may be able to hear the termites before you see them.
5. Look for any outer damage on wooden fixtures
Termites can cause extensive damage to wooden fixtures in your home. Even if you don’t have wooden walls, the insects can chew their way through your floors, skirting boards, ceilings and ceiling beams. Inspect these fixtures for any signs of damage, such as sagging, cracks or blistering paint. These may be signs that the termites have started to damage the wood.
6. Knock on wood
Termites tend to eat wooden fixtures from the inside out, so just because your wooden fixtures look okay from the outside doesn’t mean they have not been damaged. Knock or tap on any wooden fixtures in your house (walls, floors, skirting boards, etc.). Does the wood sound hollow when you knock on it? If yes, it means that the termites have already started damaging the wood from the inside.
7. Inspect your walls and foundations for any mud tubes
As you’ve been doing your inspection, you may have already spotted some mud tubes or tunnels on the outside surfaces of your house. These are a key sign that termites have started to move in. Unfortunately, breaking the mud tubes will do little to keep the insects away. It’s now time to act!
8. Act quickly to prevent damage
If you do have areas in your home where the wood is hollow or damaged, or if there are mud casings visible on your house, it means that you have some unwelcome termite houseguests to deal with. Don’t panic, though! Now that you are aware of the problem, you can call in an expert. A professional exterminator will help you to assess the damage and then get rid of your unwelcome houseguests for good.
It’s important to keep a constant eye out for these signs of termites, especially if your house has a lot of wooden fixtures. The earlier you catch the culprits in action, the more damage you can prevent.
Professional pest control services are also a good option if the termites are already present and
rapidly increasing.