As many of us here in the United States know, termites are by far one of the most dangerous and destructive pests found in many households. These annoying pests can cause extremely costly damage to many homes. Though they move about undetected, there are a couple of signs that indicate a termite infestation in a home.
Signs of a Termite Infestation
Here at Guaranty Pest Control, our team of highly skilled and experienced specialists wants to take this time to help our valued clients understand termites and how to determine if they have become uninvited guests in your home. There are a couple of indicators with termite feces (frass) being one of the most obvious indicators of all. With that said, we want to be sure that you know all that there is to know about these termite droppings in order to keep annoying termites away from your home.
Understanding and Recognizing Termite Frass
Termite feces are primarily composed of the wood that they are constantly consuming in your home. The color of the termite frass can vary depending upon the type of wood they are ingesting and can range from light tannish colors to dark brown. If you have a termite infestation in your home , you will notice large piles of frass in the shape of tiny oval pellets near to any infestation site.
Here in the U.S. the most common type of termites that tend to invade homes are what we call subterranean termites. These annoying pests don’t actually live within your living space. Rather , they build small mud tunnels on the outside of a house that connect to their termite nests. Subterranean termites are probably the most destructive termite species of all. These unsightly pests actually use their own feces in their colonies and do not leave their droppings in your home.
In addition to subterranean termites, drywood termites can also cause severe damage to your home. Though they are not as destructible as subterranean termites, they still cause grave damage to a home. Unlike the subterranean termites, the drywood pests create very complex and numerous colonies on the interior of a home. They feed on the wooden frame of your home or wooden structures located on your property. They will create holes in wood in order to accommodate their growing population. Typically, when you locate frass droppings in your home, annoying termites will not be far away. The termites are most often located close to the wood frames or structures. However, you may find feces deposited in a specific area of your home but not be able to notice any termites. This is because they may drop their feces and then move about in the ceilings or walls of your home to find the next area of your home where the wood is still uninterrupted or intact.
It goes without saying that termite feces droppings are a surefire indicator that you have an active termite infestation in your home. With this thought in mind, we highly recommend you reach out to our highly reputable pest control company to identify the exact location of termites in your home, provide an effective solution and help to minimize costly damages.
Additional Signs of Termite Infestation
In addition to the obvious signs of termite frass and mud tunnels, flying termites are evidence of some type of infestation in your home. These flying termites tell you that the termite colony in your home has grown to such a size that the reproductive termites will fly about looking for other wooded areas of your home and property where they can generate an infestation.
Other signs of the presence of termites in your home are window sills, baseboards or doorways that exhibit damage as a result of termites chewing away. You may also notice a hollow sound to wood in your home and annoying gnawing type noises in your floors, ceilings or walls.
Termites have a very long lifespan and can be remarkably destructive. They can live in your home for as much as two years with the queen termites being able to live even longer. The queen termites produce generation after generation of new termites. As a result, termites can most assuredly compromise the structural integrity of your home and foundation.
The Perfect Solution
Though there are a number of do-it-yourself solutions that homeowners can use to try and resolve pesky pest problems, more times than not these options do not resolve termite infestations. Remember, that these annoying pests typically live within your walls, floors or wood structures on your property. It can be extremely difficult to pinpoint their exact location. Termites are very hard to find and the many products available on the market today often times cannot effectively destroy the colony and resolve the infestation issue. For this reason, it is imperative that you contact our reputable team of pest control specialists to perform a thorough inspection and identify the location of termite colonies in your home. From basements and crawlspaces to your home’s framework or foundation, the areas where termites reside are many.
After identifying termite locations, our team will create an effective treatment plan that is specific to the needs of your home. Our experienced technicians will assess the problem and take steps necessary to stop these annoying pests from invading your home. They will also discuss with you, steps you should take thereafter to prevent any termites from making their way back into your home or onto your property. We also provide annual inspections to ensure you do not suffer from termite infestations going forward.
Bottom Line
Here at Guaranty Pest Control, we are steadfast in our commitment to meet the individual needs of all our valued clients. We are committed to providing only the highest quality and most effective pest control solutions this side of the state. If you are a homeowner in Birmingham, Boaz, Huntsville, Tuscaloosa, Gadsden, Anniston or Montgomery looking to learn more about eliminating and controlling termite infestations in your home, be sure to reach out to the pros here at Guaranty Pest Control where our clients and their satisfaction are always our number one priorities!