Termite Infestation: Three Early Warning Signs You Need Termite Control Services
Though termites are pretty small, they can cause severe damage to your property, especially when they form a colony. Termites typically feed on wood, and if you ignore a termite infestation, they will feed on the wooden parts of your house or shed to the point it can collapse.
However, since termites are tiny, it is difficult to notice a termite infestation in the early stages. Thus, termites may have caused severe damage to your property by the time you call a termite pest control contractor. However, if you conduct regular inspections on your property, it is pretty easy to notice the early signs of a termite infestation.
With that in mind, here are three early warning signs of termite infestation that will let you know it's time to call a termite control contractor.
Mud Tunnels
When termites form a colony on your property, they will often move out of the settlement to search for food. While looking for food, the termites will create pathways in the form of mud tunnels to mark out the routes they use to gather food.
Mud tunnels look like veins or tubes made of mud, and they are about a quarter of an inch in width. When you notice mud tunnels forming on your property, it means that the termite colony has begun to settle in, and after a while, the colony will start to multiply in size and occupy more space.
Thus, if you ever notice mud tunnels forming on your property, call a termite control company to handle the situation before the colony starts destroying parts of your property made of wood/timber.
Hollow Wood
It can be challenging to notice when termites infest your wooden structures because they start to eat away at the wood from the interior. Thus, on the outside, a wooden fixture may seem ordinary, but on the inside, it is hollow. Therefore, it is advisable to regularly tap on your wooden fixtures to check if they produce a hollow sound.
If the wood produces a hollow sound, then chances are the termites have begun to eat away at its interior. If you ignore this sign, the termites will continue to spread to other parts of the wood fixture. In the end, the wood will not have enough strength to support itself, and the structure will collapse.
When you get a hollow sound when you tap on a wooden structure, call a termite pest control contractor immediately. The sooner you call termite control services, the sooner you can prevent the termites from spreading to other parts of the structure, and you may prevent your structure from severe damage.
Piles of Wings
There is a type of termite that has wings commonly referred to as flying termites or swarmers. When swarmers want to set up a new colony, they will fly to the new location, and upon arriving, they will shed their wings. The wing shedding will occur across the colony members simultaneously, and you will notice piles of tiny wings lying around your property.
When you notice piles of wings, it means that the swarmer termites have just moved in and are in the process of setting up a new colony. Thus, it is advisable to call a termite control service to eliminate the swarmers before they fully set up a termite infestation.
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