Recognizing Termites
Do you know what a termite looks like? While most everyone has heard
of what a termite is you would be surprised to learn that most people
really do not know much about them. Quite simply put, termites are those
insects that love to eat wood. And while most people can catch an
infestation in time, thousands more homes go undetected with a termite
infestation each year due to not knowing what to look for. Can you
imagine your beautiful home ruined because you did not check for such
issues? Here is some information that can help show you whether or not
your home is at risk.
First of all it is important to know that Termites love warm
climates, but can live most anywhere. But there is not just one type.
You have drywood termites and subterranean termites. While the
subterranean variety of course lives underground, the drywood types
prefer the opposite. Both types of termites are horrendous pests that
cause hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of damage each year around
the nation. But the question here is how to tell if you have termites.
How do you tell? Because it is easier and less expensive to catch
these pests early, everyone should know what signs to look for. For
example, do you find wings all over your floor? While other insects have
wings like the termite, this may be the first sign you will see. The
reason for all the wings is that the queen will fly out to mate. This
could also mean that you simply have some flying ants about but if you
have wings coupled with one or more of the examples below then you
should be worried. But besides this first sign you must also look at
your floors. Do you have dark spots on your floors that you can
scratch away? This may be another sign that you have subterranean
termites. If you find these types of holes try knocking on the floor.
Termites will knock their heads on the wood to tell the colony that
there is danger. But what about pooh? If you find small round pellets
that have six sides near damaged wood then this may be drywood termites.
While these pests are terrible for your home they do prefer their holes
cleaned of their excrement.
These are just a few of the signs that might point to your home
having termites. If you do find more than one of these signs then you
will want to take care of it as soon as possible. The longer you wait
the more damage will be done. There are many alternatives out there as
far as killing these pests. All you need to do is find the right one for
your home and for your wallet. Just be sure to find a company that
specializes in termites. All too often people go for one type of
exterminator not knowing that many of these companies have specialties
and do their best work with those insects that they specialize in. |
