Termites can cause serious property damage. Prevention and detection are keys to protecting your house from these destructive pests. Thus, you must be aware of the signs that termites are present on your property, so you can address the issue as soon as possible. Experts at pointepest.com can handle a termite infestation by eradicating termite colonies and killing the queen that termites strive to protect. Below are signs you need to watch out for:

Live Termites

Even if you have not found termites on your property, they might still be nearby. These pests might be inhabiting your trees, wood piles, outbuildings, and stumps. Signs of termite issues include seeing live termites and mud tubes. Also, road tunnels that are chewed through wood indicate the presence of termites. 

When termites have set up camp on your property, termite swarmers will soon take flight and attack your house. If a termite colony is huge enough, the swarmers will look for a new source of food and shelter to build their own colony. Typically, winged swarmers do not travel far from their first colony. This means that your home can be this swarmer’s next target. 

Winged Swarmers

Again, termites will send swarmers out of their colonies to look for new sources of food. Such flying insects are small and can be mistaken for flying ants. However, swarmers tend to travel in huge, visible numbers. When they land on a structure for a new colony, they shed their wings and start working on their new population. 

Winged swarmers are usually active in the spring; however, they can be found at any time. Before a termite colony can take up residence in your house, swarmers may arrive first. If you notice these flying insects or discarded wings near door frames, on window sills, or around your house, consult with an expert right away. While it can take two years for the new colony to become mature, they have already caused serious damage to your home by then. 

Mud Tubes

Termites these small columns of dirt to protect themselves against the elements and predators when they travel above ground. Usually, they build mud tubes up along tree trunks and walls. Contact a pest control expert if you see these tunnels near the foundation of your house. These tubes indicate the presence of termites on your property. In addition, these mud tubes can also be built behind drywalls or the space between the subfloor of your house and its crawl space floor. 

Termite Droppings

Worker termites collect the feces of their colonies regularly and push these out of small holes. As a result, you may notice small coffee grounds or piles of sawdust around your property, particularly inside structures. 

Favorable Conditions

Termites can invade your house suddenly because of their subterranean networks. So, you should not wait until you can find live termites to take action. Pay attention to the conditions in and around the property. Generally, termites like moist and rotten wood because this is easy to chew and can offer water to their colonies. Likewise, termites are drawn to houses that have plumbing leaks or moist basements. If your property has these conditions, get a regular termite inspection done.