17 May What Does Termite Damage Look Like?
What Does Termite Damage Look Like?
What Does Termite Damage Look Like?
A termite situation can be quite difficult to deal with. However, you don’t need to wait for a professional to tell you what termite damage looks like before you can start trying to get rid of the situation. If you know a little bit about what termite damage looks like, then you can also try to control the damage.
Now, assuming you are a homeowner, you need to know the early signs of termite damage and infestation because these can help you save a lot of trouble and expenses down the road.
Damage caused by termites may look different because there are over15 different types of termite species in the world.
Each termite species causes a different type of timber damage. Each species of termite prefers to feed on a different type of wood. Each species takes a different amount of time to cause damage.
Signs of Termite Damage in Your House
One of the most common signs of termite damage in your house is that the woodwork in your house, such as your doors, door frames, window frames, and other wooden fixtures, may start showing signs of softening. Sometimes you may also find the woodwork in your house to become hollow.
Another visible sign of having a termite infestation or damage is to start seeing mud tubes along your house walls or ceilings. You may also find mud-stained walls, as this is also quite a major sign of termite infestation and damage.
Finding piles of small wings inside your house and sawdust-like material is also a clear sign of termite damage and infestation.
However, have you decided what to do after you find these signs of termite damage or infestation?
See, by the time you find termite damage, it will already be too late for your house. So, stay vigilant but always make the smart choice, and that would be for you to set up an inspection with a professional as soon as possible.
But, just to be sure, you can always carry out a simple test. All you need to do is break the surface of an already damaged area. Since termites do not like being disturbed and because they love working in moist and warm places, they will repair that peeled-off or broken surface/piece of paint or wood in around 2 hours with what looks like “mud.” Seeing this, you can be sure that there is some major termite activity and damage in your house.
What to Do Next?
The best option is to call up a professional termite inspection company and schedule a site visit. Do not try to take care of it yourself because you neither have the resources or the expertise to get rid of the problem.
Once the professionals arrive, let them inspect the house, and they will identify what areas of the house are damaged and where the infestation/nest is at.
Now, normally after the inspection, these professionals will offer a couple of solutions to get rid of your termite problem.
There are 4 types of treatments that may be suggested by these professionals.
Termite Baiting
Termite baiting treatment places poisonous chemicals in strategic places in and around your house. The poison does not act immediately but acts as bait and allows the termites to carry the poison back into their nest, where the infected termites infect other termites with the poison.
Drywood Termites
Drywood termites have an opposite approach, and they like to approach their wood from the top. They start developing their colonies usually from the part of the wood that is exposed either on or near the top. However, there are signs of dry wood termite infestations, such as termite droppings that look a lot like sawdust.
Termite Repellents (Building Materials)
This treatment is usually used before your house is constructed or if you are planning to remodel/renovate your house. Each piece of wood is treated with termiticides before being used in the construction to repel termites.
Wood Treatment
The wood treatment uses powerful chemicals to kill the termites in the house. Moreover, the chemicals are also injected or sprayed into the wood so that the wood can soak up the chemical to prevent any infestations in the future.
Liquid Soil Treatment
Similar to the wood treatment, the soil around your house can also be treated with powerful and long-lasting chemicals. This can help repel and/or prevent termite infestations in or around your house.
Professionals can help you pick the right treatment plan for your house, depending on where the infested area or nest is and the level of infestation.
Saw Dust & Discarded Wings
Though quite hard to notice, if you have a termite infestation in your house, you will find these two things: termite droppings around the woodwork and doors/doorframes in your house. Termite droppings look pretty similar to sawdust, and this means that your house has a termite problem waiting to be solved. Another way that can tell you that you have a termite infestation in your house is if you see piles of discarded wings in or outside your house.
Conclusion
Many other signs say that you have a termite problem, such as regular electrical short circuits in your house, damaged ceilings, paint, etc. However, what matters is what you do after finding out about a termite infestation. If you take immediate action and call a professional to take care of the problem, then the damage done can be controlled, and you can get rid of this problem. If not, you better have deep pockets because these little critters can be quite expensive to get rid of at times.
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