Having a termite infestation doesn’t always involve extensive renovation, replacement and expenses. If you manage to catch the early signs of an infestation, you’ll save a lot on damages. Read on as we help you discover termite infestations and the dangers of finding out about it too late.
What Will Happen if You Don’t Detect Termites?
Some people don’t know that their home has termites until they start causing some visible damage. Termites take a long time to cause proper damage – depending on the breed and the size of the termite colony, they may take a few years of damaging your house before you even start to notice anything.
Since they work their way out from the inside, you need to be vigilant and keep checking your home to make sure they’re not hiding among the walls or in the woodwork in your house. Otherwise, you may be looking at thousands of dollars’ worth of repairs.
How to Find an Infestation in its Early Stages
For starters, it’s important to know that termites, while notorious for eating wood, may also creep into your housing insulation, in any paper items in the house, and more so you need to check your entire house for an infestation.
Set fixed intervals throughout the month when you check your home for the following signs:
- Tap woodwork and wood furniture to see if it sounds hollow (this is a sign that the termites have eaten away at the wood inside).
- Check the furniture and walls for tiny holes, around the size of a hole that would result by pulling out a thumbtack or a small nail.
- Look around your house for any sawdust-like powder. These may be termite droppings left behind in the infested areas.
- As termites undergo their lifecycle, their wings eventually fall off so keep an eye out for those as well.
- Check any trees close to the house such as near the basement for signs of dirt. The dirt will be in the form of tubes or tunnels that create a complete termite network to help them reach their food source easily.
Signs You Detected the Infestation Very Late
Since it takes 20 odd years for termites to completely destroy a house, you’re safe. But within a few years, they can cause extensive damage. You’ll know that you’re dealing with a full-scale infestation that will take a fair bit of time and effort to repair when you notice the following signs:
- Honeycomb tunnels running through your woodwork,
- Darkening or bloating woodwork,
- Wood furniture breaking or falling apart,
- Sturdy items in your home suddenly crumbling, etc.
Protect Your Home from Termites
Apart from the initial inspection when you move in, it’s important to have your home inspected routinely every few months by a professional. They’ll be able to find out if you have termites in your home, even if they’ve just entered your home and the colony is a small one.
Reach out to Accredited Building Inspections to have your house checked thoroughly with the help of the latest equipment and market experts. If you are dealing with a termite infestation, hire an exterminator without delay!