Termites can cause serious damage to your home if they are not caught and dealt with in time. Knowing what signs to look out for can help you identify a termite infestation before it becomes too severe. There are a few tell-tale signs to look for including termite mud tubes, piles of wings, and hollow wood. Let’s dive into the details of how to identify a termite nest in your home.
Check for mud tubes
Mud tubes, also known as shelter tubes, are one of the tell-tale signs of termite infestation. Termite workers use these mud tubes to travel discreetly between their nest and a food source without exposing themselves to potential predators. These fast-drying tubes consist of soil, fecal matter and saliva, and can usually be found near or along a home foundation or other exposed wood surfaces.
To check for mud tubes, first use a flashlight to look for any signs of infestation near the foundation walls or other possible areas of access. If you find any small brownish lines in these places that appear damp or covered with waste particles, you could be looking at mud tube evidence. Keep in mind though, that termites often use existing cracks and crevices when building their nests so it is important to inspect thoroughly.
It can take some practice getting used to identifying mud tubes but it is an essential part of determining whether or not there is an active termite problem in your home. If you do find any suspicious signs such as damp particle lines close to your home’s foundation walls then it’s advisable to have a professional pest control company come out and assess the situation as soon as possible.
Look for wood damage
One of the most noticeable signs of a potential termite infestation is wood damage. This can come in the form of cracked paint, small holes, sawdust, and warped or broken boards. Termites are voracious eaters and will quickly start to feed on exposed wood if they find it. To help identify if these are indicative of a termite infestation look for mud tubes along the baseboards. This is an indication that they are actively tunneling in and eating away at your home structure.
Other signs of prospective infestations can include bubbling or cracking paint as well as swollen or warped walls, floors and ceilings. Termites also produce a specific musty smell which can also be an indication that you have an active nest near by. It’s important to remember though that not all damage to wood is caused by termites so similar signs can often arise from other sources such as water or animal damage.
Check for swarming termites
One of the most telling signs of a termite infestation is the presence of swarming termites, which may fill the air in early spring or late winter. Swarming termites, which are reproductives (winged adults), leave their nest to start a new colony. So if you’re seeing them in your home, it’s a good sign that they’ve found an area they like and plan to stay some time!
In addition to checking for swarms, listen closely for faint tapping or clicking noises coming from wood and walls. While this is not always an indication of termites’ presence, it’s another sign that the insects may be nesting inside the structure.
Another telltale sign of a severe infestation is bubbling paint or mud tubes on walls. Termites construct these tubes from bits of wood, soil and their own saliva — and use them as highways to travel between their nest and food sources within your home’s walls. If possible, scrap off a little bit of these structures to get a better inspection; dark brown flakes with moth-like wings likely indicate drywood or dampwood species of termite colonies.
Locating a Termite Nest
Locating a termite nest is the first step in getting rid of the pests. Termites cause a lot of damage to wooden structures, so it’s important to identify where the nest is so you can take the appropriate measures to eradicate them. There are a few different things you can do to locate a termite nest. In this section, we will take a look at the different methods you can use to find a nest.
Inspect the exterior of the home
The presence of termites on a property is a cause for concern, as they can cause extensive damage to homes and other buildings. To protect your home and property, it is important to be able to inspect the home for signs of a termite infestation and locate the nest.
If you believe that you have a termite infestation, it’s time to start inspecting the exterior of your home for clues. Take note of any mud tubes or tunnels hanging from wood surfaces, as this is a commonly-used travel route from their nest to food sources. Look for any activity around wooden foundations or doorways in particular – wood-consuming insects like termites will be attracted by these areas over other parts of your property. You can also inspect doors and windows for sawdust-like residue or sagging walls or ceilings which are indicative of past damage caused by termites or other wood-consuming pests.
Once you have identified possible entry points where the termites may have infiltrated the property, take some time to investigate further. Check that these areas are free from moisture, since moist regions are more likely to attract termite colonies in need of water sources to survive. It’s also important that you search these areas thoroughly; it may not always be possible to spot an active termite hive, so look out for evidence such as openings in timbers that suggest there could be a hidden hive beneath them – this may help you better pinpoint where their nest is housed on your property.
Check for nests in the yard
If you suspect that your property may have a termite infestation, checking for a nest in the yard is one of the best ways to confirm it. Although termites don’t build visible shelters like other species of insect, there are still ways to find them.
Look for mounds outside. Subterranean termites often build large mounds that contain soil and wood in their galleries underneath. These mounds can range from a few inches to several feet wide, and they’re often found near fences and posts.
Inspect wooden structures closely. Structures have to be inspected closely, as they can give signs of an infestation if they are severely damaged by termite activity such as tunnels in the wood or mud tubes coming up from the ground, close to walls or posts supporting these structures. These tubes will usually be made of soil and pieces of wood, created by the worker termites as a way to stay protected from sunlight when travelling outside their nest for food gathering purposes.
Search for swarmers inside the home. Termites generally reproduce during the warmer months and swarmers (winged forms of reproductives) will emerge from nests in large numbers after rainfalls or when disturbed away from vegetation cover such as lawns or gardens during nighttime hours when it’s dark and warm outside. Swarmers may be seen inside homes around windowsills or near lights during these months as they are eventually attracted towards light sources when seeking new locations where they can reproduce and build colonies once again after reproduction events take place outdoors in nature environments.
Look for nests in the walls
If you suspect your home might be infested by subterranean termites, there are certain visual signs you should look out for. Look closely at the walls of your property — subterranean termites often build their nests in the walls close to a source of wood and moisture, such as wood framing or a leaky pipe. Some visible signs of infestation include mud tubes, buckling or discolored wallboards and blistered paint. Termite mud tubes are specifically made by termites as shelter while they search for food, so if you find these protruding from the side of your home, it is likely that there is a nest inside. Check for any dirt deposits along floorboards and other surfaces around your property too — these could indicate an infestation.