No one likes having insects around, and it is important that every home owner learn how to check for termites and other insects that should not be in or around the home. Termites can cause a terrible amount of damage to a home, and the cost to repair that damage can be extremely high.
It is a really good idea to at least have an annual termite inspection done by a professional, and there are also things you can do yourself between inspections to make sure that you are not getting infested with annoying, destructive termites. In fact, it is a good idea to get into the habit of checking at least once a month to make sure that you do not have any infestations. The sooner you discover an infestation, the easier it is going to be to get rid of it, and the less damage will be done to your home.
Things to Look for
There are a number of signs that will tell you if you have termites in your home. One of the first things you should look for is little piles of termite wings. Termites resemble flying ants, and they shed their wings. Wherever there are small piles of wings, you can be pretty sure that you are going to find an infestation of termites. This is just one of the things you should be looking for. Other ways that you can check for termites include:
Look for termite tunnels – Termites build little tunnels that are about as thick as a pencil that take them from their nests to other areas. Just because there are tubes, doesn’t necessarily mean that you have termites; it may mean that there was an infestation in the past, but it is still a good idea to bring in an exterminator if you do find termite tubes.
Check your wood for damage – Check everything around your home that is made from wood, including fences and outbuildings. If you see hollows in the wood that run along the grain, it could be that there are termites inside. Often, termites will use mud and feces to make patches so it looks like no damage has been done.
Check your drywall or plaster – Even though termites are most commonly associated with eating wood, they are not fussy, and they will sometimes tunnel through plaster and drywall to get to the wood they really want. Check for small bore holes in plaster and drywall, and if they have little patches, you probably have termites.
Check for gaps and cracks in the foundation – One way that termites enter homes is through cracks in the foundation. Check around the entire perimeter of your home, and make sure that there are no cracks or gaps, as termites are tiny, and can get in through extremely tiny cracks. If you find any tiny openings in your home, these are spots you will want to check for termites.
Check the common termite hiding places – There are many places in homes that termites love to hide, including under carpeting and other floor coverings. They really like these areas if there is wood beneath the floor coverings. They can also often be found in or under insulation.
Termite Prevention
There are many steps you can take to keep termites from ever entering your home in the first place.
For one thing, make sure that all wood in and around the home is treated, or at least painted or stained, which will repel termites.
You can have certain plants that will keep termites away, such as marigolds and other annuals, and there are many herbs that termites can’t stand to be around.
Also make sure that you do not have any leaky pipes, and that there is no standing water anywhere on your property.
As a homeowner, you should be getting termite inspections at least once a year. If you are buying a home, it is a good idea to learn how to check for termites, or have an inspection done to make sure that you are not going to get stuck with someone else’s problem and end up having to spend a lot of money on extermination and repairs.