Termites can be a devastating problem to any home or structure. Don’t take a risk with your home or business, here is what to look for to know if you need to call an exterminator in Connecticut for a termite infestation. You cannot always rely on a swarm to tell you if you have termites “if it aint warm they won’t swarm” so you have to know other ways to see possible evidence of termites.
Exterior Signs of Termites
You want to focus on the exterior perimeter of your home at the foundation, your garage, and basement to get the best chance at spotting termite activity. The frame around the garage door is a common place for termites to access so checking the wood here where it may have contact to soil or moisture is a must when trying to search for termite evidence. Outside you want to take your time inspecting the perimeter of your structure looking for wood and soil contact points which will give you an idea of where to focus your search. Some insulators such as foam will often be used around a home’s perimeter even buried an inch under the surface, always inspect such insulators as they could be a potential food source or a dwelling.
Interior Signs of Termites
In your basement you want to look at any wood that is visible to you around the sill board level especially where the foundation meets the soil. These contact zones of moisture and wood are an area where termites could thrive. You want to look for any signs of sawdust but be careful you don’t mistake construction dust for termite evidence. If you find a pile of sawdust inspect the area it’s under and make sure it didn’t come from a piece of wood that had been previously drilled through. An obvious but immediate sign of termites is there mud tubes. Their mud tubes can be seen either inside of wood or running up a wall or PVC piping in the house. While checking out your garage or basement you may have the advantage of some spider webs to look through for any signs of wings from swarmer’s or even just dead termites.
Termite damage can be extremely expensive to fix, protect your biggest investment by being proactive and getting a termite inspection from a pest control company in Connecticut or keep your eyes out for any of these signs. If you do find evidence of a termite infestation you will need to have your home treated professionally.
Source: “Ride Along” Will Nepper in PMP magazine.