While having any kind of pests in your home is never ideal, there are some that are arguably worse than others. One pest that you’ll want to do your best to keep away or take care of as soon as possible is termites.
If left unchecked, termites can do some serious damage to the structure of your home. And the longer it takes for you to treat these pests, the more harm they can cause and the harder it can be to ensure that you get rid of all of them.
To help you learn if this is something you should be concerned about, here are three signs that your home may have termites.
You Notice Swarmers
If your home hasn’t had any signs or issues with termites in the past but you start seeing bugs that look like flying ants all over the place, Sara Elliott, a contributor to How Stuff Works, shares that you might be noticing swarmers of termites before they really take root in your home.
Generally, swarmers typically come out in the spring and search for new areas to take over with the rest of their colony. So if you notice that there are a lot of these types of bugs in spider webs outside your home or you see any inside of your home, you may want to call in a professional to determine if they are termites and how big of a problem you’re looking at.
You Find Piles Of Wood-Colored Droppings
Once termites have entered the structure of your home and have started eating away at the wood, they’ll start producing a lot of waste that has to go somewhere. But while many people think that the wood-colored pellets that are a sign of termites are just wood shavings, PestWorld.org shares that they are actually the droppings of termites, also known as frass.
If you see any little accumulations of things that look like wood shavings or small pellet droppings, this is likely a sign that you have drywood termites. Knowing this, it’s best to call an exterminator quickly.
You See Mud Tubes
Another common sign of subterranean termites is mud tubes.
According to Today’s Homeowner, mud tubes can look like little lines of mud running through areas that wouldn’t naturally attract a buildup of mud. These tubes allow termites to travel around the ground under and around your home. So if you’re noticing lines of mud in unusual places, you may be witnessing signs of a termite infestation.
If you notice any of the above-mentioned issues around your home, consider calling in a professional to see if you have termites and determine what can be done about them.