The Most Common Signs of a Termite Infestation to Watch Out For

Termites can be a major problem for homeowners, quickly eating away at wood in your furniture or in your home’s structural elements. If you have any reason to believe you have a termite infestation in your home, it is crucial that you contact a reliable termite inspector in Butte County, CA as soon as possible.

Of course, it’s on you as a homeowner to actually notice and identify the signs of a termite infestation. So, what are some of the most common signs of an infestation that you should watch for? Here’s a quick overview:

• Clicking or munching sounds: Have you noticed strange clicking sounds coming from within your walls? This occurs when the soldier termites bang their heads on the wood, or shake when their colony is disturbed. You might also actually be able to hear munching noises coming from the worker termites if you put your ears up to the wall. These strange noises are both signs that you could be dealing with a termite infestation.
• Hollow-sounding wood: Termites will generally eat wood from the inside out, which means you might end up being left with just a thin veneer of wood, or even just the paint from the surface. If you tap an area of wood and it sounds hollow, this could indicate extensive termite damage inside. In some cases, the surface might feel thin or papery, which would indicate the termites already ate most of the wood below the surface.
• Windows and doors become hard to open: This issue on its own might not be indicative of termites, because it can also simply occur when the weather is particularly humid. But if paired with other issues on this list, hard-to-open windows and doors could indicate termite damage, as termites produce moisture when tunneling through the wood in the window and door frames, causing the wood to warp or expand.
• White bugs: One of the most common mistakes people make is actually seeing a termite but mistaking it for an ant. This makes sense because ants and termites are similar in shape and size. However, it’s important to note that termites are usually light in color, while ants are dark. Termites can even look translucent in some cases. They have straighter antennae than ants, and the females have thicker waist sections than those of ants. If the bug looks clear or white, it is almost definitely a termite.
• Flying: You should also keep an eye out for flying termites, known as alates or swarmers. These are the termites that have already left the previous colony to start a new colony with a mate. You might see them flying around, or notice discarded wings.
• Tunneling: If you notice strange tunneling or maze-like patterns in wood, particularly in broken timbers around your property, this is a sign that termites could be nearby.

For more information about identifying and dealing with a termite problem on your property, we strongly recommend you contact the reliable termite inspectors in Butte County, CA at Hobbs Pest Solutions

Categorised in: Termites