Is my home infested?

The amount of damage that a termite infestation can cause is enough to destroy your home or at least cost many thousands of dollars to repair. The damage does not only compromise the value of your home but can cause safety issues that must be addressed.

It is possible for termite damage to be significant enough to cause a floor to cave in or a part of a roof to fall. Damages this significant pose a clear risk to the safety of you're your family and in some cases the building should be destroyed and may be ordered to by a court or agency charged with public safety.

Hopefully by now you understand how important safeguarding your home against termites can be. This is true for most of the US however different areas may have higher risk than others. You can check termite distribution maps and pictures for more information about your area.

Your first line of defense is awareness. You should take a close look at areas of your buildings where wood comes in contact with the ground or maybe subject to moisture. You will want to look closely at any untreated wood and even wood that has been treated only for moisture.

You should use a tool like an awl (a long sharp needle like tool with a wood or plastic handle made for punching holes in various materials). Take your tool and try to push it into the wood in places you are searching for infestation. A clear sign of a problem is when you find mud tubes or tunnels over your wood surfaces. Get to know your home in this way.

Places that remain dark and may be damp are of special interest when searching for signs of infestation. Basements, support post for a porch or outside stairs, bathrooms and kitchens are all places that are most attractive to termites. These pests build colonies, consume their food supply then move to a new food supply.

You should take special care to inspect fence post, sheds, tree stumps and other places on your property. Termites don't just happen or appear in your home, they come from a depleted food source and find a ready food source in your home.

It is always a good idea to have periodic termite inspections by a professional. In areas where there are higher numbers of termite infested buildings you will want to have your home treated by a professional pest control company on a regular basis to avoid the issue.

Termites
A guide to the biology and how to control termites.

Pest management - Termites
A guide to termite control from the Government of British Columbia.