Termite Identification & Prevention

Termites are some of the most successful insects on Earth. These social insects have colonized every continent except Antarctica and are some of the most numerous animals on the planet. They eat wood, which makes them a vital part of many forest ecosystems around the world since they help speed up the process of plant decay.

Termite colonies can range from a few dozen individuals to many, many thousands. Interestingly enough, termite queens are also the longest-lived insect in the world. They are known to live up to 50 years.

Termites are not dangerous to your health, but they are very dangerous to your home. In the forest, termites consume dead trees, fallen logs, and other things of this nature. This helps push vital nutrients back into the soil for living plants.

However, when they start doing this to the floor joists, support beams, and wall studs of your home, a termite problem can suddenly turn into a major threat to your home's structural integrity, not to mention your wallet. Termites do billions of dollars of damage every year, and the average termite infestation can cost thousands of dollars to repair.

Most of the time, winding up with the termite infestation boils down to one of two things: either you have something attractive in your home or you just hit a bout of bad luck. Sometimes, things like moisture problems, wood to ground contact, or wood rot can send termites scurrying into your home.

Other times, your home may just happen to be in the path of a swarm. In this case, you didn't fail in your termite control efforts. Your house was just in the wrong place at the wrong time.

Termite identification is tricky because finding termites is just about impossible for the untrained eye. These social insects eat the wood they live in, which means they rarely have to leave their colonies. If termite swarms are not out and about, you may never see a live termite.

This means you will have to look for signs of a termite infestation instead. Common signs include:

• Bubbled or peeling paint on your walls
• Mud tubes about the diameter of a pencil around your foundation
• White, papery wings scattered in piles around your property
• Pinholes in drywall
• Termite droppings (known as frass)
• Scratching sounds inside your walls
• Wood that feels hollow or cool to the touch
• Windows and doors that don't fit

If you start seeing more than one of these signs, it is almost guaranteed that you have a termite infestation and need to call professional termite experts right away.

The reality is it is almost impossible to get rid of termites without professional home pest control or commercial pest control help. Not only are most home and business owners untrained in how to deal with these difficult and stubborn pests, but the equipment required to remove entire termite colonies is much more than some bug bomb or sticky trap.

You need professional training and professional equipment to deal with termites. The good news is we've got both of those things in spades here at Swoboda Pest & Termite Control. Termites might be able to invade your Bryan home, but even a Texas-sized termite colony can't outfox us.

Termite removal might be just about impossible to accomplish on your own, but termite prevention is a whole lot simpler. The best thing you can do to make your home less attractive to termites is to eliminate all wood-to-ground contact. This might mean getting firewood off the ground and away from your exterior. It could mean pulling mulch away from your foundation. It might mean trimming tree branches and bushes. Whatever you have to do to minimize exterior wood touching your home, this is the best way to prevent termites from invading.

Another great way to keep termites out is to deal with any moisture issues your home has, such as condensation, excessive humidity, and leaky pipes. If even these measures don't protect you from termite infestation, the termite professionals here at Swoboda Pest & Termite Control are just a click or call away.