The problem with termites for Columbia pest control enthusiasts (and pest controllers everywhere) is that it's so hard to know you have them. Termites can live inside your home for months and even years before you even know they're there – doing oodles of damage. That's why it's so important to prioritize termite control, even if you don't think you have an infestation.
Why Do They Call Termites Silent Destroyers?
Termites earned the nickname the "silent destroyers" because they can clandestinely live inside your walls, ceiling, floors, and other parts of your home for a long time without you ever knowing there's an issue. Many termite damages remain invisible for up to several years before they become so severe it start to become apparent from the outside. So that means unless you're damaging walls, you might never find out you have a termite problem until they've wreaked significant havoc on your home's support structure.
Four Termite Warning Signs Every Homeowner Ought to Know
Signs of termites inside your house can be subtle at first, so you need to be vigilant and look for issues that might not be readily apparent. A big sign of termites is a swarm. Mature termite colonies send out winged reproductive adults called alates. These alates perform one ritual mating flight, swarming by the thousands to pair off and find new nests. Termite alates do not fly far from the originating colony, meaning if you see a termite swarm on your property, it's a good bet you have an infestation.
Other significant signs of termite infestation have to do with their daily activities. For instance, if you see inexplicable sawdust piles around your home, this comes from termite waste and chewing. Suppose you hear rustling inside your walls, termites moving through their tunnels, or digging new ones. If you see mud tubes leading from the dirt up to the foundation or side of your house, that's termites moving moisture and food back and forth from outside. All these early warning signs are not issues to be ignored.
I Found Termite Warning Signs, Now What?
Don't hesitate to do something about it if you detect termite signs like mud tubes, sawdust, rustling noises, or swarms. Every second that termites infest your home is a second they're doing damage. That means you need to act the second you think you might have a problem. Termite removal gets more and more complex the longer you wait.
Furthermore, you don't want to waste your time trying to eliminate termites yourself. With other pests, you can often use DIY pest control measures to try and get rid of them, especially for smaller and newer infestations. Not so with termites. Usually, a termite infestation is much larger and more spread out than it looks to the naked eye. So you'll need a thorough professional termite inspection of your whole house if you find termites in even one spot.
Do I Really Need Professional Termite Control?
In the case of termites, D.I.Y. methods only make the problem worse because they encourage termites to spread out even more. They may also eliminate larger nests while leaving smaller ones untouched, and these smaller nests will fill in the places the larger ones vacated. That's why you do need professional termite control for all termite infestations.
Here at Go-Forth Home Services, we can take care of any size termite infestation anywhere on your property. If you're worried about termites on your walls, give us a call or visit our contact page to set up your professional inspection.