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Termites. These are the creatures that, although small, can create thousands of dollars of damage to your home. They work from the inside out, and worst-case scenario, can make your house collapse on top of itself. However, this process isn’t quick, and with an inspection can be detected quite easily. Nevertheless, the lack of inspection gives way to destruction by these pests, and will require more money to fix than the actual cost of getting a professional to look over the structure of your home. Regardless, there are ways you can self-check your home to see if your house is subject to a termite infestation.
Some common places to check for termites are places like the attic, the inside walls of your house, the basement, areas with leaky pipes, and your foundation. Termites tend to congregate where it’s dark and moist, and that’s where they’ll begin to start their damage.
Depending on where you’re checking, there are different methods to inspect for termites.
- Exterior
For exterior inspections, make sure to check for mud tubes around the foundation of your house. Termites tend to hang around places where wood and ground meet, such as where fences touch your foundation or firewood placed near your home. If you have wood mulch on your planters near your home, make sure to move it away or replace it with another additive like pebbles or pine straw. This is a way to prevent termites from getting anywhere near the base of your home. Basically, any wood that connects your home to the ground should be removed or substituted with another material. Then, termites won’t eat their way into your home.
- Interior
Whenever you’re checking around the base of your home, see if there are any dabs of dirt or mud tubes that shouldn’t be there. This is a sign that there are possible termites coming in. Additionally, look for any dirt/mud dabs near your baseboard, window trim, or the cabinet area under your kitchen sink.
Again, check for any mud tubes near your plumbing pipes or chimney. Probe any wood that looks unstable or suspicious. If you find a hollow spot, probe it to see if there are any termites inside.
Generally, termite inspections are no rocket science. Termites leave a trail wherever they go, like discarded wings after they mature, mud tubes, and hollow spots where they eat. If you’re unable to do an inspection yourself, make sure to contact a professional pest control company to make an inspection. It is a small investment, but it will prevent you from having to pay thousands of dollars for home repair because of termite damage.
