What Does Termite Damage Inside Your Home Look Like?

As everyone knows, a termite’s food source is often the wooden structures that we call home. If we have any hope of maintaining proper termite control, then we must all learn what termite damage looks like. Today, we’re going to explore that a bit so that you’ll understand when calling a professional is necessary. Homeowners have good reason to fear termite damage due to the high costs of repair, but many of them don’t know exactly what it looks like. The hard part is that wood damage caused by termites looks similar to other types of damage. So, what does termite damage look like?

Here are a few comparisons:

Water Damage

Like termites, water damage can cause paint and wallpaper to bubble, peel, or warp. Flooring can have a similar effect. Where they differ, however, is that termite damage causes wavy grooves and a hollowed-out appearance. Water damage, on the other hand, causes wood to get darker and will often result in a musty or moldy odor.

Wood Rot

Wood rot typically results from a mix of water damage and fungal growth. You may experience wet wood rot due to poor insulation, poor drainage, roof or siding damage, cracks in your home’s structure, or long-term excess moisture. Dry wood rot, on the other hand, is caused by fungi that cause wood to weaken and become brittle.

Carpenter Ants

Believe it or not, but termites aren’t the only wood-destroying insects. Carpenter ants don’t actually eat the wood, but they do use it for nesting and shelter. Just like drywood termites, carpenter ants will create small holes in wood, resulting in bits of sawdust. Carpenter ants are typically found in moist or damp wood, which isn’t true of drywood termites.

What Kinds of Damage Might Be Present?

Termites can severely harm your home’s structural integrity. In severe cases, you may even need to vacate your home because its integrity has been compromised. To help you identify the problem as soon as possible, let’s take a look at three common signs of termite damage:

Hollow Wood

As termites eat the wood inside your walls and other structures, they reduce the wood’s integrity. If you knock on wood and it sounds hollow, it’s very likely that you have a termite problem. Unfortunately, this means that the damage may be quite extensive. If so, it’s time to call a professional pest control company right away.

Blistering Floors

When looking for evidence of termites, many homeowners consider the walls but not the floors. Yet, termites don’t differentiate between the wood in your walls, floors, or any other location. When they’ve eaten the wood under your floors, the flooring will often blister and become very noticeable.

Peeling Paint

You may not even need to knock on your walls to realize that you have termites. When the wood in your walls has been eaten to a certain extent, the paint will often bubble or peel. There are other reasons why this may occur, such as your house simply being old and/or the paint wearing out, but it’s still a good sign that you have a termite problem.

What Are Some Other Termite Warning Signs?

Damage caused by termites is often the most obvious sign of an infestation. There are other signs that may help you catch on to a termite infestation much earlier, though. Here are some things to watch out for:

• Discarded Wings — When termite season begins, the workers will shed their wings. Finding piles of discarded wings is definitely reason enough to call a professional.
• Mud Tubes — Mud tubes are conduits that subterranean termites use to travel from place to place. These are often one of the first signs that a homeowner will notice because they’re so obvious.
• Stuck Windows/Doors — When termites eat wood near your door frames and windows, it can cause them to warp. This will often lead to them getting a bit stuck when you attempt to open or close them.
• Termite Feces — Termites leave behind feces that look like small piles of sawdust.

What Does Termite Damage Look Like? Contact ProHealth Pest Control

Now that you know what termite damage looks like, you probably understand a little bit better when it’s a good idea to call a professional. ProHealth Pest Control can perform a termite inspection and then take care of these pests right away if any are found. Reach out to us at (727) 310-0521 to get started today with a free consultation.