What Does Termite Damage Look Like?

The humble termite can easily be mistaken for the carpenter ant, and vice versa. However, while both of these are known to eat your wood and potentially cause huge amounts of damage to your home, the termite is the only one that actually eats wood!

Carpenter ants simply create a hole in your wood in order to make nests for themselves. But, the effect of weakening wood is the same.

Being able to identify termite damage is important, it will help you to know you have an issue and call the exterminators.

Termites are known to cause billions of dollars worth of damage every year, and the damage is often not covered by your household insurance policy! This makes it a costly issue and the best possible reason to find out more about termites and your local pest control services.

Signs Of Termite Damage

With termites the earlier you identify them as an issue the easier it is to deal with them. Termites live in colonies, the longer they are allowed to survive in your home the bigger, and stronger, the colony will get.

Top Tip: Don’t assume your home is safe because it is not wooden framed. Termites can eat through plaster, metal siding, and other materials to get to the wood they crave.

Damaged Wood

Buckling wood accompanied by floors and ceilings that are starting to swell, that’s a clear indication you have a termite issue. This is caused by the weight of the termite nest and the weakening of the wooden structures within your home. The water stains are a result of termite waste.

When you have this sort of sign then the infestation is already fairly large. It’s possible you’ll have an aroma similar to mildew or mold.

Soil Holes

It is also a good idea to look outside your home. Termites can get to your wood through the soil at the edge of your home. If you look closely you’ll see lots of small holes in the soil, these are the entry/exit points.

You can verify that the termites are active by covering several of the holes. Within a few days, they will be uncovered or a new hole will have appeared next to it.

Wood Dust

If you inspect visible wood inside your home you may notice there are many small holes, these are a sign of termites, the holes are them burying into the wood. You’ll also see small pellets of sawdust on the floor.

The greater the number of holes the bigger the termite problem you’re facing. If the problem becomes large enough the hoes will start to merge and look more like cracks in the furniture.

Don’t forget, it is possible to introduce termites into your home by bringing in old furniture and placing it near new, or your wooden frame. You should always treat old furniture to kill any termites before you introduce it to your home.

Being vigilant will help you to spot the signs of termite damage and deal with the issue quickly.