Signs Your Home is Infested with Subterranean Termites

Termites are among every homeowner’s worst fears. Subterranean termites can especially cause significant damage to the structure of your home if an infestation is not eradicated quickly. As soon as you notice signs of subterranean termite damage, seek advice from a professional Pest Control Company. Hulett Environmental Services has a Board Certified Entomologist on staff capable of fast identification, diagnosis, and recommendation.

Unfortunately, south Florida is an ideal place for subterranean termites to thrive. Learn effective prevention methods, how to spot signs of infestation to help keep your home safe from subterranean termites, and the best recommendations for subterranean termite treatment.

What Are the Signs of a Subterranean Termite Infestation?

Subterranean termite damage can be extensive, compromising the integrity of the wooden contents found within your home. It is essential to know the signs of an infestation so that if you’re affected, you can take action as quickly as possible with a subterranean termite treatment to avoid further damage.

Finding Termite Wings Around or Outside Your Home

Spotting termite wings may be the first sign that you have an infestation. Subterranean termites have wings that enable them to fly in order to reproduce and begin a new colony. Once termites have found a suitable nesting environment, they will often shed their wings to allow them to crawl into tiny cracks and crevices. If you see many transparent wings within and around your home, it is possible that your home may be infested, or that there is heavy termite activity in the area. If these wings are found, a proper inspection should be conducted so that subterranean termite treatment can begin as soon as possible if you are affected.

Mud Tubes Near or Within Your Home

Subterranean termites build mud tubes to protect themselves from the outside environment by maintaining the required moist environment while they forage about looking for any wooden food in your home. You may notice them across the patio of your home, leading up the side of your house’s exterior, or even on the interior of your home in the garage, bathrooms, kitchens, or other locations where they may have access to a humid and damp environment. The tubes are usually thin and can be mistaken for stains from the rain.

Hidden Subterranean Termite Damage under Bubbling and Peeling Paint

Termites are infamous for the amount of damage they cause to the wood in your home. They eat wood from the inside out, so at first, you may only notice subtle paint bubbling and peeling, tiny cracks, etc. You may not think much of this at first, as sometimes paint gets damaged over time. However, paint bubbles or peels when it’s exposed to moisture, and this may indicate that subterranean termites are present.

Oftentimes, the structural integrity of the wood in the areas where the paint has began to bubble has already become severely compromised by subterranean termite damage. This is commonly found around entryways, windowsills, and baseboards. If you have wood siding, the cracks or bubbles may appear there, as well. If any of these signs are observed, it’s time for a more in-depth investigation by a professional Pest Control Company. If you have an infestation and go without subterranean termite treatment, the termites will continue eating wood to no end and can leave your house structurally unsound.

Repairing subterranean termite damage that has gone too far can be costly, inconvenient, and is quite extensive work that will require a professional.

How to Prevent Subterranean Termite Infestation

Treating a termite infestation is the last thing that any homeowner wants to deal with. Instead of waiting until it’s too late, it’s better to prevent the infestation from occurring in the first place, keeping your home protected.

Below are some helpful techniques to reduce the chances of subterranean termite infestation. However, due to the seriousness of this pest, Hulett Environmental Services also recommends that a preventative subterranean termite treatment be completed.

Prevent Extra Water Accumulation

Since subterranean termites are attracted to the damp humidity of South Florida, it’s essential to prevent any extra water accumulation in your home. Excess water makes wood even more appealing to the pests. Make sure you don’t have any leaky pipes, that your roof is in good condition, and that your gutters remain clear of debris. This rule applies to sprinkler systems, too. Make sure the heads are pointed away from your house, to keep the exterior of your home as dry as possible.

Don’t Store Extra Wood Near Your Home

If you have extra wood for construction purposes, for building fires, or other reasons, don’t store it close to your home. Wood draws in termites, and the closer it is to your home, the more likely the bugs will make their way inside. As a general rule, keep extra piles of wood at least twenty feet away from the house.

Subterranean Termite Treatment

Due to the severe termite pressures in south Florida, a preventative termite treatment is recommended. However, if you’ve noticed signs of subterranean termite damage in your home, take action right away to treat the infestation. The treatment methods consist of a subterranean termite baiting system, or a liquid soil termite treatment. After the termites have been treated, you may want to consult a professional contractor to determine the extent of the damage, as you may need repairs.

Subterranean Termite Baiting System

Hulett Environmental Services is certified to offer the Sentricon baiting system, a state of the art baiting system for subterranean termites. Hulett Environmental Services recommends the Sentricon baiting system for subterranean termites because it is effective and an environmentally friendly solution to termite control.

The baiting system is installed along the perimeter of your home, providing termites with “food” to take back to their colonies. This bait is environmentally friendly because it is specific to termites, and the termites prefer it over wood. After a bait station is found, termites will recruit others to come and feed, but also distribute the product throughout the rest of the colony through social interactions, causing the colony to die off.

Liquid Termite Treatment

A soil treatment with a liquid product can also be done to eliminate subterranean termites. This product is a non-repellent, and it is applied to create a complete barrier around the perimeter of your home, and to all potential termite entry points. As termites forage into the home for food or revisit the soil for moisture, they will pick up the product and transfer it throughout the colony.

Prevention and Continued Monitoring

Here at Hulett Environmental Services, we offer termite prevention programs that help keep your home safe from the intruders. Or, after an infestation is eliminated, we recommend that the homeowner continue regular inspection and maintenance to make sure the bugs are away for good, and that your home remains protected.

If you think you may have a termite infestation or want to stop the problem before it starts, contact us today. We’ll schedule a free inspection of your home and provide you with the information and recommended treatment method most suitable for your family and particular infestation.

Don’t wait until it’s too late. Start protecting your house today.