It is a good thing there isn’t such a thing as an invisible pest, or is there? While not literally invisible, termites are the second closest thing. More specifically, they use the walls of your home to camouflage themselves so that you can’t tell they are around. Lucky for you, we know how to spot these pests before they cause too much damage around your home, and we would be happy to teach you our secrets.
What Are Termites
Several species of termites live around the globe but only one is common around our area, subterranean termites. This specific species of termite builds intricate colonies beneath the ground and uses tunnels to travel to and from sources of wood to harvest food from it. These colonies are typically expansive and can have tens of thousands of members per location.
The First Sign Of Termite Problems
One thing that sets subterranean termites apart from other termites is their need for moisture. This is a big part of the reason they build their nests far beneath the ground and explains some of their odd behavior. For instance, these pests build mud tubes on the exterior of homes. These tubes help termites stay moist as they climb exterior walls and are a great way to tell when these pests invade.
What Draws Termites To Homes
One thing you should know about subterranean termites is that they only infest wood that is softened by water-damage, rot, or decay. The kicker is that only a small amount of your home’s structural wood has to be affected in this way for a termite infestation to start. Once these pests are inside they will carry water with them making wood harvestable as they tunnel through your home.
More Signs Of A Termite Infestation
Mud tubes are the only early sign of a termite infestation. Most other signs don’t come until several months after these pests invade. Here are just a few clues to know if termites are chewing their way through your home:
Tight-fitting doors and windows
Bubbling wallpaper and or paint
Sagging, water-damaged drywall
Overly squeaky floor-boards
Buckling walls/support beams
A soft clicking sound coming from inside your walls
Some Prevention Tips For Termites
If your home already has an active termite infestation, no amount of prevention will get these pests to go away. Going off the assumption that your home is not currently infested with termites, here are seven prevention tips to keep these pests from invading.
Fix leaky piping and fixtures.
Make sure your gutters are working properly.
Eliminate sources of water that could negatively affect your home’s structural wood.
Trim greenery so that the exterior of your home has at least five feet of free space to breathe.
Repair and or replace structural wood around your home that is water-damaged, rotting, or in decay.
Eliminate leaf litter, sticks, and clutter from your yard.
Remove fallen trees, dead stumps, and other wood-based debris from your property.
The Best Way To Eliminate Termites
Termites are not an easy pest to remove from a property. To find out if your home is under attack by these destructive insects, let our team come take a look. All of our technicians at Quik-Kill Pest Eliminators are highly trained and have the advanced tools and equipment needed to identify and handle termite problems effectively.
Reach out today to learn more about our termite control and find a solution that fits your Bettendorf property’s needs.