When you hear the word termite what do you think of? Do you cringe? Do you picture thousands of tiny termites chewing away on a piece of wood? Termites can be beneficial in decomposing and recycling fallen trees and debris in our forests, but we often don’t think of them in a positive light. We tend to picture them where they don’t belong - in our Quad Cities home.
Unfortunately, our homes can be subject to their damage throughout the year. Yes, even in the winter, termites may be active inside Quad Cities homes. The colony’s nest is built in tunnels underground, allowing them to escape the winter weather. If inside your home, the warmth and vast supply of wood will allow them to remain active all winter.
Where Termite Damage Occurs In Your Quad Cities Home
So the big question is, where does termite damage occur in Quad Cities homes? Termites will usually seek out damp or damaged wood first. Then they move on to any other available wooden structures around them, including walls, ceilings, floors, windows, and other areas of your house. Their chewing is constant, twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week. If you notice any damage, or if something just seems off - perhaps a door isn’t shutting properly - it’s worth further investigation.
A few things you may notice:
- Cracks along your walls and ceilings.
- Spongy floors.
- Sagging ceilings
- Mud tubes around your foundation.
- Crumbling frames around windows.
- Some termites - the swarmers - have wings. You may observe them flying or see their discarded wings around your house.
Tunneling is a sure sign that you have a termite infestation. If you find crumbling frames and you break them apart to find tunneling, seek professional help immediately.
For more termite signs, check out our previous blog, regarding termites damage.
Problems Termites Cause In Quad Cities Homes
Not only can the underground habitat help them to survive the cold weather, but it also helps them to go unnoticed. The colder it gets, the deeper they burrow. Their tunneling is all underground and within the wooden structures of your home. Therefore, it’s common for a termite infestation to remain undiscovered until severe damage has already occurred. This severe damage is typically what gives these insidious pests away.
Make sure you are diligently looking out for termite activity within your home. It’s disturbing how much damage termites can cause. One colony can contain up to 1 million termites! Imagine the damage they could be doing to your home right now, and you may not even be aware of their presence.
Seek Professional Help
When dealing with termites, the best thing to do is contact professional pest control. There are a few things you can try on your own to prevent them, like repairing leaks and damaged wood, but once they’re in our home, serious action is needed.
At Quik-Kill Pest Eliminators, we offer top-of-the-line pest control here in Moline and other parts of Iowa and Illinois. With Sentricon® System with Always Active™, we’ll install the system that has proven to work. Not only will it get rid of a current infestation, but it will prevent new termite activity, as well. Our Liquid Termidor is an effective liquid defense product that controls termites. It can’t be seen, smelled, or tasted. Contact Quik-Kill to find out more about our services!