Homes all over the country can be infested by the dreaded termite. This insect will work quietly and devastatingly inside the structure of your house and can do serious damage if not removed. Here are some pointers on how to look for signs of termites.

Watch out for mud tubes. Unlike ants, termites do not roam around exposed. They either burrow through wood or travel inside pencil-sized (or larger) mud tubes that they build from wood particles, soil and other materials. Look around the foundation of your home, in the crawl space and along the walls of your garage for termite tubes. These tubes are earth-colored and about the diameter of a pencil. If you find any, break them open to see if there are live termites inside. Live termites are a sign that you have a termite problem. Even if you do not see termites, it doesn’t mean that termites are gone; they may have just abandoned this particular mud tube. Check again the area after a few weeks to see if the termites have rebuilt the mud tubes.

Be wary of any holes that suddenly emerge in walls, most especially if you see any signs of soil close by. While the tunnels may be deep within the walls, termite holes can sometimes be found in painted drywall, and even in wallpapers.  Some small surface holes may already be a clue of termite activity, just a few inches behind the walls.

If you think you may have termite damage, call us, as serious damage could be taking place in the structure of your home. Proper treatment is best handled by a Bircher Exterminating professional.