Termites are a big problem around the world and Texas is no exception. When it comes down to how severe termites are, Texas is one of the highest-ranking states though they can be found in all 50 states. In fact, for the highest risk of a termite infestation, homes along the gulf coast are ranked number 4 in the country. Your home falls under this statistic if in the event you live here in San Antonio. With this in mind, we at A Five Star Termite & Pest Control would like to discuss identifying termite infestations and what steps you can take to prevent termite infestations.
What Does a Termite Infestation Look Like in a House?
The number one wood destroying pest here in America are termites as most people know. However, they are not the sole destroyer of homes. To help you distinguish the damage termites do to homes from the damage of other common wood destroyers such as carpenter ants, carpenter bees, and rot is what we would like to achieve.
1) Mud Tubes. Pencil-sized mud tubes running up your home’s exterior foundation is something you will likely notice. As a way to get in and out of your home’s wood, these small highways are constructed by termites. They are constructed of mud primarily.
2) Holes. If you find holes in your home’s wood higher up and roughly a half-inch in diameter, these are signs carpenter bees, a different problem pest entirely, and are sometimes mistaken for signs of termites.
3) Sawdust. Discovering sawdust around the holes in the wood of your home can be a sign of termites but it can also be carpenter ants. They actually eat would but seeing sawdust looking fragments is likely their discarded feces. Carpenter ants do not eat the wood and leave more sawdust waste than termites.
Unless they have been eating away at your home for a long time, termite damage can be extremely difficult to spot beyond these signs. Generally, termite damage will eventually lead to dipping floors, bubbling wallpaper, hollow-sounding walls, and (at worst) severe structural failure. Before you find these problems in your home, you want to find termites.
What Keeps Termites Away from Your House?
Below are some great ways to try to keep them away, assuming your home does not have a current termite infestation.
– Around your home, repair leaks.
– Ensure proper draining by making sure all of your gutters are in good working order.
– In basements and crawlspaces, reduce moisture.
– From the walls of your home, make sure firewood and other wooden debris are a fair distance away.
– To keep the dirt around your home dry, trim back bushes and trees from your home’s exterior so that sunlight and air are able.
Termite Inspections, Exclusion, Control, Removal, Management & More in Canyon Lake, Spring Branch, Bulverde, Timberwood Park, Leon Valley, Alamo Heights, New Braunfels, Selma, Live Oak, Converse, Universal City, Cibolo, Seguin, New Berlin, St Hedwig, Adkins, La Vernia, Elmendorf, Losoya, Von Ormy, Macdona & San Antonio, Texas
If you suspect termites are infesting your San Antonio, TX home or business, contact A Five Star Termite & Pest Control and let us conduct a comprehensive termite inspection. We will discover whether or not you have an infestation and if you do, help you obliterate them. Call us sooner rather than later to minimize the damage they can do.
