Houston Termite Control – Signs of Termite Infestation
As scavengers feeding on paper, wood and other cellulose-containing materials, termites are useful for replenishing nutrients to the soil. But when termites infest homes and other structures, the damage they leave behind can be extensive, serious and costly to repair. For specifics on how to identify Texas-based termites review the termite-specific Preventive Pest Control pests library file.
Prevention is the best defense, but early detection of a termite problem will help reduce the cost of home reconstruction. The following tips (3 signs of termite infestation plus 3 bonus tips) will help you keep watch for evidence of a growing termite problem:
- First and typically the only outward sign will be springtime evidence of swarmers emerging through the nest kick holes (1/16 diameter holes the villains use when pushing fecal pellets from their galleries). Includes accumulation of discarded termite wings in various areas of your home.
- Mud tunnels near the foundation of a structure. These tubes provide moisture enabling subterranean termites freedom of travel.
- Damaged or hollow wood. Termites typically devour from the inside out, thus noticing an infestation of termites can be very difficult to the untrained eye.
- Frass – Wood-colored sawdust-like droppings near or in your home indicate a possible termite infestation.
- Moisture build-up within one or more walls often revealed via bubbling or cracked paint. Termites are attracted to moist wood.
- Piles of fecal pellets near infested wood
Termite Infestation Probability Zones
Termite prevention can be difficult. These tiny house invaders enter buildings via:
- Gaps around doors and windows
- Attic vents
- Vents in home foundation walls
- Cracks beneath fascia boards and eaves
- Basically any area that presents an open pathway to untreated wood.
Ideal nesting zones include the top of horizontal surfaces such as the upper side of your ceiling materials. Fecal droppings on the soil in your crawlspace indicate a need to check the top of nearby sills and floor joints. Also give special attention to any area where moisture accumulates.
Termite Infestation Treatment in Houston
According to the Texas Department of Insurance (TDI) homeowner files, even the most comprehensive All-Risk insurance solutions routinely exclude coverage for several serious home damage problems including property destruction related to rats, mice, insects and termite infestation (1). Thus the cost of termite infestation treatment – in Houston, Texas or any other region of the country – typically lands in the lap of the homeowner.
Rapid termite identification and elimination is the best termite infestation treatment. But don’t wait until your Houston termite problem becomes self-evident. Termite prevention is the best long-term solution.
For the best pest control in Houston, call Preventive Pest Control. Get a free quote now!