Termite damage is one of the leading causes of home repair and remodeling in the country. And, if you don’t want to spend thousands on costly repairs due to pesky, swarming termites eating through every piece of wood they find, then you need to stay on the look out for any signs these annoying insects leave behind. So, with pest control in mind, here are the top five places to find termites in and around the home:
1. Baseboards and Windowsills
There are two reasons why baseboards and windowsills are a popular destination for termites. First of all, most baseboard and window framing is wood, which everyone knows is the number one food source for these lumber munching menaces.
Second, the area where your home meets its concrete foundation is the perfect entry point for termite colonies. As for windows, there are plenty of cracks and recesses around outer window frames that act as enticing entrances for colonies to take advantage of.
2. Siding and Walls
Outdoor siding, especially siding that’s made of wood or wood byproducts, is the perfect place for termites to infest. Not only is siding a food source, it also conceals termites from detection while they’re hard at work destroying your home.
Likewise, both interior and exterior walls are by no means impenetrable when it comes to hungry termites. Not even drywall is safe considering the framing behind the drywall is usually wood. Tiny pinholes in walls are a clear sign that termites have set up shop in your home’s framing.
3. Wood Piles
It may seem pretty obvious, but outdoor woodpiles are all-you-can-eat buffets for termites looking for an easy snack. So, homeowners with fireplaces or fire pits should keep woodpiles a good distance away from any structures and never stack them against the house.
In addition, never store wood in the garage of next to the fireplace. Bringing infested wood into the home is a guaranteed way to create termite issues. And, it only takes a dozen termites to start a house-destroying colony.
4. Subterranean Colonies
Most North American termites are of the subterranean variety, which means they begin their colonies in hard-to-reach underground locations like beneath foundations. Luckily, they also leave behind clear signs they’re heading for your home in the form of mud tubes.
Because termites can’t eat through concrete foundations and walls, they leave small, pencil thick mud tubes that they travel through while on the way to wood structures. If you discover any mud tubes in and around your home, it means you probably have an active termite colony on your property.
5. Anywhere Wood and Moisture Combine
Termites like wood, but they love moist wood. Why? Well, it’s soft and therefore easier to chew through. So, anywhere lumber and water combine on your property is a potential termite hotspot. Just remember, consistent pest control treatments are a great way to keep both indoor and outdoor termite colonies at bay.
In the battle against termites, use the tips above to seek and destroy these lumber-hungry pests before they really become a problem.
