Do you have a list of things you wish you could get done but don’t have the energy, time, or money to do them? You’re not alone. That seems to be the boat most of us are in. Unfortunately, some of the items on that list can create misery for you if you don’t get them done. Termite detection is one of them. If you don’t think about subterranean termites until you start seeing signs of damage, you’re going to be in a serious situation. In our Raleigh, NC, pest control service area, subterranean termites can feed on a home by the hundreds of thousands without giving any visible or audible signs that they are damaging the property. It is only when floors start to sink, walls start to bulge, and windows begin to stick that the threat becomes obvious. But then it is too late. We hope you decide to push termite inspections to the top of your to-do list. Here are four signs of termites to look for around and inside your Raleigh property.
1. Shelter Tubes
When subterranean termites attack the wood of your home, there are a few ways they might do it. They may locate wood that touches the soil and tunnel right into your home. They may find a crack in your foundation wall and work their way up into the wood inside your home. But the most common way subterranean termites workers get into Raleigh homes, especially brick homes, is that they create shelter tubes. These tubes are made from soil and saliva. You can find these tubes on the outside walls of your home, attached to concrete, brick, and other building materials. But they may not be in obvious locations. Workers prefer to create shelter tubes in damp, shaded locations. To find them, you might have to crawl under exterior structures or get into a crawl space under your home.
2. Swarmers
When swarmers enter your yard to establish a nest, you’re not likely to see them. A swarmer is only about ⅜ of an inch long. But you might see the wings swarmers shed just before they tunnel into the ground to create a nest. Inspect spider webs on your property for these wings. They will be white. They will be a stretched tear-drop shape, and they will have no variation in size.
3. Workers
When workers enter your yard, they will tunnel underground to do it. You’re not going to see them. But you may be able to find them inside food sources.
- Chop into a stump or log. There might be workers inside.
- Lift a board, a cardboard box, or some other item that has cellulose in it. You could find holes in the ground and in the item. You may also find worker or soldier termites.
- If you have piles of leaves in your yard that have sat for a long time, dig under them and turn them over. You could find workers in the soil, or inside the mulched leaf pile.
4. Wood Damage
It is difficult to find damage caused by subterranean termites because they feed on the inside of wood. But, when workers feed on wood that touches the soil in a damp, shaded location, you might find damage near the surface. Dig around areas where wood touches the soil.
How To Protect Your Property Without Routine Inspections
If you would rather not crawl underneath your deck and inside the crawl space under your home, or examine wood sources in your yard and within your property, there is another solution—a better solution. At Innovative Pest Solutions, we help Raleigh property owners prevent termite damage by creating a liquid barrier around structures. This barrier is invisible to termites. They pass through it without realizing it and then they share the active ingredient with each other. This active ingredient works slowly, so it is able to be carried all the way back to the colony. When this happens, the colony is eliminated. No more colony; no more threat.
Do you have questions? We’d be happy to answer them for you. Reach out to us today and talk to one of our team members, or schedule a termite inspection for your Raleigh property and we’ll come to you. Don’t wait until you see termite damage. If you do, it could be costly, and it could create a serious hardship for you, your spouse, and your family during your retirement years. In Raleigh, the termite threat is real. Get protected today.
