Photo by Francis Bijl
One thing to note is that because termites tend to avoid exposure, often infestations can go undetected for many
months before any of the damage has been discovered. So keep this in mind when inspecting your home.
Termites Signs
The parts of your home which have the most moisture are likely to have termite infestations present in them. Other areas to check out for include:
- The stilts on the foundation of your home and porch
- In the drainage system
- Along the metal plumbing
- In any of the debris left outside the house
- In any of the cracks found in the foundation and walls of the building
And some other less common warning signs have include:
- Seeing any discarded wings on the ground from the result of a swarm
- Walls and woods sounding hollow when tapped when they shouldn’t be
- Paint that is starting to crack and bubble up
Listed are some of the more common warning signs.
Termite Droppings
Termite Droppings
If you want to know what do termite droppings look like then look at the termite droppings pictures above. Termite droppings are a telltale sign that termites are present on your property. It is often found in places such as windowsills, wooden floors and porches. Usually seen with drywood termite droppings, they will leave behind a small pile of chewed up wood will be deposited on the surface of a wooden area and it will resemble sawdust. Also, if you remove this dirt then you likely to discover the presence of a small termite hole.
Termite Mounds
Termite mounds are the most obvious way of noticing if termites are present in your backyard. They look similar to a giant mole hill and will be easily noticeable unless you are in tall grasslands. The picture below is what a typical small termite mound looks like, however the sizes of termites mounds can be much larger, sometimes being over 12 feet in height!
Termite Mounds
Kicking over such termite mounds will disturb the creatures, scattering them over your garden but it will not kill off a termite colony. This is because a termite mound just represents the tip of the iceberg, if you really want to
eliminate a colony you need to hit them where it hurts, which is underground.
Termite Tubes
Termite Tubes
Termite tubes can be easily seen both running along the ground as well as vertically, going up against a wall (as seen
in the picture). The tubes by themselves are not a problem as they can be easily removed, however if you discover termite mud tubes in your house then this indicates that a much bigger problem is laying elsewhere. It is very important to inspect the sides of your house to see if any termite tubes or paths are leading to the inside of your
property. Following them back to the source will give you an idea of where the main problem lies.
Termite Holes
Termite Holes
What do termite holes look like? Well, termite holes look similar to the ones present in this picture. These holes are likely to be found in wood, trees, furniture and walls. If you’re living in a high risk termite area then it is recommend you frequently inspect the wooden parts of your property for such holes. If present then this is an obvious sign of termite infestation.