Termites and your wood Home

Termites, every home owner fears them. They are tiny insects living in colonies, and eating the cellulose in wood. So if your home has a wood exterior, you should keep on the out look for them. Termites can destroy your wood from the inside out. Before they do real damage get a exterminator to check for you.




Signs that you have termites are mud tubes, this is their traveling method. Poking around your home any place you suspect termites is a good idea. Tubes the size of a pencils leading from the ground to your wood exterior of your home is not a good sign. 

When ever you are doing remodeling, that is a good time to check for termites. They are light colored, and soft, and the same size as a grain of rice.




If you find tubes, but no termites, you need to keep looking because somewhere there are a colony. Check for any discarded termite wings. The mature termite will grow wings and fly to form a new colony. So finding any wings are a sign you have additional residents living in your home. Also check your window sills, for any termite signs. Be on the look out for swarmers also.




Termites also leave droppings, they are small fecal mounds, near where the termites will be holding out. Also the biggest sign will be wood damage. If tapping on wood and getting a hollow sound, tear some open to see if it is damaged inside. Also termites feed along the grain of wood, so see if there are any honeycomb patterns.