One of the worst things about termites is how silently they destroy a home. There are very few warning signs that an infestation is about to start or is underway. However, there may be an indicator that should tip you off – your neighbors have an infestation. Let’s take a look at this warning sign and just how accurate of a predictor it is.

What are the odds of your home getting infested if your neighbors have termites?

While there is a possibility that your home may become infested when someone in your neighborhood has termites, it is not a foregone conclusion. A big factor that comes into play here is the species responsible for the infestation. If your neighbor is dealing with drywood or dampwood termite infestations, odds are lower that your home will be infested than if your neighbor was attacked by subterranean termites.

Drywood and dampwood termites build their colonies inside the wood that they eat, and they spread around through swarmers. It takes quite some time for a colony to reach maturity, when it will send out swarmers, so it’s usually harder for the termites to spread over a large area. Subterranean termites on the other hand build their colonies underground, and they can infest multiple pieces of wood from one colony. For example, you could have a megacolony somewhere in your neighborhood that is actively infesting several homes.

Another factor that comes into play is the control method that your neighbor uses to deal with the termites. If he chooses to go with a chemical barrier, then the subterranean colony will not be destroyed, and it will look for new wood to infest, and this will actually increase the odds of an infestation in neighboring buildings. If he goes with a baiting system, then the colony will be killed off, but it could take several months for it to be destroyed completely.

What to do if your neighbor has a termite infestation?

The best thing to do in this situation is to stay safe and have a pest control professional perform an inspection on your home. This will help you detect if you have an infestation, and if you need to take any actions in order to address it. If you would like to know more about the termite control process, or if you would like to schedule an appointment for an inspection, contact us today.