There are many bad pests to have in your home, but perhaps the worst of them, at least in terms of financial damage, is the termite. Termites will usually invade a home and slowly destroy the wood inside it silently, leaving few outward signs of their presence. However, there is one sign that if you look for and detect, it can help you identify an infestation early on and remove it before it causes too much damage.

The mud tube

When termites infest a piece of wood, they will leave very few outward signs, and the only time you can actually tell wood has termites in it is after the damage has been done. However, subterranean termites will need to use mud tubes whenever they travel out in the open, otherwise they outright die of dehydration. So if they need to travel over concrete for example, in order to reach wood, you will see a distinct tube constructed out of mud connecting the ground to the wood, over the concrete.

Frass

The other common species present in termite infestations are the drywood termites. These termites do not need to be connected to the ground, because they build their colony directly inside the wood. This leaves them with a problem – waste management. They will need to remove all of the waste that the colony produces, and in order to do this, they will have little openings in the wood, through which they evacuate the waste. If you notice small piles of what looks like sawdust and insect parts near the base of a piece of wood, then you may be dealing with a drywood termite infestation.

Other, more subtle signs of infestation

As they dig through wood, termites might end up damaging your electrical system. Termites are drawn to the heat generated by electrical wiring, so they will build mud tubes around them. If you are experiencing unusual short circuits, you can check for mud tubes near the wiring..

Termites will also be drawn to windows and doors because the wood tends to be more humid. If you notice that your windows or doors are stiffer than usual, then it means that the wood is being damaged by termites and it has started to deform.

When these signs are present in the home, you may want to call over a pro to perform a more rigorous inspection process. We can help you out with this. Contact us today if you suspect that you have a termite infestation.