Being nonchalant about termite prevention and monitoring could result in financial disaster. Every year, Americans shell out $5 billion trying to either keep these wood-eating insects away, or rebuild after their destruction. They multiply and gnaw on wood at such a fast rate, your home, business, or furniture could come tumbling down before your eyes.
What’s even more alarming is that the bugs often go unnoticed until they’ve completed their wreckage. Learning about identification and precautionary measures can make a huge difference. Find how to guard your Salt Lake City property with termite tips, and relevant information from Pest Pro Pest Control.
Identifying Termites & Infestation
Termites could be called “the silent threat” or “the undercover killers.” They’re as tiny as ants and primarily live inside walls. They only emerge from their nests when they’re overpopulated, and it’s time to build a new one. By then, they’ve probably eaten a large amount of the available wood.
Worker Termites
Worker termites do most of the chewing and digging. They’re white or grayish-white in color, and 1/8 of an inch long in size.
Soldier Termites
Soldiers protect the colony with their prominent jaws. They’re yellow-brown.
Swarmer Termites
The winged swarmers are the ones in charge of mating and nest formation. They’re typically brown, black, or yellow, and ½ of an inch long. When they fly off to fulfill their duties in the spring, they’ll exit from cracks and crevices. Since they gravitate towards light, you’ll likely catch them around lamps and windows. Spotting swarmers is the number one sign of infestation.
Other important things to look out for are:
- Drywall that’s sinking or discolored
- Multiple pin-point size wall holes
- Floor tiles and boards that are loose or caving in
- Peeling or splotchy paint that appears water damaged
- Speck piles that look like spilled salt and pepper
- Wood that sounds hollow when you knock on it
- Mud tubes and maze patterns in walls
- Dropped swarmer wings that resemble fish scales
- Hearing ticking sounds in walls
Preventing Termites
As emphasized, taking steps to halt termites from showing up in the first place is critical. There are several things you can do, and none of them require living in a tin house, working in a fabric tent, or having only plastic furniture. Each method is fairly simple to act on. Most involve basic cleaning and landscaping.
- Remove or refurbish spoiled wood, particularly if it’s been water damaged.
- Repair all leaks, and anything making wood moist (ex. dripping air conditioning units).
- Store loose wood several feet from your building and keep it off of soil (ex. carpentry lumber).
- Seal gaps and openings in walls, foundations, pipes, and other utility lines.
- Groom plants, shrubs, and flowers and keep them a good distance from your building.
- Routinely clean your vents and gutters.
Pest Pro Pest Control Termite Services
Whether you’re trying to be proactive, get rid of an infestation, or have continued protection, Pest Pro Pest Control has your back. We’re a family-owned business, so we understand the desire to take care of loved ones and pets. All of our products are strong enough to be effective, but are safe for humans and animals to be around. That’s a guarantee.
For the last decade, we’ve been terminating termites. We’ve got them pegged. We can give recommendations for making your property less appealing to these insects. If necessary, our treatments will exterminate them and ensure they won’t return. From there, we have options for regular visits, because maintenance is essential. Pest Pro Pest Control does all the work for you at an affordable price. You can call us and get a free quote today!