Termites are social insects that eat wood by feeding on the cellulose contained within it. The damage caused by these insects can be really huge. The activity of this insect is devious and cryptic.

Often nothing is noticed, as long as the damage is irreparable. In fact, termites dig into the wood from the inside and leave the surface layers unaltered. Therefore it is very difficult at first to recognize an infestation.

How To Get Rid Of Termites?

The first thing to do when you suspect you have termites is to make sure they are present. In fact, there are other insects that feed on wood, such as woodworms, which can infest the wooden structures of a house. We will now give you some basic information that will help you recognize termites.

First of all, termites swarm once a year. This means that a large number of winged termites suddenly appear inside the colony. The presence of a large number of winged insects is a clear indication of the presence of termites. These insects are about 1cm long and have two pairs of wings.

When the wings are at rest, they fold up along the body. The wings in termites are very long and far exceed the body by extension. In particular, they are more than twice the length of the body. If you see insects with these characteristics, they are most likely termites.

How To Tell If You Have Termites In Your Home

You may also see signs of termites being present. I’m talking about the earthy walkways or tunnels produced by subterranean termites. Subterranean termites are more sensitive than dry wood termites to lack moisture. For this, they nest by digging tunnels in the ground. In this way, the humidity inside the galleries is kept at high enough levels to guarantee their survival.

To reach the wood attacked, these termites build earthy tunnels inside which the humidity remains high. These tunnels also protect termites from daylight and predators.

At some point, you may even begin to see marks on or near the wood. Subterranean termites do not make as many holes on the wood surface as woodworms (eg Oligomerus spp. Or  Anobium spp.). Only dry wood termites make holes, but they are larger and more sporadic. From these holes, the termites of the dry wood throw their feces out from the inside of the attacked wood. Those characteristic barrel feces are typical of dry wood termites.

The presence of this barrel feces near the wood attached is a sign of the presence of termites, particularly dry wood termites.

Another sign that can be found on wood, a common sign in all termites, is the wood that yields to pressure. This is because the wood is literally emptied, that is, eaten from the inside. It is enough to test the wood suspected of infestation with a screwdriver to test its integrity.

If you see signs of this type in your home or suspect you have termites, visit pest control company in San Diego, California and a Termite Inspection specialist will be able to help you recognize them.