Termites Can Cause $1000 of Damage to a Home a Week… Is Your Home at Risk?
Termites are renowned for being secretive and hard to spot. You are actually far more likely to spot signs of termite damage than you are to see an actual termite (except for the case of flying termites, as below!). Termites cause thousands of dollars of damage to homes, so if you suspect that you could have termites it is absolutely essential that you do something about it. The quicker you act, the less damage they will cause.
Here are 5 signs of termites that you need to know:
Flying Termites
Spotting flying termites (also known as swarmers or alates) can be the first sign of a termite infestation. These termites are looking for a spot to establish their next colony – and your home might just be the perfect place! You might even just spot some discarded wings (bad sign!), because they drop their wings once they have found a mate and somewhere to start a colony.
Papery or Hollow Timber
Termites eat wood from the inside out, which leaves a thin veneer of timber or paint where the solid wall should be. When you knock an area that has been eaten by termites, it will sound hollow or like paper, because the inside has been consumed. You may only notice this when a vacuum accidentally goes through the wall, or when you accidentally put your fingers through a door frame!
Tight Doors and Windows
If you have noticed tight or difficult-to-open doors or windows in your home, it might not just be the heat. Termites produce moisture when they are eating and tunnelling through window and door frames, and this can cause the wood to warp and become harder to manoeuvre.
Termite Tunnels
Subterranean termites used their excrement mixed with saliva and dirt to build ‘mud’ tunnels (also known as galleries) to ensure that they have a safe environment to travel and protect their food sources. These tunnels can be difficult to spot, as they can be behind your gyprock or underground – but you can sometimes see them in a home’s architraves or brick foundations.
Termite Droppings (Frass)
One key sign of termites is their droppings, also known as frass. Drywood termites don’t use their faeces to build tunnels – instead, they push their droppings out of small holes near the entrances to their nest. The frass often looks like small black marks or a dark powdery substance.
*
If any of these signs of termites ring a bell, it is essential that you act now to eliminate the termite colony that is destroying your home. At TermiGold, we specialise in DIY termite solutions that were developed by one of the Gold Coast’s leading termite exterminators. We have everything you need to get rid of termites for good, including termite bait and termite bait stations. All of our products come with simple instructions and video tutorials, so the DIY process couldn’t be simpler.
If you have any questions about the signs of termites, don’t hesitate to contact us. You can even send us pictures of suspected termite damage, and we can tell you the best course of action for your situation.
