Signs You Have Termites

The Dallas – Fort Worth Metro area is home to various types of termites, including subterranean termites, drywood termites, and dampwood termites. These small pests can be in foundations, window frames, and door frames, going undetected for years. They feed on any piece of wood found around your home, from furniture to skirting boards.

Because of the severe damage termites can cause, it’s important to be able to look for signs you have termites. Catching termite infestations early can help minimize damage, saving you on costly repairs.

At Rentokil, we want our customer to be educated about pests, especially ones that can threaten their building, so here are some signs you might have these unwanted guests living in your home or business.

Flying Termites

Usually the first sign of termites is flying termites. These flying termites, called swarmers, look like flying ants. They typically come out in early spring to mate and establish a new colony.

Discarded Wings

Another common sign of termites is discarded wings. Soon after swarmers find a mate, they’ll discard their wings. You may see swarmer wings on your window sills or around your home’s foundation.

Termite Droppings

A key sign of termites, particularly with drywood termites is termite feces, called frass. Unlike subterranean termites, drywood termites don’t use their feces to build tunnels. Rather, they push the feces out of small holes near the entrances to their nest, leaving behind small mounds of droppings. Frass is an indicator that is always looked for during a professional termite inspection.

Tunnels in Wood

Wood tunnels, also known as galleries, are obviously difficult to see from the outside. However, if you see them on a broken piece of wood, for example in or near your home, it’s a sure sign you have termites.

Mud Tubes

Subterranean termites build mud tubes out of soil, wood, and saliva which connect their colonies to the wood they’re consuming.

Clicking Sounds within Walls

Another sign of a termite infestation is through sound. Soldier termites bang their heads against wood or shake their bodies when their colony is distburbed in order to alert others of danger. This may sound like little clicking sounds.

Worker termites are also noisy. These are the pests who do the actual wood-eating. If you put your ear close to an infestation, you can hear them eating.

Hollow-Sounding Timber

Drywood termites typically consume wood from the inside out, leaving a thin piece of wood or just the paint. If you tap on a piece of wood that has been damaged by termites, it will sound hollow.

Have Signs of Termites?

If termite activity is suspected in your South Texas property, Rentokil can help. Our technicians are experts in looking for signs of termites, and we have technology that can detect them, including sound sensors, moisture sensors, and heat sensors.

When you work with us, you can rest easy knowing your termite problem is taken care of for good!