How To Tell If Your Orange County Property Has Termites

While many pests can cause property damage to Orange County homes and businesses, termites might be the worst of them all. These pests might be small, but they can cause extensive destruction as they chew through wooden structures 24/7.

While termites are bad to have around your property, they do have benefits in nature. They are responsible for breaking down dead trees, which plays an important role in the ecosystem, but this doesn’t mean you want them near your home or business.

Termites break down the cellulose fibers inside wood, and they will destroy anything from support beams to flooring to decks. In fact, the average property owner with an infestation will end up spending around three grand in repairs, but this number could be much higher depending on the severity of the problem and how long it lasts.

What Do Termites Look Like?

Termites are difficult pests to detect because they often live in out-of-sight areas like the inside of walls, so you might not see them for months or years. However, it’s still helpful to know what they look like if one crosses your path.

The worker and soldier termites are a creamy white color and do not have wings, while the termite swarmers do have wings and are dark brown or black. These termite swarmers are responsible for reproduction and sometimes leave the nest, so you are more likely to see them than other colony members.

Why Termite Inspections Are Important

Because termites usually live in dark areas of your home that you won’t see or even have access to, it’s important to keep looking for other signs of termites. Otherwise, you could have an infestation for a long time without being aware, and the longer the infestation goes unchecked, the more damage they will do and the more money you’ll end up spending.

There are many signs of termite infestations that you can look out for on your own, but the most effective way is to identify a problem and avoid costly repairs is through annual professional inspections. Even though you can and should know the signs yourself, termites can still be tricky to detect early on without assistance.

The Main Signs Of Termites To Watch For

It’s a good idea to do your own visual inspection for signs of termites every month or so, but keep in mind that even the earliest warning signs of termites often only occur after the infestation has already been well-established.

The most common indicators of termite activity include:

• Termite “frass,” which is the term for termite droppings around baseboards and walls; this frass looks like small wooden pellets.
• Windows and doors that have started to fit more tightly in their frames
• Floorboards that have started to squeak or buckle
• Finding termite swarmers or their discarded wings around your property
• Clicking noises coming from the inside of the walls

What’s The Easiest Way To Remove Termites

If you’ve noticed any signs of termites, the most effective and cheapest way to remove them for good is with help from Cura Termite and Pest Control. Trying to eradicate termites on your own is rarely effective, and you’ll waste precious time and money with little to no success. Instead, give us a call right away as we have the experience and tools needed to eliminate these difficult pests.

Learn more about our home pest control and commercial pest control solutions.