Termites eat wood. If you see a termite and have a timber-framed house then the first thing you want to know is how bad is the termite damage?
But, don’t think that just because you have a stone house you’ll be okay. The floors and roof will still be wood and you can still have structural problems.
If you think you may have an issue it’s important to get your local pest control service to inspect your home as soon as possible. They can help you to understand the issue and what you need to do about it. Click here to find out more.
Signs Of Termite Infestation
Assessing the level of damage starts with looking at the signs of termite infestation. The greater the number of signs the bigger the infestation is likely to be.
- Blisters
If you have blisters in your floorboards then it’s likely that termites are eating the wood beneath your feet. The blisters are created as the termites push through the wood. Lift one floorboard up and take a look, you may be in for a shock.
- Hollow Wood
When termites eat the wood they leave hollow tubes behind. The more they eat the more hollow the wood becomes. Of course, you can’t see this as the outer side of the wood still looks normal.
But, you can hear it if you tap on the wood. You may be surprised at how much sound hollow.
- Mud Tube
Termites often enter the foundations of your home by going through the soft mud that surrounds your house. This gives them easy access to the foundations and they can come back out when they need to.
Take a look around the edge of your home on the outside. If you see small tubes in the soil against the house you probably have a termite issue. Try closing some of the tubes. They should reopen or new ones appear within a day or two, this confirms the termites are active.
- Droppings
Termites eat wood as they move around, they then excrete waste products which I essentially the wood they’ve eaten. Only now it looks more like sawdust. If you see small amounts of sawdust on the floor or near any wood, you probably have termites and need help.
It’s estimated that termites have caused $1.5 billion worth of damage in Australia alone.
Assessing the Level of Damage
Once you’ve discovered termites there is only one solution. You need professional help to eliminate the termites and you’ll need to remove all infected pieces of wood.
The more of the signs of infestation you have the more likely it is severe. But, it can be very difficult to tell how bad it is until you start removing the damaged wood. As much of the wood is integral to the structural integrity of your home, it can be hard to remove it without professional help. In many cases, it should be removed and replaced at the same time.