Termites enjoy an interesting place in American society. We mostly see them on children’s cartoons, nomming their way happily through trees, stairs, homes, or anything else made of wood. But could your home secretly be crawling with termites? Over 600,000 homes in the US are damaged by termites each year, representing over $5 billion in damage and insect control costs! Fortunately, a skilled home inspector in New Jersey can help you determine if your home has termites. Before we come, consider these signs that little critters may have invaded your wood!
Mud Tubes or Shelter Tubes. Termites are clever—to protect themselves, they build tiny tunnels across hard surfaces like concrete or metal, protecting themselves from predators or exposure. What they leave behind looks like tiny little streaks of mud or clay, usually going from one opening (like a crack) to another.
Wood or Termite Droppings. People will describe these products as “wood crumbs” at times, or may wonder if a very tiny animal has left droppings. Called termite “frass,” these droppings tend to be found where the termites enter your wooden structures. Moulding or furniture is a popular location for this.
Wings. Many of our home inspection customers in NJ wonder if they have flies or flying ants—termites actually swarm at certain points of the year, using their wings to spread to your neighbor’s home or outside wood sources. If you see some discarded wings, these are often termites!
Sagging Hardwood. Is your hardwood floor starting to sink, sag, or droop? If your building’s structure is sound, and especially if your non-wood floors aren’t experiencing the same droop, termites may be making a feast of your floors!
Hollow Walls, Stairs, or Fixtures. Do your walls sound more hollow than they used to? Do your stairs seem to get louder with every passing day? Termites may be devouring them from below! Try tapping on a structure that used to be solid: if it sounds more hollow than it used to, you may have termites!
Now that you’ve got the creepy crawlies, what can you do about these problems? The first step to fighting any sort of pest inspection is defining your problem clearly—by having your home professionally inspected! Eagle Home Inspections is licensed to inspect homes in New Jersey, including looking for pests. We are a DEP Licensed Pesticide Applicator, which is required for Termite Inspections in New Jersey. Once we find those little bugs, you can start getting rid of them!