Termite Inspection
Identifying A Termite Infestation & Evaluating Damage
To thrive, a termite colony needs four things: food, moisture, shelter, and optimal temperature conditions.
Your home provides termites with all of these ideal conditions year-round, making your home the perfect habitat for an infestation. These ideal conditions mean there are two types of homes in North America: those that are infested with termites, and those that will be in the future.
Termites are found throughout North America. Their natural habitat reaches as far north as Vancouver, BC on the Pacific coast, and Maine and Eastern Canada along the Atlantic coast.
The damage termites creatures cause is astounding! Nationwide, Americans spend as much as $2 billion per year on termite-related repairs.
Property damage to an individual home can range from $10,000-$30,000 or more -- much of which is not covered by insurance policies.
Termite Inspection Tools
Along with traditional methods, modern termite inspectors are trained to be competent with several advanced detection methods, including:
- Acoustic Emission Devices (AEDs)
- Fiber Optic Scopes
- Electronic Stethoscopes
- Termite-Sniffing Dogs
Combined, these methods provide a full arsenal of strategies for termite control professionals that include visual inspection (fiber optic scopes), audio detection (AEDs and electronic stethoscopes) and smell (termite-sniffing dogs).
Your locally owned and operated NAPCA Professional has the skills, experience, and best industry practices you need to protect your home from termite damage and infestations.
To speak with a NAPCA representative for a termite control quote, contact us by phone or e-mail today! We'll connect you with the local expert in your area to schedule a quote, as well as an on-site inspection and consultation for your home.
When Termites Swarm In A Home
If you find out that your home has termite infestation by discovering swarming, winged termites in your home, then there's already been significant damage.
Termites often infest a home for years before a homeowner has any idea that there's a problem in your home. Having termite inspections performed biannually can do wonders to protect your home from damage.
Termite Behavior In A Home
Termites remain active in a home year-round, operating day and night without sleep. This activity level will continue unabated as long as the temperature remains within 50°F-86°F.
Termites enter a dormancy period when temperatures between 50°F and 32°F, and will die in a matter of minutes if the ambient temperature around them rises above 104°F.
Swarming Termites
Termites typically swarm during the spring, as temperatures begin to warm up -- most commonly during a humid day. Winged termites are not strong flyers, and unless they're helped by winds, will only travel a couple hundred feet before landing.
If you find termite swarmers in your home, do not be overly concerned with finding and killing each one. Swarming termites appearing indoors rarely survive, and are not likely to pose a threat. Removing them with a vacuum should be all that's necessary.
Termites that swarm outdoors and then enter a home may do so through cracks and openings along the foundation. One of the most common entrance points is through vents in crawl spaces and basements.
Flying Termites Vs. Winged Ants
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Identifying the difference between winged termites and winged ants can by simply done with a quick comparison of the body types of each.
Winged termites (left) have a waist that is uniform in thickness, and wings of equal size. Their antennae are relatively straight, and look like strings of beads.
Winged ants (right) have a waist that's pinched inwards in the middle, and forewings that are longer than their hind wings. Their antennae are jointed at the middle.
Termite Damage Vs. Carpenter Ant Damage
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Termite-damaged wood (left) is usually hollowed out along the grain. Most termites are attracted to wood with high moisture content, particularly wood that has developed mold and fungal growth. Because they eat the wood as they create their galleries, the galleries appear rough and ragged in appearance.
Carpenter-ant-damaged wood (right) shows smooth galleries. Because carpenter ants do not eat wood (they only build their nests there), they do not tend to damage wood as extensively as termites do.
When searching for food, foraging termites will conserve energy by following cracks and crevices along cold joints, expansion joints, utility access points, cracks in concrete, and similar locations.
They also will build their nests (and mud tubes) starting in cracks and crevice. This is because half of the tunnel is already constructed. They just need to finish the last two sides, and their gallery is complete!
Termites can squeeze into any opening in the construction that is 1/64" or larger. That's about as wide as the period at the end of this sentence.
Subterranean Termite "Mud Tubes"
One of the clearest signs of a subterranean termite infestation is the presence of earthen pathways (known as "mud tubes") that extend up over foundation walls and along support piers, sill plates, floor joists, and similar surfaces. Typically, these mud tubes are about as thick as a pencil, but sometimes have a greater diameter.
Finding that the tubes are not occupied is not a sure-fire indication that the termite infestation is no longer present. It's common for termite colonies to abandon sections of tube as they forage elsewhere.
Challenges In Termite Inspection
Traditionally, the strongest sign a homeowner had that their home was infested with termites was the ominous and startling sight of a swarm of termites flying throughout the home.
While this was alarming, it was a surefire sign of a termite problem in the home. At the very least, the homeowner now knew that something must be done.
However, possibly due to global climate changes, termites are swarming less and less nowadays.
Instead, they are spreading colonies through a process known as "budding", which allows portions of the original colony to break away and start a new infestation without swarming.
Because of this, some homeowners have no idea that an infestation is present until the house is severely damaged!
Professional Termite Inspection Services In Your Area
Being a NAPCA Member means a companywide commitment to the best practices available in the industry -- including sustainable results, safe and health-conscious methods, and consumer education. Our network is composed of reputable, long-established professionals that demonstrate daily that they are among the best in the industry.
If you'd like to get in touch with the local NAPCA member in your area, contact us by phone or e-mail today! We'll put you in touch with your local representative, who will schedule a termite control inspection & control cost quote. You're receive an on-site inspection, a professional consultation where all your questions are answered, and customized plan for solving your pest issues.
