Most people look forward to spring with the cold weather giving away to warmer days and often brilliant blooming flowers. Unfortunately, the warmer the weather, the more likely you’re to find termites in your home or business. The combination of these warm temperatures as well as the rain results in the swarmers, or mature adult female and male termites, leaving the nest in large numbers to establish a new colony.

These creatures are frequently referred to as “silent destroyers” and often undetected until it’s too late. Termites can threaten the structural integrity of a building or cause extensive damage to a home. Pest extermination performed as quickly as possible is a must as an infestation can lead to financial disaster for the owner. Termites typically compromise the most important parts of any structure such as the foundation, flooring and walls, which is why buyers of newly-built homes are required to have a termite inspection certificate.

Types of termites

There are two main types of termite species I the United States, subterranean termites that live underground, and drywood termites that live in wood. Either type can cause a serious threat to your home of building making extermination imperative.

Subterranean termites build colonies in the soil while drywood termites can be found in hardwood flooring, walls or the framing of the home.

Signs of a termite infestation

There are a number of ways you can spot termites, but often times they can be hidden from human detection becoming a huge problem before it’s finally noticed.

Drywood termites can be hidden in the walls as they eat the wood from inside out. They often create a honeycomb-type pattern in the damaged wood, forming tunnels inside the softer, moist wood and leaving external grain intact. When it becomes seriously damaged, the wood breaks easily. These termites can be confused with flying ants as they swarm from structure to structure doing their damage.

Subterranean termites often invade the structure from the soil along the foundation, commonly entering through cracks in the slab, plumbing connections and expansion joints. Interior damage may not become apparent until it’s become a full-blown infestation.

No matter how you look at it, a termite infestation can cause major structural damage to a home or other structure as well as financial devastation if undetected and untreated.