Termites are one of the worst pests that could take up residence within your home, as they can cause a great deal of structural damage to the walls, ceilings, and furniture within your home—as well as any other surfaces or items that are made out of wood. Understanding some of the early warning signs that can point to a termite presence within your home can help you contact a pest control specialist before significant damage is allowed to occur.

Wings and Shells

One of the earliest signs that termites have entered your home is if you notice that there are discarded wings and shells throughout your home, particularly around the windows and doors of your house. Termites will lose their shells and wings shortly after becoming mature. This means that the presence of wings and shells throughout your home points to a growing termite population, with larger amounts of wings pointing to faster growth rates which can quickly get out of hand if not dealt with quickly.

Mud Tunnels

Another clear warning sign of a termite population within your home is if you notice the presence of mud tunnels in your basement or along the exterior of your home. These mud tunnels look like thin tubes of mud, and can actually grow to be quite long. They are attached to termite nests and serve as a sort of highway that allows termites to travel between their colony and potential food sources, or to allow termites to leave the colony to form a new nest. The presence of these mud tubes anywhere within your home or anywhere on the exterior of your home will require a professional inspection by a pest control contractor to determine what sort of treatment options, if any, your home requires.

Wood Damage

Finally, another fairly easy to spot warning sign associated with a termite presence in your home is if you notice any sort of damage to the wooden items and structures within your home. Termites will bore holes into wooden structures, making surfaces sound hollow when knocked on. This will also give wooden surfaces a sagging or swelling appearance, depending on how much moisture is able to get into the wood. Of course, the presence of sawdust will also point to a termite presence, though this can be a little hard to notice. At the first sign of any of these types of damage, you'll want to talk to a pest removal specialist such as EMCO Pest Control.