Orlando, Florida is a beautiful place to live, but it also has its share of pest problems. One of the most destructive pests that can infest your home is termites. Termites are wood-eating insects that can cause severe damage to your house if you don’t take action. But how can you tell if you have termites in your home? Here are three signs of termites that you should watch out for:
- Mud tubes. Mud tubes are tunnels that termites build using mud and saliva to travel from their underground nests to their food sources. These tubes are usually found near the foundation of your home, along walls, or in cracks and crevices. If you see any mud tubes around your home, it’s a clear sign that you have subterranean termites.
- Frass or pellets. Frass is the term for termite droppings, which look like small, 6-sided oval-shaped pellets. Termites produce frass as they eat through wood, and they often push it out of small holes in the wood. If you notice frass around your wooden structures, furniture, or baseboards, it’s a sign that you have drywood termites inside.
- Cracked or bubbling paint. Termites can also damage the paint on your walls or ceilings as they tunnel through the wood or drywall behind it. If you see cracks or bubbles in your paint, it could indicate termite activity underneath. You may also notice the drywall in the surrounding area is soft or flexible to the touch. This is a sure sign of either water damage, which can attract termites, or termite activity itself.
If you spot any of these signs, don’t ignore them. Termites can cause serious structural damage to your home if left untreated. The best thing to do is to call a professional pest control company that can inspect your home and provide you with the best termite treatment options. Termites are a costly nuisance in Florida; make sure to protect your home with a professionally installed termite protection system.
