8 Telltale Signs That You Have a Termite Problem

According to one study, 52% of people have never had their homes inspected for termites.

If you haven’t had your home inspected for termites, you might have a hidden termite problem.

But how do you know if you should call an exterminator? Keep reading to learn about the signs of termites in your home. 

1. Wings Everywhere

When termites swarm and build their colony, they start to shed their wings because they don’t need to fly to a new home. When they shed their wings, you’ll often find them on your floors, window sills, near your home’s foundation, or even caught in spider webs. 

Most people don’t even realize that termites have wings, let alone lose them. The termites always lose their wings outside of their nest, so this is normally the first sign that people see to know that something isn’t right in their home. 

These wings are normally small, and you may only notice them when they start to pile up. Each termite has two wings, and the wings look like thin, transparent, fish scales. 

If you want to see if you have termite wings, get a flashlight and sweep it over the floor to see if anything glimmers in the light. If it does, it’s likely termite wings. 

2. Peeling Paint

Have you also noticed that the paint on your walls started peeling or looks bubbly? Many people might ignore this and just think their paint is getting old, but it can actually be because of termites.

Termites will start to eat away at the wood that’s beneath the drywall. When this happens, more moisture can get into the wall, which leaves the paint outside to crack or peel. 

3. Chewing Noises

If you find an area where the paint is peeling, put your ear up to it. If you listen closely enough, you might even be able to hear the termites eating. You’ll definitely be able to hear them if there is a really large colony inside your walls. 

Normally, it will sound like a quiet clicking. However, the soldier termites will bang their heads into the wall to signal signs of danger. If you get close enough to their colony, you may even be able to hear that sound. 

4. Small Holes in Drywall

One way that termites get into your home is by drilling small holes from their nest to your bedroom or inside your home. 

Unless you’re looking for them, it’s really easy to miss these holes. They’re very small and can look like a small prick or even be bigger to be around an eighth of an inch. These are called exit holes, or kick-out holes. 

When termites make their nests, they’ll create this tunnel so they can leave if anything happens. Sometimes these tunnels will even lead outside to their mud tubes. 

If the termites are burrowed into the wood in your home, you’ll see these holes. When you see these, you’ll need to call exterminator services to plug up those holes and kill the termites.

5. White Ants

There is no such thing as white ants in the world, but many people call an exterminator complaining of it. If you see white ants, you likely have termites. 

You can actually tell that it’s a termite by the shape of the antennae. The antennae on a termite will be really straight, but an ant normally has a ninety-degree bend in the antenna. 

6. Mud Tubes

If you walk the perimeter of your house, you might notice these large tubes made of mud and dirt outside your house. These are shelter tubes, or mud tubes, where the termites build their colony. They actually build these with debris, soil, and wood to protect the colony and trap as much moisture inside as possible. 

You don’t need a large mud tube to have an infestation. Many of the tubes could be as big as a pencil, but they’ll be near the ground where your house is planted. The mud tube will likely have a tunnel into your home so that the termites can have unlimited access to food. 

7. Windows and Doors Stick

If you’ve had termites for a while, they could actually eat away at the integrity of your home. When this happens, the doors and windows won’t shut or open properly. 

If you notice that this happens but can’t find a good reason, you might have had a termite infestation for a while. You may also want to have someone come out and check the integrity of your home’s foundation to make sure it’s still safe to live in.

8. Hollow Walls

Lastly, you can also listen to see if the walls sound like they’re hollowed out. The termites will eat all of the wood right outside the drywall and the paint. 

If you think an area has been damaged by termites, you should knock on it. If it sounds papery or hollow, all of the wood inside has probably been eaten away. 

If you notice this has happened, make sure you contact Altuspest.com as soon as possible.

Discover More Signs You Have a Termite Problem

These are only a few of the signs that you have a termite problem, but there are many more things to keep an eye out for.

We know that dealing with pests in your home can be annoying, but we’re here to help you out!

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