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Termite Damage Timeline

TERMITE DAMAGE TIMELINE

Quick termite facts: 

  • Termite damage estimates over 5 BILLION dollars in damage per year. That’s just in the United States alone! 
  • The average home owner will spend $3,000 in termite damage repairs. 
  • Termites live in colonies, and a single colony can range from thousands to millions of termites. Though they’re small in size, termites with numbers like these wreak havoc on wooden structures! 
  • Termites can chew through plaster and insulation. No home is safe! 

Common termite species: 

Subterranean Termite

These termites can cause the most damage of any other termite species. These pests can eat wood 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Their damage, if not put under control, can cause structures collapse. Mud tubes on the exterior of your home is a sign of a termite infestation. 

Dry wood Termite

Dry wood termites can enter homes through exposed wood and already infected wood furniture. Damage from these pests can be costly, since they eat tunnels through wood beams and other objects. 

Damp wood Termite

These termites are most attracted to water-damaged wood caused from roof leaks or leaky drainpipes. These critters are most dangerous because they hollow out support beams. They do not leave a trace of how they entered the house, which makes these termites even more dangerous. 

Agricultural Termite

Luckily for you, agricultural termites prefer to live in grassy areas instead of the wooden structures of your home. These termites are typically harmless, but can become harmful to crops and turfgrass if they grow in large numbers. 

Formosan Termite

Formosan termites are one of the most destructive species of termites, and they usually enter homes through wood that touched soil or through mud tubes like Subterranean termites. They are attracted to moist wood and water-damaged wood. 

How long does it take termites to cause serious structural damage? 

A colony of 60,000 termites can eat a 2×4 piece of wood in 5 months. 

While this may not seem like much, termites are often active in your home for YEARS before showing any signs of infestation. 

Annual termite inspections guarantee that no hidden termite colonies are chewing away at your foundation. 

If you think you may have termites but want to be sure before getting an inspection, here are some common signs: 

1. LOOSE TILES

Termites can damage tiles? Almost! Termites can cause irreparable damage to floor supports just underneath your beautiful tile flooring, which can lead to loose tiles and squeaky floors. Termites can be especially damaging to old tile floors, since the introduction of moisture from the termites may cause aging adhesive to lose it’s grip and come loose. 

2. DAMAGED WOOD

Worker termites are the termites that munch away at your wood and cause most of the damage. They resemble ants in their size but are white/yellow in color. While we don’t recommend tearing off a piece of damaged wood from your house to inspect for termites, you can usually inspect dead stumps or trees in your yard to find termites. If you find termites in pieces of wood in your yard, odds are that they are also in your house.

3. PEELING PAINT

While not all peeling paint in your home is a sign of a termite infestation, it is important to take notice when you start seeing bubbling paint that resembles water damage. Termites thrive just under the surface of your walls, away from sun and air. Subterranean termites can actually control the temperature of their environment by varying their depths into the wood and humidifying the air. This moisture created by the termites is what causes the bubbling and peeling effect on your walls. As stated before, sometimes bubbling paint can be from a water leak. If you are unsure if you have a simple water leak or a termite infestation, contact one of our professionals today to get your free inspection.

4. NOISE INSIDE WALLS

Hearing termite noise inside of your walls may take a stethoscope or immaculate hearing, but it’s an easy sound to identify once you know what to look for. With your ear to the wall, listen closely for a faint clicking noise. This noise, believe it or not, comes from soldier termites banging their heads against the wall to signal danger. If you find wood that looks like it already has termite damage, you can sometimes hear a munching noise from worker termites munching away at the wood! 

5. HARD TO OPEN DOORS OR WINDOWS

Doors and windows sticking aren’t always a sign of termites. Sometimes high humidity weather can cause warped doors and windows, but sometimes termites can cause the sticking. Termites produce moisture when traveling through door and window frames, which causes the wood to warp and stick when opening. 

Is it too late to start termite treatments? 

We’re happy to let you know that termite damage is rarely irreparable. However, repairs to termite damage can cost thousands. As long as your home or business is still standing, you are just in time for termite treatments! 

There are only 2 steps to take in the process: 

  1. Schedule Nova Pest to give your home/business a termite inspection. 
  2. Let us handle the rest! We’re with you every step of the way. We’ll give a rundown of what to expect in the treatment process and gladly answer any questions you have.