If you know that a termite worker is between ⅛ and ⅜ of an inch long, depending on the species, you may not be concerned about these insects getting into your home; after all, how much could a tiny insect like that eat? If you know that pressure-treated wood provides protection from wood-eating pests like termites, this might be another reason why you’re not concerned about them. If you think that you don’t have to worry about termites because you’ve never seen one, you might not give these insects a second thought. There are many reasons why you might not be concerned about termites. This can cause you to put off thinking about termite pest control in Irving. We hope you don’t. Let’s take a realistic look at termites in Irving, discuss why there is a reason for concern, and most importantly, talk about how you can detect termites and prevent damage.

Yes, Termites Live In Irving

Just because you’ve never seen one, doesn’t mean they’re not out there. This is the unfortunate truth about termites in our area. Subterranean termites live under the ground. You can have a million of them in your yard and never see a single one, and when subterranean termites get into your home, they can still avoid detection. They’re surprisingly sneaky insects. This is why many Irving residents invest in yearly termite inspections by a licensed pest control provider.    

Termites Cause A Lot Of Damage

How much can one little termite eat? Not much. But you’re not going to have one little termite nibbling on your home. A single colony can have thousands (or even hundreds of thousands) of termite workers in it. That is a lot of mouths to feed. Also, keep in mind that more than one colony can feed on your home at the same time. Termite workers can travel the length of a football field in search of food. We don’t recommend waiting until you have a termite problem to do something about termites. It is best to be proactive about termites.

How much damage can termites realistically do? In some cases, they don’t do much damage at all. But in other cases, they do a surprising amount of damage. There are factors that contribute to how much damage will be done. Here are a few facts to consider:

• While termites don’t eat pressure-treated wood, they can crawl past this wood and feed on untreated wood. They can also feed on other materials that have cellulose. They’re not limited to just eating wood.
• There can be many sources of wood in your home that are ideal food for termites, and you may not even know it. These sources can be hidden in your wall voids, floor voids, and other spaces that can’t be seen.
• Over time, all wood can become food for termites. Pressure-treated wood does not stay protected forever.

The best solution for termites is to have a licensed pest control professional do a professional termite inspection and alert you to potential trouble areas and conducive conditions. This can prevent a termite problem before extensive damage is done.

Signs Of Termites

Can you do a termite inspection yourself? Yes. You can look for signs of termites in your home.

• Keep watch for winged termites or the appearance of termite wings. This is a sure sign of active termites.
• Look for tiny, wiggly mud tubes. Worker termites create these on hard surfaces. If you’re curious if you have active termites, you can break a piece off and check back in a few days. If the spot has been reconstructed, you have an active termite infestation.
• Tap wood and listen to see if it sounds hollow.
• Listen for clicking noises in wood.

If you detect signs of termites in your home, contact a professional for treatment. This is the best way to get rid of termites.  

Termite Prevention

In light of the problem termites present, it is wise to be proactive, and we believe the best way to get rid of termites is when they first approach your home, not after they’ve gotten inside. At Legacy Pest & Wildlife, we use baiting technology that works to eliminate colonies as soon as workers start to explore the perimeter of your home. If you’d like to learn how this works, we’d love to have the conversation with you. Reach out to us to get the information you need to guard your property against termite damage.