What are the signs of termites in your home?

When you see signs of termites in your home, call a trusted pest control professional as soon as possible to handle the situation. Termites feed on wood, meaning they eat through the wood that makes up the frame, floors and other components of your house. Most people don’t know they have termites until they discover the damage done, because termites remain hidden underground or inside the wood they are eating. Keep on the lookout for these signs of termites:

• Water bubbles in your interior or exterior paint: If you poke at what look like paint bubbles and find termite droppings inside, it’s a sign of termite infestation.
• Frass: This is a fancy term for termite poop. Keep your eyes peeled for what look like six-sided salt and pepper droppings.
• Mud tubes: Subterranean termites move between their earth home and your house by building mud tunnels. Mud tubes under or along the side of your house or foundation are a sure sign of a termite infestation.  
• Wings or swarming near your home: As a new colony is looking for a home, they fly (swarm), then shed their wings and burrow into nearby wood.
• Softening of wood or hollowed-out wood: Termites don’t like paint, lacquer varnish or other wood finishes, so they’ll eat inside the wood and leave the exterior finish like a shell.