In our most recent blog, we told you all about termites and how they can cause destruction of your property. Since most houses are built with wood frames, termites in the United States have no problem taking up residence in your home and destroying it from the inside out. In short, having termites in your home in the Hingham area means it’s time to call for termite control.

To tell the truth, it can be very difficult to discover you have termites. You never really see the frame of your house unless you’re in the attic, and termites don’t tend to get that high up. They’ll simply hide out behind your walls, slowly eating your house and damaging the structure. Calling a professional termite exterminator is the best way to investigate your home and look for those destructive pests.

But if you’re the kind of person who doesn’t deal with a problem until they see it themselves, we have a few things to look for to tell you that it’s time to contact a termite exterminator.

Flying Termites

Most termites never have wings, and those who do often lose them after traveling a short distance and starting a new colony.

But there is a short time when termites will gather outside of their nest in order to “send off” the next generation. These flyers, called alates, are males and females who are heading off to find a new burrow and start making termites of their own. The most common time you’ll see this is right after a rain, as termites are big fans of humidity. If you see these termite alates — or their discarded wings — be sure to call termite control for a more thorough investigation.

Hollow Wood

As we’ve already mentioned, termites are often behind walls. This often means that you’ll never see the damage they do as a structure falls apart around you.

But even if you could see the lumber that makes up your house, you might still be unaware of the damage. That’s because termites eat wood from the inside out, so you might not see many entrance holes on an exposed 2 x 4 but the entire inside might be hollow.

If you come across a piece of wood that sounds hollow when you tap on it, or you can literally poke a hole through it with your finger, you should call a termite exterminator. This wood might not necessarily be a part of your house, but if you find that your wood fence has been infested, it’s very likely that they’ve moved into your house as well. Remember the alates!

Noise In The Walls

We don’t have to tell you that noise coming from your walls is a good sign that you need to call pest control of some kind. While it could be mice or rats, there’s also a good chance that you have termites to deal with.

Termites are surprisingly noisy eaters, as they have incredibly strong jaws. While you might not be able to hear the sound of just one termite eating, you can probably hear the sound of hundreds as they gnaw on the frame of the house. Simply put your ear up to the wall, and call for termite control if you hear a constant chewing sound.

Call Us For Pest Control!

If you have any inclination that you have termites, never hesitate to contact a pest control expert. The fate of your house might be on the line, so contact Safety Fumigant!

The post Signs That Mean It’s Time To Call Termite Control appeared first on Safety Fumigant Company Pest Control Services.

Just hearing the word “termite” probably fills you with dread. While some people around the world have no problems using termites as a protein source in their meals, termites in this country tend to mean one thing: structural damage. That’s why it’s a good idea to have a termite exterminator keep watch over your home and other buildings on your property.

Sure, other insects might bother you because they look disgusting and freak you out. Others might pose a health concern to you or your family. But termites are the ones that can cause extensive damage to your home, damage that might go unseen for years until there’s a significant structural problem. Let’s learn a bit more about why pest control services in the Hingham area are so important when it comes to exterminating termites.

What Are Termites?

While termites might look quite a bit like ants, they’re not. In fact, ants and termites are bitter enemies in the wild, with ants often coming out on top. Termites are actually closer to cockroaches than ants, which makes them even worse to most people.

Termites aren’t just one creature. In fact, there are more than 3,100 species of termites identified so far across the globe. If you take human interests out of the equation, termites are actually incredibly helpful to the environment. Termites are detritivores, which mean they recycle detritus such as dead wood and animal feces. Essentially, they’re excellent recyclers and composters.

Why Are They So Destructive?

You might be surprised to know that most termite species aren’t harmful to human dwellings. In fact, of the more than three thousand species, only 183 are known to cause damage to human habitats. And of those 183, only 18 are in America. Still, if you need a termite exterminator, it really doesn’t matter how few of them are destructive…you want the ones in your house taken care of as quickly as possible.

Termites are so destructive because they use wood as a food source. They harbor protozoa and microbes in their guts that allow them to break down the cellulose in wood and turn it into energy. Unfortunately, wood-frame houses are the most common type of building in the country, and the 2 x 4s used to construct your house aren’t really any different from dead logs that termites would normally digest. To them, dead wood is dead wood.

Termites cause extensive damage throughout the world to human-made structures, including homes, garages, decks, outbuildings, and even hardwood trees. It’s estimated that termites cause about five billion dollars in damage in the United States each year.

What Can Be Done?

You can’t just “wait termites out” until the nest goes away. Termite queens just so happen to be the longest living insect in the entire insect kingdom, living for more than 30 years!

In our next blog we’ll discuss the signs to look out for when it comes to termites. While there are some things you can do, the best course of action is to call a professional termite exterminator to have them inspect your buildings in Hingham, Dorchester, Westwood, Weymouth, and the surrounding areas. Give us a call today!

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