Part Three: Termite Infestation

Termites are extremely small and can be almost unseen by the naked eye, but their presence can have a big impact and leave traces if you look closely and stay vigilant. GGA Pest Management technicians are highly trained to investigate your home from attic to foundation to look for signs of termite infestation or damage, but there are a few signs homeowners may see while they perform regular home maintenance or simply enjoy their yard. With the arrival of spring weather, it’s a great time to examine your home while doing spring cleaning or planting.

Here are common signs of a possible termite infestation you should look for in and around your Central Texas home:

Mud Tubes

Mud tubes are probably one of the most common signs of termite infestation. They occur when subterranean termites build tubes to act as vertical tunnels to connect their underground nests to above-ground sources of food. These tubes allow termites to travel in a protected environment to avoid sunlight. If you see mud tubes along your foundation, it’s a strong sign of subterranean termite activity.

• What do you see?: These tubes are often visible along foundation or exterior walls, even concrete. Mud tubes will be brown in color from dirt and termite feces. Dark tubes are often signs of recent activity, thanks to moisture from termite waste, while light-colored tubes are typically vacant and signs of old activity (but beware, new tubes often just replace vacant ones). The tubes are the diameter of a standard pencil and appear like upward-growing veins, tree branches, or coral (some tunnels can extend to second stories).
• What’s happening?: Remember, mud tubes are tunnels or travel highways for termites to find food. Just like humans use different travel methods for different goals, termites have multiple mud tunnels for various tasks.
  • Exploratory Tubes: Think of these termite tunnels like an expensive game of hide-and-seek. Just like humans exploring a new city or restaurant to enjoy, termites explore new homes and food sources. Termites use exploratory mud tubes to locate food, determine accessibility, and scan threats. They are often vacant by the time of discovery, which is a good indicator termite infestation has occurred at some time.
  • Working Tubes: These tunnels are the most commonly discovered termite tunnels found during a Central Texas termite inspection. Using the analogy above, termites use these tunnels like humans use roads. The tunnels are established routes to get to work (destroying your home) and the grocery store (your home’s wooden structures) once you discover that new place to live.
  • Drop Tubes: Have you ever been running late to work, but you know a hidden shortcut with no traffic or police scanners to clock you speeding? In termite language, you found your own drop tunnel. Drop tunnels are superhighways that allow termites to courier food as quickly as possible when regular working tubes are unavailable. They literally drop like icicles from suspended food sources (think beams and joists) to the waiting colony hidden below.
  • Swarm Tubes: These tubes are more like blobs as they can extend up to four feet in diameter. Does that freak you out? It should! Swarm tubes serve as little hostels for thousands of swarming termites to collect themselves before taking flight to establish new colonies. Swarm tubes are indicators of major termite infestations that have been years in the making. They are a major sign to stop and call a termite exterminator.
• What’s the next step?: First, take a picture of any mud tubes you see to show your termite pest technician and insurance company, if needed. Second, a quick DIY tip is to investigate the tube by wearing gloves, scraping away a section of the mud tube with a stick or chisel, and then looking closely for any moving termites. Remember, they’re the size of rice or smaller! If you don’t see living termites, it’s the best time to call GGA Pest Management for a free inspection. A trained GGA pest technician can quickly determine termite activity and damage, and available remedies. A free quote for SENTRICON bait system protection can also be provided. If you see moving termites, call quickly. A technician can complete a free inspection and quote for extermination services to treat the immediate infestation to protect your home from further damage. Right now, GGA is offering special discounts for service treatments and SENTRICON bait system installation.

Wood Damage

It sounds obvious that termites cause wood damage, but not all wood damage is easy to spot. In fact, some wood damage may not be seen but only heard when you softly tap on wood and get a hollow sound. That’s evidence that termites have been silently eating away inside completely undetected. Termites are clever little pests, aren’t they?! Then again, some termite activity can be easily concealed by new paint, subfloors, or molding. That’s why home inspections are essential, whether you’re buying a new home or simply maintaining the home you have.

The tell-tale signs of wood damage are simple when you know what to look for.

• What do you see?: Look for wood trim or beams that appear blistered, crumbling, or otherwise damaged. At first glance, it may look like simple water damage, but be aware that termites are attracted to moist, humid conditions created by water damage or water saturation. If you see windowsills or similar surfaces with what appears to be cracked paint, look closely and press your finger into the wood. If a noticeable indentation is left, termite activity might be present. Also, don’t forget to inspect cabinets and furniture, especially antiques, as they may be infested inside.
• What’s happening?: Termites use the small cracks to easily enter homes, with the exposed wood serving as a 24/7 buffet. There’s literally no barrier protection. In cases of water damage, termites are attracted to moist soil and softened wood, which makes their attack and transit more accessible. This is why speedy, proper home maintenance is crucial to prevent infestation from termites and other pests.
• What’s the next step?: If you suspect termite damage, you can dig a little deeper before calling a GGA pest technician. In cases of blistering or damaged wood, simply pick at it or remove a small portion. If you see termite tubes or active feeding, call GGA for a free inspection and service quote right away. If you notice peeling paint, scrape away a small section and note the wood underneath. If it’s damaged or even missing, you know to call a GGA pest technician right away. It’s important to note that all wood damage may not be noticeable to you or a technician, as termites can easily feast on wood found inside the walls of your home.

Drywall Damage

While most damage inside walls can’t be seen until wall panels are removed by a trained professional, there is one small sign to keep in mind: drywall damage. You may wonder why if termites eat wood, but it’s important to remember that wood is 40-50% cellulose. Cellulose is the key ingredient to a termite’s diet. Which brings us back to drywall, which includes 10% cellulose thanks to the paper wrapping around the plaster. Trust us – termites would love a big chunky beam of wood, but they won’t turn down several hundred square feet of drywall hidden from prying eyes.

You may not have X-ray vision to look inside your walls, but there are a few possible signs of termite infestation.

• What do you see?: There are three key signs of drywall damage. Discolored walls and dust along floorboards can be easily seen, but homeowners will have to look very closely to notice small holes the size of pinpricks in the wall.
• What’s happening?: As termites live and eat inside the drywall, they push their feces and other waste outside of their colony towards the drywall perimeter. The discoloration you see is a result of accumulated feces. The dust on the floor is essentially leftover debris as termites eat through structures.
• What’s the next step?: If you feel confident, remove a small piece of the discolored drywall and inspect it for live termites or signs of deteriorated drywall structure. However, it is suggested to call in professionals like GGA Pest technicians who are trained for expert termite inspections and immediate action to remedy termite infestations.

Discarded Wings

Spring weather brings termite swarming season. Think of it as termites undertaking massive migrations to search for new colony sites that offer food sources and breeding compatibility. After termites settle in and mate, they also shed their wings, so you may find piles of discarded wings near windowsills, doorways, or around light fixtures.

• What do you see?: Swarming termite wings are unique from those of other flying pests. Each swarming termite has four wings of equal size. They’re a highly translucent mocha or light gray color. The elongated wings have a teardrop shape and can be up to half an inch long.
• What’s happening?: Swarming termites have two tasks – find a new home and get busy making it a home (if you know what we mean). No really! Swarming termites fly to find a new suitable home to establish a new colony. As soon as they do, they become king and queen and start mating quickly to create hundreds of new termites to fill their new realm. Soon after the job is done, they die, which causes the wings to fall and decay. The small, good news is that those swarming termites don’t eat much wood – just enough to survive and fuel the mating process. The bad news is that all the termites they created and left behind can literally eat you out of house and home. By the time you find discarded swarming termite wings, that new termite colony could be fully entrenched.
• What’s the next step?: As soon as you find discarded swarming termite wings, call GGA Pest Management ASAP. A GGA Pest technician will create a thorough report including a termite inspection, damage assessment, and treatment solutions. Any available treatment discounts will be gladly offered to help make it as affordable as possible to protect your home from uninsured termite damage.

Frass (Termite Droppings)

Like any pest, termites have fecal waste after eating. These droppings are often found near infested wood or within mud tubes. They’re a high indicator of current termite activity within your home.

• What do you see?: Termite droppings can resemble a pile of sawdust, coffee grounds, or pepper on the ground. That pile is hundreds of hard, dry, little oval-shaped brown or black pellets of waste. Their length can be less than the diameter of human hair, so they may be hard to see unless a large pile is present.
• What’s happening?: Termites are tidy little creatures that don’t want feces sitting around the inside of their nest, where they work and sleep, just like humans. They punch tiny holes the size of a pinprick in the wall or wood to push out their feces, perfectly leaving their mess at your feet.
• What’s the next step?: First, fight the urge to pick it up! Termite droppings are generally harmless and can’t kill you, but some people, especially those with respiratory problems, may have an allergic reaction to termite waste. Your best bet is to call GGA Pest Management for a free termite inspection. Termite poop is a sign of termite activity, but not necessarily active termite infestation. A trained GGA Pest technician can determine that for you and provide treatments and solutions if applicable. (If you absolutely can’t stand the sight of the termite waste or want it removed for the safety of children or pets, please wear gloves to scoop the waste and throw it away – after taking the picture to show your GGA Pest technician.)

Visible Termites

Imagine sitting on your back porch and suddenly noticing a loose, damaged piece of siding or perhaps weird scratches inside a piece of door or window trim. You get closer and notice tiny pale, slightly translucent bugs the size of a piece of rice crawling around on a frantic mission. You just found LIVE termites. It does happen sometimes. Obviously, live termites indicate an active termite infestation, and you need to act quickly.

• What do you see?: Termites look different depending on their assignment. The termites you find are a clue to the level of infestation in your home.
  • Reproducers: Remember, these termites have exclusive, same-sized wings that let them to fly and relocate. If they still have wings, they’re still mating, and you have a chance to stop early infestation before it gets worse.
  • Workers: These are the most common types of termites that Central Texas homeowners typically encounter. They’re about a quarter inch long with creamy light yellow or brown bodies and can easily be mistaken for carpenter ants due to their antennae. They move quickly in a fairly straight line as they work to transmit food to the colony.
  • Soldiers: Every castle must be defended, and termite colonies are no different. Soldier termites resemble workers, but their heads are often a light red color.
• What’s happening?: Simply put, termites have made your home their home. Just like humans, they work hard to defend and maintain their family inside.
• What’s the next step?: Call GGA Pest Management without delay. Our office is open from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. A technician supervisor, two sales technicians, and six certified pest technicians are available to help with termite and other pest infestations. You can also email us at [email protected]; however, phone calls are best for setting up appointments more quickly. When you contact GGA Pest Management, make sure to describe the termite activity you witnessed so the GGA technician can be prepared for the best termite inspection possible. Usually, a free termite inspection can be scheduled within 48 hours or so, depending on the day and season. Spring is the kickoff to a busy termite season, so don’t hesitate to contact GGA Pest Management the moment you see termites.

Finding possible termite activity can be scary for most homeowners. Their home is usually the biggest financial investment of their lives, and they want to protect it from termite damage, which is often not covered by most home insurance policies. That’s why GGA Pest Management provides homeowners with free education, learned experience, easy tips, and trusted solutions to help homeowners prevent termite infestation.

When prevention fails and active treatments are necessary, GGA Pest Management offers multiple solutions to remedy immediate infestations and utilizes SENTRICON termite bait stations to prevent further termite damage at reasonable prices, providing homeowners with peace of mind.

GGA Pest Management is ready to help you prevent and solve termite problems. Contact us today to set up a free inspection.