The Most TERRIFYING Pest In The World_ Termites

If you were to ask the average person to name the scariest bug, termites probably wouldn’t be high on the list.

 

They don’t elicit the same fear response that spiders, scorpions, cockroaches, or other pests of the “creepy-crawly” variety often do, and you probably won’t see Attack of the Giant Termite in theaters anytime soon.

 

However, despite their low reviews from horror movie enthusiasts, there’s a real reason you should fear termites: they’re one of the most destructive forces on the planet.

 

Perhaps you’re wondering, “how can a bug smaller than my fingernail possibly be considered a destructive force?”

 

Termites On their own, termites aren’t that big of a threat. The problem is, termites are never alone. Termites are social creatures, living in large colonies with populations ranging from a few thousand to more than fifteen million. Termite colonies operate like well-oiled, with tireless workers scavenging constantly for food to sustain the ever-growing population.

 

Termites have a favorite dish too: your home. Specifically, termites use specialized bacteria in their gut to break down cellulosic (or wood-based) materials. This can include the wooden framing on your home, wallpaper, wooden furniture, and even paintings. Additionally, termites will also chew through insulation, plaster, and even some types of metal if necessary to breach your home.

 

How quickly do termites cause damage to a home?

 

Individual termites eat away at wood extremely slowly, so one worker could barely scratch your home in a lifetime. Unfortunately, termite activity in your home is never just one termite worker. Instead, thousands will be continuously chewing away at the structure.

 

With these numbers, they can do serious damage if left unchecked. Termite damage is often expensive to repair, and damage to key structural areas could create the risk for more catastrophic issues.

 

Exacerbating this issue is the fact that termites tend to attack the home in areas far from view. Termites often feed inside of walls, beneath floorboards, or through cracks in the foundation. As a result, evidence of their activity can go undetected for years without a comprehensive inspection.

 

That’s right, thousands of dollars of damage can be done to a home without the homeowner having any indication whatsoever of a pest infestation.

 

Termite’s reclusiveness and numbers make them a uniquely terrifying pest threat, and it is critical that property owners take that threat seriously.

 

The rate that termites eat away at your home varies by species and other conditions such as the materials of your home, the size of the colony, and the ease of access for the workers.

 

Estimates indicate that a group of around 120,000 workers could consume a 2×4 plank of wood in around two and half months. While that doesn’t sound very fast, remember that some termite colonies can contain millions of workers. Additionally, if the infestation goes undetected for years, the termites have plenty of time to do major damage.

 

Now that I’ve made my case for why you should be concerned about termites, here’s what you should do about them:

 

1- Monitor your property for signs of damage. Evidence of termite infestation is often scarce for the reasons stated above, but there are still a few signs you can be on the lookout for, including:

• Damage to flooring: Termite damage in floors often looks similar to water damage. Look for “blisters” or raised areas on the floor as well as small gashes in the wood.
• Swelling around doors and window frames: termite tunneling leaves a honeycomb pattern of damage to wood, so you may notice it swell out or sound hollow when you tap it.
• Evidence of swarming: each year in the spring, termite colonies release winged “swarmers” which mate and establish new satellite colonies. If you are seeing swarming termites around your property, an active colony isn’t far away.

 

2- Schedule regular inspections and preventative treatment. Termites are a problem that should be left to the pros. The best way to protect your home is to have it regularly inspected for termite activity so that threats can be caught early on. These inspections, combined with a treatment barrier that kills or repels termites around your home, will save you a lot of expense and hassle in the long run.

 

Don’t put your property at risk by ignoring termites. Call 770-479-1598 today and schedule a FREE inspection of your home! Our team of pest experts will check every nook and cranny for termite activity and create a custom treatment plan to stop any future termite threats in their tracks.

By:Tim