Can I Inspect Termites by Myself?

You’re considering hiring an exterminator to deal with your persistent concerns about termites destroying your home. Perhaps you imagine hearing gnawing noises coming from inside your walls, or perhaps you have found a flying ant in your basement and are now terrified. Termites are after all a nuisance that causes damage. They are widespread, occurring in 49 of the 50 states (Alaska is exempt), and they are thought to be responsible for $50 billion in annual property damage to homes and structures.

Termites may do significant damage before you even notice you have a pest problem, which makes them frightening. They consume wood from the inside out, making it difficult to spot them unless you know what to look for. Up until your porch starts to lean to the left or collapses altogether, everything will appear strong and robust. It’s not really that horrible, though. Considering that some nests can contain hundreds of thousands of hungry mouths to feed, termites really move very slowly.

In most cases, you may detect an infestation before termites cause significant damage to the foundation of your home if you get your home inspected annually or perform the task yourself (with a few recommendations from us). Termites are cunning, hiding out in corners of your house that you hardly ever thoroughly investigate. We would suggest you search for ‘brisbane termite inspection’ or ‘termite inspection brisbane north/near me’ if you suspect your property is filled with termites.

To find out whether you do have termites or not, you can inspect your house for these signs.

Recognizing a Termite Issue

What are the telltale symptoms that you could have a termite infestation now that we have a better understanding of these fascinating insects? To discover out, you don’t need to contact a pest treatment business. See some of the most common indications that you have termites by reading the list below.

Imagine you are checking for leaky pipes in the crawlspace under your house. You search the walls with your flashlight for signs of water damage. But instead, you see shapes that resemble muck. They resemble tubes coated in dirt. Whoa, what the heck is that? The most probable offender? underground termites. The most obvious indication of the small creatures is these mud tubes. Why do people construct mud tubes?

They use it to get from below ground to above ground as they seek wood.

Termites Mud Tubes

Here’s a further example. One hot summer afternoon, you’re out back when you see a lot of wings scattered on the ground just outside your back door. Wings not connected to an insect. They resemble fish scales nearly exactly. Have you noticed anybody fish cleaning on your back steps? Or perhaps this is an indication of termites. The latter is most likely the case.

You must search for ‘termite inspection brisbane’ or ‘termite inspection brisbane south/near me’ after seeing termite mud tubes around your property.

Insect Wings

Another indication that you may have termites is the presence of little, sand-coloured pellets that resemble wood surrounding any wood materials or structures. These pellets are so close together that it’s possible you’ll kick right through any neighbouring wood.

These are termite droppings, and they are the third most reliable indication that you could have a major termite infestation. Now that you know how much it would probably cost you to not only get rid of the termites but also repair the damage they’ve already done, you can contact a professional to confirm and hear their estimate. Can you maybe cure it yourself first, though, before you do that?

You will require a few tools to do a termite examination by yourself:

• When working in confined, unclean places, coveralls can protect your skin and clothing.
• Utilize a powerful flashlight to see better in dimly lit environments like crawl spaces, attics, and basements (areas termites like to be)
• A pointed instrument to assist locate termite galleries and damaged wood, such as a screwdriver or pocket knife

The moment has come to search for termites in all the spots they prefer to inhabit after getting your tools ready. Termites often choose to live in basements and crawl areas. Use your screwdriver or pocket knife to thoroughly inspect any wooden building components, paying specific attention to the areas surrounding support posts, joists, subfloors, wooden decks and porches, and any wooden window sills or window frames.

It’s also important to look at places where wood joins other building materials (such as concrete areas around wooden steps). Keep a look out for indications of termite activity, such as holes in the wood, tunnels, clumps of insect wings, and other evidence of wood damage, in any location that is made of wood. Termite damage necessitates treatment for everything impacted.