Visible Signs of Termite Damage

There are a number of signs that a building has termites.old texture image by vojvodic from Fotolia.com

Termites are one of the major plagues of homeowners. These insects, left unchecked, can gorge on a house's wooden skeleton until it becomes structurally unstable, forcing the owner to make expensive repairs or, in a worst-case scenario, start from scratch. Fortunately, termites leave a number of signs of damage that can alert a homeowner before the problem gets out of hand.

Termites

The foremost indicator of a termite infestation in a home is the presence of a termite, either dead or alive. According to the extermination company Terminix, swarming termites are attracted to light and can often be found near light sources. These "swarmers" are winged termites sent out from the central nest to establish a new colony and can often be mistaken for flying ants. Swarmers are most common in the spring, but can also appear in the fall.

Another common sign of termites is the presence of hollow wood. Hollow wood can be detected by tapping on it with a handled instrument and listening for a hollow sound. In some cases, light pressure may cause the wood to break. Gaps in walls or crumbling wood may also suggest a termite presence, as can sagging floors or ceilings. Termite damage can often appear similar to water damage, with the wood similarly weakened.

One of the telltale signs of termites is their special mud tubes. Although they live underground, termites usually find their food above ground. To travel, they construct mud tubes, approximately the width of a pencil. They build these tubes on foundation walls, support piers, sill plates and floor joists. These tubes often lead to the termites' point of entry. Crack the tubes open to see whether termites are still using them. Older tubes may contain mud particles and fecal matter, while tunnels still in use will contain white worker termites.

There are two telltale leavings common to termites: wings and pellets. After swarmers have started a new colony, they will enter a new stage of development and shed their wings. According to the website Termites Gone Wild, little balls of waste, known as "frass," can remain around the holes of termite colonies, called "kick holes," that resemble simple holes in wood. The pile of frass outside an active kick hole will grow as termites continue to add to it.