3 Ways to Detect Termite Damage in Phoenix

Every year termites cause millions of dollars of damage to Phoenix homes.  This is primarily in part to the great climate we have here in Arizona.  Not only is it warm but we have plenty of dry vegetation and older home construction that they can munch on.  With all this yummy food readily available for these little critters it is essential that homeowners know what to look for to detect their presence before they become a nuisance.

Identify Your Enemy:  IS IT THE PHOENIX TERMITE?

There are many different types of wood-boring insects so it is essential that you know how to distinguish termites from other household pests such as the carpenter ant.  The first step is to identify whether you are dealing with Termites in Phoenix.  Termites are very small, but upon close examination, one can see that they have straight antennae as opposed to the elbowed antennae of the carpenter ant for which they are often mistaken.  Another characteristic unique to termites in Phoenix is that they are often a pale yellow color and have soft bodies.  They also have no discernable waist along the segmented portion of their bodies unlike the carpenter ant.  If the termite colony is already large enough you may even see the winged version of these Phoenix termites.  Winged- termites have 2 sets of wings of the same size whereas a carpenter ant has front wings that are much larger than the rear set.  Knowing these characteristics will help you identify whether you have been hit by the infamous termite or their lesser known competitors.

Watch For The Clues Your Phoenix Termite Can Leave You.

Sometimes it is hard to know if the is damage is from termites simply because the little critter has gone invisible.  When this happens you can use other visual clues to detect a termite infestation.  The most common clues are the following:

• Shelter tubes. These are small enclosed passageways, or tubes, made from soil, saliva, fecal matter, and other materials that usually run from the soil to above ground wood. Termites will build these to provide safe access when moving from one food source to another by subterranean Termites.
• Termite Mounds. Watch for wood colored mounds that have accumulated on flooring around wooden structures.  Drywood termites will live in any wooden structure such as structural timber, furniture and hardwood floors.  These termites push fecal pellets, called frass, outside their tunnels and chambers leaving a distinct sign that they have invaded your Phoenix home.
• Discarded wings.  Once a colony of termites has matured they will leave the nest to start new colonies.  Not long after they take flight, they shed their wings.  You may find small piles of wings on surfaces around your home like window sills or in spider webs.

Stop! You Can Look And Listen to Find Phoenix Termite Damage.

Amazingly enough you can actually listen for wood damage! Yes I said listen.  You want to conduct periodic inspections of your home to be sure you are not infested with termites and one way of doing this is by tapping large sections of wood with a small hammer or large screw driver.  If a section of wood sounds hollow when you tap it you may have wood boring insect damage.   To determine whether it is  termites rather than carpenter ants you can use a stethoscope or another listening device.  Termites do not make noise, but carpenter ants make soft, rustling noises when they are moving about in their chambers.

Another way to inspect for possible termite damage to your Phoenix home is to cut away a piece of wood from the suspected site.  Termite damage causes wood to be become fragile and easily broken and the wood will very likely pull away with the slightest force.

We here at Varsity Termite and Pest Control Specialize in detecting and treating in Phoenix for these pesky little creatures so if you don’t want to have to go thru the steps to determine whether you have Termites we can do that for you.  Contact us and we will come out and inspect your Phoenix home for Termites.

Published By:

Varsity Termite and Pest Control – Tony Kaufman

Office: 602-757-8252
Website: https://varsity.myfavoritewebdesigns.com