Savannah homeowners know that termites can be a big problem, but few of them take the time to research the best way to prevent termite activity around their homes. To properly protect your investment from an infestation, you’ve got to understand a few things. The most essential things you need to be able to do are to identify termite activity and the early signs of a termite infestation in your home. This way you can get the help you need before your house needs the big “tent-o-death”.

A Homeowner’s Worst Enemy

Termites are social insects with multiple types of family members. You’ve got your worker termites, which are usually tiny, white, ant-looking insects that scurry around frantically if you see them out in the open. There are also soldiers, but you don’t often see those. I guess they’re of the ninja variety of soldiers. The termites you're most likely to spot are the kings and queens, but those are also rarely caught in the open. The ones you need to look out for are the swarmers, which are slightly larger than the workers and have wings. These are the kinds who do the reproductive activities and create new colonies, so those are the ones who go out in the open most.

While “termite season” is generally thought of as the warm, summer months, termites can be active and cause damage to your home at any point in the year. As long as they have a few warm days after a rainstorm, they’ll begin to swarm and reproduce, which is when they can gather enough numbers to really do some damage to the wooden structures of your home’s foundation.

Signs Of An Infestation

In order to prevent this damage, you need to understand the 4 most significant signs of an early infestation so that you can get out in front of these pests.

1. Rotted Wood: This is an easy one. If you’re inspecting the basement, the floorboards, or any support beams and notice rotting, then you have a serious problem. If this is the first sign you notice, it may be too late.

2. Frass: No, it’s not a typo. It’s what the experts call termite droppings. Frass also includes tiny wooden pellets that will pile up from termites burrowing into your home and kicking out tiny holes in your walls through which they can drop their feces. I know…lovely.

3. Soft, clicking noises from the walls: Termites don’t try to hide the fact that they’re eating your house out from under you. If you hear clicking from inside the walls, it’s not a bomb. Well, it is in a way, because termites will cause catastrophic damage if you let the fuse run out on an infestation.

4. Swarmers: I mentioned these before, and they might just be your best chance at spotting an infestation before it takes a heavy hold on your property. Termites will mate out in the open. The swarmers fly around, do their thing, and create another colony either on your property or the next. However, if they’re swarming on your property, they probably already have a beginning to take shape. Time to call in some help.

Preventing Termite Activity

If you don’t see any of these signs, then you can start with preventative measures. There are a few techniques to safeguard your home from the threat of termites that work well in the Southeast. First of all, termites love moisture, so reduce any amount of moisture around the home’s foundation that you can. This includes repairing leaking faucets, pipes, and AC units. Use gutters, downspouts, and splash blocks to keep the flow of water away from your home’s foundation. Finally, you can create a buffer between the side of your house and any soil so that termites can’t keep eating their way right into the side of your house.

Professional Guarantee: The Safe Best

While these techniques can be effective for many homeowners, the country wouldn’t lose billions of dollars each year to termite damage if they were 100% effective. Keep your eye out for those swarmers and all of the other early signs of infestation. If you even have a slight suspicion you’re noticing a sign, contact Pestmaster^® Services. Professional termite control is the only truly effective way to eradicate the threat. Our professional technicians know how to prevent termite activity before it begins and how to save your home from a full-blown infestation. Don’t leave your life’s biggest investment to chance. Protect your home with the professionals today before you wish you had.