Of all the pests in San Tan Valley that can cause damage around your home, termites are one of the absolute worst. These destructive insects can ruin the structures in your home and cause major damage as they eat through wood. The average homeowner with a termite infestation will spend about $3,000 for home repairs.
What Do Termites Look Like?
One of the main problems with termites is that they are hard to identify because they often hide in areas you won’t see such as in walls and under floors. To identify termites, it’s important to know a little bit about their life cycles.
Termite larvae will grow into one of three kinds of termites depending on their position in the caste system. These positions are workers, soldiers, and termite swarmers. The worker and soldier termites do not have wings and are cream to brown in color. The termite swarmers, on the other hand, are responsible for reproduction and will leave the colony to start new nests. They have wings and look like flying ants. So, you’re most likely to see a termite swarmer, but it can still be difficult to notice an infestation this way.
Are Termites Harmful?
You likely already know that termites can damage many items, but you might also have concerns about termites and health problems. Overall, termites are a destructive pest that can cause safety issues around your home as they erode support beams and other structures over time, but they aren’t particularly dangerous in a health sense.
Termites aren’t known to transmit any diseases to humans, but they can trigger allergic reactions and asthma attacks in some people. These risks can be more severe for people who have certain underlying health problems.
How To Identify And Prevent An Infestation
Because termites can be inside your home for a long time before you ever see one, it’s a good idea to know some other common signs of termites. These include hearing soft clicking in the walls, noticing what appears to be water damage, having flooring that squeaks or buckles, and finding small pellets near walls that are actually termite droppings.
If you haven’t noticed any of these telltale signs yet, it’s an ideal time to take termite prevention steps. By taking the time to deter termites, you’ll reduce the risk of infestation and potentially save yourself a lot of money and stress.
Here are five of the best preventative measures:
- Install a barrier around the building’s foundation to limit soil to wood contact.
- Keep firewood stored at least 30 feet away from the exterior of the building.
- Throw out any water-damaged wood around your property.
- Reduce humidity issues by fixing leaky plumbing and ensuring good ventilation.
- Get help from pest control experts.
How To Remove A Termite Infestation
If you do see any indication you have termites, seek help from the professionals at Ozone Pest Control right away. The longer you wait, the more damage these pests will do, and termites are extremely difficult to remove without assistance. With over 30 years of experience and highly trained technicians, we provide both termite prevention and control at affordable prices.
Learn more about our residential and commercial pest control options for termites and other common pest issues by calling us at (480) 660-3740.
