Termites are a common pest in Australia. They can eat their way into people's properties with remarkable ease. Once their numbers grow, they tend to rise rapidly which means that the destruction they cause can soon get out of hand. As such, prevention is always better than a cure. Although pest control experts can get rid of an infestation of termites on your property, it is best to do so when their numbers are low. Therefore, try to keep an eye out for places they might be located or signs that they are present. What are some of the giveaway signs that they are eating into your home?
Boreholes
When drywood termites get into the timbers of a home, they leave behind little boreholes. These are tell-tale signs that they are either present or have been recently. Look out for something a little larger than a pinhole but a little smaller than the cavity left behind from a nail. Imagine you have been throwing darts into your floorboards or weatherboarding. If you see holes of this size from your pest inspection, then they are likely to have been caused by termites.
Hollow Wood
When you have termites eating into timbers, the outside often looks structurally sound. However, the inside of your wood may well be hollow, leaving the timbers much weaker. Therefore, any good pest inspection looking for the presence of termites should include an audio check. Knock on your timbers, and if they sound rattly or hollow, then you probably have termites already and the damage could be extensive if you find it in more than one place.
Rotting Wood
Wood that has deteriorated outside may well be a sign of subterranean termites. These creatures like to make their underground nests beneath old tree stumps or piles of firewood. If your pest inspection reveals prematurely rotting wood, then a termite nest may not be far away. Dig out old roots and raise wood you are storing off the ground so that they cannot be accessed as a food source by subterranean termites.
Clicking Noises
Termites make buzzing or clicking noises when they are inside buildings. This is something they tend to stop doing when people are around, however, so it is not always easy to detect. As part of your pest inspection, try entering a room silently with the lights off. Listen out for clicks or hums. If this stops as soon as you make a sound or illuminate the room, then the presence of termites in the cavities between your walls is the likely cause.
Contact a pest inspection service to learn more.