How to Tell If You Have Termites in Your Home: 9 Common Signs

Termites can be extremely destructive to your home. This guide on how to tell if you have termites in your home lists 9 common signs of a termite infestation.

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Thinking about termites invading your home is terrifying. Unfortunately, termite infestation is a common problem, and they may be feasting on your home without your knowledge.

Drywood termites can reside in your foundation, doors, window frames, or anywhere wood is located in or around your home. These clever insects can wreak havoc on your home and cause serious damage before you realize they’re around.

Let’s take a look at how to spot termites in your home. Here are 9 common signs to watch for.

1. Clicking Sounds

Termites love to chew. As they chew through wood, you can hear a distinct clicking sound.

If you have an infestation, the sounds of their voracious chewing can make quite a racket through your walls. They are very loud eaters!

If you think you’ve discovered termites munching away on your property, call in a professional right away.

2.Banging Heads

Termites are noisy little insects. In addition to clicking, you can hear soldier termites banging their heads on the wood or shaking their bodies to alert other termites to possible danger.

Termites are sensitive to sound. They can detect vibrations through their bodies and warn the colony with the sounds they make.

3. Flying Termites

One of the first signs of termites is flying or swarming termites. These are male or female termites looking to find a mate and start a new colony.

Termites are attracted to light. You may find them swarming around your light fixtures.

Some people mistake flying termites for white ants. Ants are never white, so if you think you see one, it’s most likely a termite instead.

Termites have lighter coloring than ants and sometimes look translucent.

Although they may look similar to ants, termites’ front and back wings are the same lengths, and their antennae are straight or slightly droopy. Ants’ wings are longer in the front, and their antennae bend at a 90-degree angle. Ants also have a thinner middle section than termites.

If you suspect you have termites flying around, call an exterminator for an inspection right away.

4. Discarded Wings

If you see discarded wings around your home, this could indicate that swarm termites have found a place to colonize. They shed their wings when they find a place to eat and no longer need to swarm.

That’s bad news for your property. Look for discarded wings by doors, windows, lightbulbs, or vents. This is a sure sign of the presence of termites.

Finding dead termites around your home can also be a sign of infestation. They can be tricky to spot since termites steer clear of high-traffic areas.

If you do see them, it’s a sure sign that these clever insects are somewhere feasting on your home.

5. Termite Droppings

Termite droppings or frass is a sure sign of a termite infestation. Termites nest in wood and create tunnels. As they make tunnels, they also create holes to discard their droppings.

This helps keep their nest clean. The droppings look like sawdust or wood shavings. If you spot termite frass, you have a termite problem that you need to address as soon as possible.

6. Swollen Panels

You may see termite damage before you ever spot a termite. Raised floorboards or bumps on your walls are signs of potential termite damage.

Termites live and eat below wood surfaces. This can lead to swelling panels, bumps on the wall, or bubbling paint or wallpaper.

Don’t assume water is the culprit. Have your home inspected for termites if you spot these signs of damage.

7. Hollow Wood

Drywood termites like to consume wood from the inside out. They’ll leave the outer edges or only the painted surface behind to disguise their destruction.

If you knock on the area, you’ll hear a hollow or papery sound. Unfortunately, people sometimes discover termite damage after extensive damage is already underway.

8. Mud Tubes

Some types of termites need moisture to survive. They create tubes using moist soil.

This provides a way to get from the colony to wherever they are feeding. Look for mud tubes on hard surfaces around your home or foundation.

If you spot any, there’s a good chance you may have a termite problem. Call in a professional to assess the situation.

9. Hard-to-Close Windows or Doors

Heat and humidity can affect your doors and windows, but the problem could be termites instead. As termites tunnel through wood associated with windows and doors, they produce moisture.

This moisture can warp the wood and make your doors and windows feel tight or hard to open and close. If you’re having difficulty with your windows or doors, get a termite inspection right away.

Termite Troubles

Termites can’t hurt you, but they can cause severe damage to your home and affect your property value. In fact, these troublesome insects cause homeowners billions in damages every year.

They can also destroy your personal property, including insulation, papers, books, and wooden items or furnishings in your home. They can damage your trees, shrubbery, and other foliage as well.

Finding out you have termites can be stressful. You can’t handle the problem alone.

Your best bet is to have a termite inspection whether or not you suspect these pesky creatures have invaded your space.