Termite Control Done Right For San Diego County Properties

The First Signs Of A Termite Problem

Unlike cockroaches, flies, or ants, you don't see termites run across the floor at night or land on your food. Although termites are active throughout the day, their activity is in the wood in the crawl space, attic, or basement. Since they are not usually visible, are there any signs that termites may be in your home? Yes! These are signs of termites in San Diego County: 

• Mud tubes
• Swarmers
• Discarded wings
• Wood discoloration
• Timber deterioration
• Wallpaper blisters
• Sawdust-like material

Let's examine these indicators in greater detail. 

Two types of termites are problematic for San Diego County homeowners; subterranean and drywood termites. Some signs are similar for both species, but a few are unique. For example, subterranean termites live in the soil in elaborate tunnels and chambers, and only the worker termites leave the colony to forage for food in nearby fungus-infested damp wood. Because this termite species is quickly dehydrated by the sun, the workers construct mud tubes for protection from the heat between their nest and the food source. If you have a termite infestation, you will find these passageways on your foundation and basement walls.  

Subterranean and drywood termite colonies produce winged reproductive termites (swarmers) that fly from the nests in the spring. These termites search for new nesting locations and begin forming new colonies. Light from outdoor or window lights at dusk or dawn attracts swarming termites. The presence of flying termites indicates there is a nest nearby. If the swarming termites find a suitable nesting location and survive predators, they land, discard their wings, mate, and create a place for the new queen to lay her first eggs. The presence of discarded wings inside window sills or near outdoor lights is another indication that termites are on your property. 

Termites eat wood. As they hollow out the timber, moisture from their bodies creates dark sections on the lumber. Another sign is wood deterioration. If it crumbles when tapped with a blunt instrument or sounds hollow, then termites are likely eating the interior of the wood. 

When termites are inside walls, they do not eat through to the outside but leave a thin paper veneer between them and the exterior. Moisture from their bodies and the wood will cause wallpaper or drywall paper to blister. When bubbles appear on wall surfaces, you likely have a termite problem. 

Another of the early warning signs of termites is sawdust-like material outside of pinholes in the wood. As the worker termites bore tunnels into the wood, they push their feces to the exterior of the tunnels. Small piles of this sawdust-like material indicate a termite problem. 

When you see these warning signs, don't waste time and secure help from Homeshield Pest Control. Our technicians can identify the termite species infesting your house and take the appropriate actions to begin ending the infestation. 

The Extent Of Property Damage Termites Can Create

Termite damage in the United States costs businesses and homeowners $5 billion dollars annually. How do these creatures inflict costly repairs? Termite colonies have a caste system, and at the bottom rung are worker termites. There are many more worker termites than any other group in the nest. Subterranean worker termite travel from the nest in the soil to the nearby timber and eat the wood using their four sets of teeth; they then return to the colony and regurgitate the wood to feed the queen, offspring, and soldiers. 

Subterranean termites create nests of 60,000 to millions of members, most of which are worker termites. A small colony of 60,000 can chew through 2.3 feet of a 2x4 annually. While it may take one group several years to cause significant damage to a structure, the problem is that once a colony matures after two to four years, the queen produces reproductive flying termites. As previously discussed, these termites fly from the nest and establish new colonies nearby. So, within a few years, a homeowner may have multiple growing subterranean termite colonies eating through the wood components of the house. 

Subterranean termites live in high-moisture areas where damp wood is present. In many San Diego County homes, these areas are primarily the basement and crawl space. Since the support structure for the house is in these areas, when there is a long-term infestation, you will notice windows and doors do not close correctly due to the floor buckling, sagging floor corners, and structural collapse. Once you observe evidence of termite damage, repair costs will be thousands of dollars because they require a licensed contractor with specialized equipment to replace the structural supports. 

A mature drywood termite colony has about 2,500 members, so they are slower to cause significant damage; however, that doesn't mean a drywood infestation should be allowed to exist in your San Diego County home. Like subterranean termites, a drywood termite queen also produces swarmers who begin nearby colonies in the house. Drywood termites tend to infest the attic area, furniture, and wood inside the house. A long-term infestation produces sagging or collapsing ceilings, railings, and interior wood structures. 

Homeshield Pest Control provides termite control in San Diego County so homeowners can avoid costly home repairs. Our trained technicians can determine if you have subterranean or drywood termites and the extent of the infestation. We will stop the termites from creating new colonies and end the current termite problem on your property.

Why DIY Termite Control Can Do More Harm Than Good

We all want to save money, and some homeowners attempt to end termite problems without professional help; however, the results are usually disastrous. Stopping a termite infestation in your home is not as easy as purchasing a store product and spraying the perimeter of your foundation or crushing a few mud tubes on the foundation walls. 

You need to be able to identify the termite species so you can target the problematic pest. If subterranean termites are the issue, injection of a treatment product in the soil is necessary so worker termites come into contact with it. You will need equipment that enables you to inject the product under concrete. You may need to trench around your home for product application. Above all, you must ensure that children and pets cannot access the product.

Since drywood termites do not live in the soil but instead reside in the wood, you need to apply the DIY product throughout the infested area so they cannot escape it. Successful drywood termite elimination often requires tenting the entire house, which the average homeowner cannot accomplish. 

Homeshield Pest Control is the best termite control company for your San Diego County home because we have the training and equipment to eliminate termite colonies from your property.