Signs Of A Termite Infestation And Why A Bait System Is Needed

Termites are small insects that can cause significant damage in your home once they invade. A termite bait system controls the population of termites by poisoning the bugs so they die off. There are a number of signs that your home is infested with termites, and it is vital to get professional help if you find signs in your home that there are termites present. Termites send out swarmers to locate a spot for a new nest. These are flying termites, and the wings fall off once the termite starts boring into your wall. You might find discarded wings concentrated in your home, a sure sign that swarmers have arrived and are beginning a nest.

You Hear a Knocking Noise In Your Walls

While the noise is subtle, soldier termites bang their heads on the wood within your walls as they make tunnels. If you suspect that there are termites in your walls, listen when the room is quiet. You can hear a faint knocking sound when the termites are active, a clear sign that you have termites.

You Find a Line of Sawdust

Termites are eating the cellulose in the wood, and leave behind sawdust. You might discover lines of sawdust in your basement or along a wall in your home. This indicates that there are termites or carpenter ants in your home. Both insects need to be dealt with by an exterminator.

Other Signs of Termites

You might discover what you think are white ants in your home, but they are termites. If you knock on your wall and it sounds hollow, this can indicate widespread termite damage. If your doors are tough to open or your windows are tight, this can mean termites are boring around the frame, causing the wood to expand. Termites also leave behind droppings, a sign that there is a significant number of termites in your home if you find it.

Termite control bait systems are filled with cellulose and an insecticide that will kill the termites over time. It contains slow-acting poison so that the forager termites bring poisoned food back to the nest you are trying to eradicate. It's not easy to find a termite nest, and this is a solution to termite control over the long term. A good termite bait system will eventually kill off the infestation and not allow for the current colony to grow any larger.

To learn more about termites and termite bait systems, reach out to a local pest control service.