Some Important Questions You Might Have About Termites
Termites are never good for any home, as they can easily eat their way through the home's frame as well as its floorboards, timber windows, doors, and the like. These damaged pieces usually need to be replaced since termites eat the inner core, which is difficult to fill with putty or another such material. If you suspect your home has termites, or have been told that it's infested, note a few important questions you might have about these pesky insects and how to treat this problem.
Don't you normally see termites in the home?
If your home is infested with termites, you might see some of them on a windowsill or another place after they've died. They have wings so they resemble flies, but their wings are white, so they do look a bit different.
However, not all termites collect on windowsills; instead, it's good to look for the mud tubes they build to burrow into your home. These are like long paths made of mud that start from outside the home and that then extend to the concrete slab and over floorboards or along baseboards, or which even go up to timber window frames. These tubes are usually no thicker than a drinking straw, so they're easy to overlook, but the tubes a better indication that your home has an infestation than the insects themselves.
Can termites make their way through concrete?
Termites don't actually eat through concrete, but note that concrete has many pits and cracks inside that are virtually invisible to humans but that provide a great way of tunneling for termites. These tiny cracks provide them with a good way to get inside your home, so it's not good to assume that your home can't have termites if it has a thick and solid concrete slab or is constructed with poured concrete rather than a standard wood frame.
If a tree has termites, should it be treated?
Only an arborist can tell you if a tree is damaged enough by termites to need removing, but note that if a tree on your property is home to termites, it's good to have the home treated and protected from an infestation. Those termites easily make their way from one host or area of nesting to another, and it doesn't take long before they realize that your home has many types of wood that they can feed on very easily. A pest control expert can give you recommendations as to how to protect your home even if an arborist tells you to remove the tree.