Wood in your home can be eaten by termites and yet look perfectly normal. Termites hollow wood out invisibly from the inside. Subterranean termites live in colonies in the soil and travel to wood sources for food. They can travel long distances to find wood; a decaying tree stump, a stack of firewood, or structural timbers inside your home.

Termites prefer to feed on wood that is softened by moisture or partially decayed by rot but they can also attack perfectly sound wood.Certain conditions around your home may attract termites and make them more difficult to find and control.

Correct, repair, or eliminate these conditions if you can:

• Wood that has been water-damaged by a leak from the roof, a plumbing problem, excessive moisture, etc.
• Condensation around windows
• Soil or mulch around the foundation that touches brick facing or wood siding
• Firewood stacked against the house
• Faulty grade allowing water to accumulate next to the foundation
• Missing rain gutters, downspouts, or splashblocks
• Landscaping timbers, wood fence, or other untreated wood next to the house
• • Poor ventilation in crawlspace or attic
• • Wood debris in crawlspace
• • Wet siding from roof leaks or sprinkler systems
• • Foam insulation on outside foundation walls or under slab