1. We really like that new wooden, untreated latticework that you installed under the front porch. Saves us a lot of trouble getting into your home. Most subterranean termite infestations in homes can be traced to wood that is in direct contact with the soil. Termites move from their colony in the ground directly into wood whenever the opportunity presents. From the soil, termites could move sight unseen into the lattice wood, and then move into the porch wood or directly into your home through a weep hole or crevice. See Termites Are Attracted by Certain Conditions.
2. Those mud tubes at the bottom of your foundation wall aren’t from worms, you know. That’s how we travel from our ground nest into your home. When they find desirable wood that is above ground, termites build tubes from a combination of soil, wood, and saliva. They travel inside the tubes between the nest and the wood they are feeding on. The tubes act as a covered highway and protect soft-bodied termites from predators and also from the drying effects of air currents. See Why Do Termites Make Mud Tubes?
3. You really did us a favor when you planted all those new shrubs right against the foundation. Your digging disturbed that chemical barrier in the soil that was keeping us away from your house. Now it’s full steam ahead! When a home is built, the soil around the foundation is treated to kill or repel termites. The termite pesticide binds with the soil and the protection will last for years unless the soil is disturbed by planting, renovation, utility line installation, or if the area is flooded. In those cases, have a professional re-evaluate your protection. See Our Yard Flooded! Do We Need a Termite Retreatment? 
4. We know you’ve been putting off fixing that drainage problem at the corner of the garage. Hey, we don’t mind if the wood’s a little damp, who’s gonna see it anyway. Termites prefer to feed on and tunnel in wood that has been softened by moisture and rot. Moisture problems around a home can mean damp wood that is attractive to termites. Roof leaks, plumbing leaks, crawlspace condensation, and gutters and downspouts that direct water towards the foundation, all invite termites. See The Wood Rot – Termite Connection.
5. You know those winged ants that you saw in the basement last week? They weren’t really ants, those were the swarmers from our termite colony that’s been feeding under the window well. Winged termites and winged ants look similar and are easily confused. Ants have a narrow “waist,” termites do not. Ants have two pairs of wings that are different sizes. The four wings of termite reproductives are all the same size. After their brief flight, winged termites shed their wings. Shed wings may be all that you find after a swarm. See Could Be Termites – Are They In or Out? 

Got Termites? Give Colonial Pest a call to schedule an inspection!

Photo Credit : By Gerald J. Lenhard, Louisiana State University, Bugwood.org – See more at: http://www.insectimages.org/browse/detail.cfm?imgnum=0014116#sthash.RcW6DHBX.dpuf – http://www.insectimages.org/browse/detail.cfm?imgnum=0014116, CC BY-SA 3.0, Link