Question

Last year we had what seemed to be a termite swarm in our house and I’m embarrassed to say that we didn’t do anything about it. Things were crazy at work and home and since we never saw any termites, we kind of forgot about it. Is it too early to have someone come out and inspect? I don’t want it to get away from me again this year.

Answer

It’s never too early to inspect. While ground-nesting termites may not be very active yet since the ground is still cold, we can always check inside your home for evidence of termite infestation or damage.

Our technicians will be looking for termite damage to wood in your home. If you can point out where you saw the swarm and any places where you might have had plumbing or roof leaks or other types of water damage, that would be helpful. Subterranean termites often infest wood that is damp or that has been softened by water or mold.

The technician can also inspect your basement or crawlspace and check around the outside foundation of your home, looking for termite entry points or the mud tubes that termites use to move from soil into wood.

It’s also important to rule out other pests. It’s possible that you didn’t see termites at all, but instead you may have had swarming carpenter ants or another type of ant. Our technician will be looking for those kinds of clues as well.

If we find evidence of termites in your home, we can schedule a termite treatment, or we can discuss installation of a termite bait and monitoring system around the outside of your home. If our technician doesn’t find any evidence of termites or other wood-infesting pests, we can check again when the weather is warmer and we can tell you the kinds of things to look for in the meantime. Even when we can’t find evidence of active termites, some of our customers choose to install bait station monitors as a way to intercept foraging termites and provide peace of mind. Give us a call and we’ll take care of you right away.

Photo credit: Crazy Creatures / Foter / CC BY-ND