Termites strike fear in the hearts of homeowners for good reason, they are well known for dining on wood and significantly damaging the structural wood of homes and other buildings. And while that in itself is scary, the really scary thing about termites is that it can sometimes take weeks, months, or even years for a termite infestation to be discovered. At Active Pest Control we want to help make sure that your property isn’t taken over by these silent invaders by providing you with some information about them, the signs of a termite infestation, and what to do if you do discover termites in your home.

The most common species of termite found invading homes is the subterranean termite. As their name suggests they spend most of their life underground, and if they aren’t underground they are most likely on the inside of a piece of wood-feeding. The colony is divided up into three different castes each with their own job to do; workers, soldiers, and reproductives. Subterranean termites prefer to invade and feed on wood that has been previously damaged by water and will often accidentally enter into homes as they are searching for food sources.

The biggest threat from termites is that they are so difficult to notice. They could be living, feeding, and damaging the wood in your home for a long time before you finally start to notice that you have unwanted guests in your home. Active Pest Control’s termite experts want to provide you with some common termite signs to help you identify a termite infestation sooner than later.

Signs of a termite infestation include:

• Finding mud tunnels that are about the width of a pencil running toward your home just underneath of the ground.
• The walls in your home appear to be blistered or warped and sound hollow when tapped upon.
• A large infestation that has been active for a period of time will results in doorways, floors, and ceilings becoming warped.
• Finding piles of wings underneath of doors and windows left behind by swarming termites.

If you have discovered that termites have chosen your home to invade it is important to know that you are not alone. In fact termites are responsible for over 5 billion dollars’ worth of damages to homes all across the United States. And while termites are bad news, there is good news, the termite experts at Active Pest Control can quickly and safely eliminate termites from your Tennessee home through the use of the environmentally friendly Sentricon® System.

The Sentricon® system works by placing stations around your property that are filled with a specially developed bait. The workers are attracted to this bait even more so than the wood that they find so tasty. The workers bring the bait, along with a death sentence back to the colony. The bait works to effectively kill all the kings, queens and all other members of the colony. It’s that simple, no digging, trenching, or harsh chemicals needed! The bait stations can then be routinely monitored by our technicians so that future problems with termites will not be an issue for you or your home!

For more information about termites, the Sentricon® System, or how the termite experts at Active Pest Control can help eliminate an infestation, call Active Pest Control today!