Termites In North Texas Can Be Hard To Tackle Alone

Ants have a pinched waist, resembling a wasp, but a termite's body is long, narrow, and oval. If you get a close enough look, you'll notice that ants have bent or elbowed antennae, but a termite's antennae are straight. If you have 1/8-inch, creamy-colored, or dark brown winged insects with bodies with uniform width in the window sills or spider webs, you have termites in the house. 

Around April and May in North Texas, winged reproductive termites pair off as a future queen and king and leave the nest. Typically, they exit after a heavy springtime rain and when temperatures rise. You will see the swarms around lights in the early morning or evening. When a flying pair of termites land, their wings fall off, and they look for a moist area to shelter and create a nest. Discarded wings similar in size to window sills and spider webs indicate you have termites in your house (Ant wings are not uniform in size). 

Are there other signs of termites if it is not spring and you don't see termite swarmers around your property? Yes. Although subterranean termites are elusive, that does not mean they don't leave visible signs. Because this termite species often eats the wood supporting your home, look for the following:

• Sagging floors: As the termites whittle away at the floor joists, gaps may form between the baseboard and the floor. 
• Warping doors and frames: As structural parts of the home weaken, you may notice the doors and windows are not operating correctly. 
• Crunching sounds: If you hear cracking sounds while you walk across the floor, it may be wood starting to give way.
• Collapsing structures: After several years of boring through support beams, front porches and decks may collapse. 

If you crawl under the house to investigate for termite damage, start with water-damaged wood with mildew growths. Fungi release an odor that attracts termites because the fungi provide nitrogen when consumed along with the other nutrients from the cellulose in the wood. Push on the water-damaged wood with a screwdriver or your finger; if the wood crumbles or dents, it is likely infested with subterranean termites. Tapping on the moist wood is another test for termites; if it sounds hollow, termites are probably eating on the inside. 

Subterranean termites eat wood to get nutrition; later, they release waste. The fecal output of subterranean termites has a sawdust appearance. As you investigate, look for sawdust-like piles of fecal matter outside small openings in the wood. 

Another sign of termites inside your house is mud tubes. Subterranean termites live in the soil and quickly dehydrate with sun exposure; therefore, they construct mud tubes from their soil-based nest to the wood. If subterranean termites are present in the house, you will find these mud tubes in crawl space piers, utility entrances, and foundation walls or slabs. 

A termite inspection by Adams Exterminating Company is necessary because termites work underneath your feet in the dark recesses of the house. Unfortunately, when you see many of these signs manifest themselves, termites have likely caused a few thousand dollars in repairs.