How Do You Know If There Are Termites in Your Home?

Some of the common signs of termite damage and infestation are mud tubes on walls, discarded termite wings, hollow sounding timber, timber swelling (which makes it hard to open the door or window) and brown-coloured termite droppings. 

How do you know if termites are present? 

Those are signs only and they may not guarantee the presence of termites. Also, the absence of those signs doesn’t necessarily mean that there’s no termite infestation in your home. Perhaps it’s too early to tell and see those signs or that termite damage is not yet extensive for anyone to notice. It’s also possible that for now, termite infestation happens only at inaccessible areas (roof voids, subfloor spaces). 

As a result, you cannot count on clear signs to confirm your suspicion. Those signs are not enough because when you’re not seeing any of them, you won’t take any action to get rid of them. And when the signs indeed appear later, it might be already too late because of the costly damages the termites have already caused. 

If you want to save your home from expensive repairs resulting from termite damage, a timely termite inspection is essential. This inspection will include a detailed assessment of your home’s roof voids, subfloor areas and other spaces with timber. To carry out this inspection and confirm termite presence, professionals will determine the timber density with the use of physical sounding tools and moisture meters. Professionals will also use other tools and methods to verify the presence of termites and the level of infestation.  

After the inspection, there will be a comprehensive report that details the site’s conditions as well as recommendations on what to do next. These recommendations may include initial chemical treatments and non-chemical methods (such as installing a physical barrier for long-lasting protection). Once those recommendations are implemented, the home is now better protected against termite damage and infestation. 

However, termites might still come back or find new ways to get into the home’s structural timber. As a result, termite inspection and treatment becomes an ongoing process. More appropriately, it’s called termite management as it requires sustained effort and regular monitoring. The termite management plan may include annual inspections and permanent solutions that discourage termite activity. This is vital in protecting homes from costly termite damages and maintaining the property’s high value.