New Jersey homeowners face various types of pests that threaten to destroy their homes and yards. One of the most destructive is the termite, which is notorious for creating structural damage in local houses.
Precise Termite & Pest Control offers professional termite eradication and helps homeowners identify the types of termites they have to prevent future infestations.
What Do Termites Look Like?
Dozens of termite species exist in our world today, but they all have a somewhat similar appearance. Termites are typically between a quarter-inch and a half-inch long. They are white or light brown in color and have soft bodies, straight waists, and straight antennae.
Homeowners sometimes misidentify carpenter, flying, and fire ants as termites because of their appearance. To the untrained eye, termite damage can resemble the damage caused by powderpost beetles and carpenter bees.
Types of Termites to Know
Termite species can be broken down into several categories. For example, subterranean termites live in soil, build large nests, and cause most of the termite damage to New Jersey homes.
Next up are drywood termites, which prefer living in moist wood conditions outdoors and are, therefore, often less of a problem for New Jersey homeowners. They don’t need soil to survive; however, they love to feast on hardwood floors slowly and devastatingly in homes.
Meanwhile, Formosan termites are very destructive but less common in New Jersey than in other parts of the country.
Damage Caused by Termites
Regardless of the species, termites cause extensive damage to the structural integrity of buildings. Termites commonly take up residence in wall studs, support beams, ceiling joints, and household furniture. It is also possible for termites to inhabit non-wood materials of your home, such as metal siding and insulation.
Subterranean termite damage often resembles water damage because this species prefers soft wood and eats wood along the grain. Drywood termite damage results from tunnels the insects build inside walls and furniture, as these termites eat large sections of wood and chew against the wood grain.
Identifying Termite Damage Early
Termites frequently cause damage to a home’s floors, ceilings, siding, plaster, metal, and furniture. There are several tell-tale signs of termite damage, which is helpful since termites cause at least $5 billion in damage to American homes annually.
Here are some common signs of termite damage to look for:
- Buckling paint and tiny holes in the wood
- Weak and missing parts of wood structures
- Mud tubes where your home touches the ground outside (looks like clumpy lines in the soil)
- Fecal pellets near termite tunnels
- Termite wings near windows and doors
Professional Help with Termite Identification and Termite Extermination
If you notice any of these signs of damage or the presence of insects around your home that you’re unsure about, it’s time to call in the professionals.
Precise Termite & Pest Control is your local expert in New Jersey termites. We offer prompt, affordable, and reliable extermination services with excellent customer service and no pressure.
Identifying and eradicating termites on your own can be challenging, especially if you aren’t sure what to look for or haven’t dealt with an infestation before.
With termites, prevention is your best defense, and many homeowners don’t notice any pest activity until extensive damage is already done. Therefore, it’s smart to have our exterminators come to your home for a free inspection to assess your potential termite risks and plan ahead for them.
Please call us at 866-971-2847 or complete our online form to learn more about our inspections and termite extermination and prevention services.
