It's a good idea to have your home inspected for termites, especially if your neighbors have reported problems with the insects. Termites can do a lot of damage, so it's best to inspect for them occasionally to make sure they're not quietly destroying your home.
You can hire a termite control company to look for signs of termite activity, termite damage, and things that attract termites around the exterior and interior of your home. Here's how a termite inspection might be done.
An Inspection Is Comprehensive
A termite inspection might take several minutes to a couple of hours depending on the size of your house and the environment outdoors. Be sure to clear clutter first so every room in your home is accessible to the termite inspector. They'll check for termites manually and they might use various types of equipment to check behind your walls for termite activity.
Termite inspections may be done differently by different termite control companies, so ask the exterminator to explain how they'll do the inspection so you understand what's going on.
The Termite Inspector Looks For Signs Of Activity
The inspector checks for all kinds of termites that are active in your area. This might include Formosan, dampwood, drywood, and subterranean termites. Each of these types of termites has its own behaviors, so the inspector has to check a variety of places in your home. They'll look for wings, bodies, mud tunnels, droppings, and damaged wood.
The inspector may need to drill tiny holes in the wall or push a screwdriver or other tool through to test the wall for damage. They'll need to check your entire house from the foundation up to the attic since termites might be found in any room of your house.
They Also Look For Problem Areas
A termite inspection often comes with an assessment of your home that lets you know where problem areas are located. These areas attract termites or make it possible for them to invade your home. Problems might include cracks in your foundation, a leaky roof, a tree stump rotting in the yard, wood stacked near your home, and plumbing leaks.
Once you know where problem areas are, you can take steps to correct them so you can reduce the risk of termites invading. If termites are found during the inspection, the inspector can recommend treatments to eliminate them and prevent them from coming back.
They might suggest bait stations, liquid treatments around the foundation, or both. Depending on the type of termites you have, treatments may be applied inside or outside of your house. A bad infestation might even require tenting your home to eliminate the pests.
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