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Surprising Places Where Termites Will Hide in Your Home

Slide 40 Surprising Places Where Termites Will Hide

While they may look like ants, termites are the most destructive pests in the world, earning them the title, “Silent Destroyers”. This is due to their ability to chew through anything such as wood, flooring, electrical wiring, ceilings, windows, door frames, wall panels, and more.

Not only do they cause structural damages to properties and furniture, but exterminating the presence of termites can also prove to be costly, not to mention repairing your home. If they continue to invade your home undetected, termites can cause health risks such as: allergic reactions and asthma attacks

That said, termites often go undetected as they seek refuge in moist soil found around the outside of your home, where they spend most of their time searching for moisture or water-damaged wood to feed on. While their presence in your home is uncalled for, termites see no difference between the wood they find in nature and the ones used to build your home.

Once they find a way into your home, there is no knowing how big their colonies can be until you notice their presence in your house. In some cases, you will only realise that your home is suffering from termite infestation when there is significant or visible damage.

By the time you realise that they are there, you may have a severe termite infestation. Hence, never neglect the importance of noticing superficial damage caused by termites in your home – sagging floors and ceiling, and traces of dust. These are just some of the early signs of termites that you should not take lightly.

In this article, we explore places where termites will hide in your home including some of the most surprising places that you will never think of.

Places where termites will hide

Furniture

Most termites feed on wood, but drywood termites prefer to feed and nest in dry sources of wood, including your wooden furniture. This includes your headboards, sofas, and chairs with wooden frames.

Window and door frames

Unlike drywood termites, subterranean termites prefer softer wood to feed on. If your window and door frames are made of wood, chances are that termites will seek refuge in them. More so if these areas are constantly exposed to moisture due to water damage or other causes.

Walls

While it may seem unlikely that termites will infest the walls of your house, it is worth noting that nothing is impossible for termites. Subterranean termites can infest the walls inside your home, especially in areas that offer moisture, such as those near the pipes.

Aside from these places, the choice of a certain home design and the feature can make your home susceptible to a termite infestation. This includes:

  • Houses built without pre-construction termite treatment
  • Use of untreated lumber in property development
  • Poorly maintained home with high moisture and bad housekeeping habits
  • Use of wood materials for home interior and exterior
  • Houses with past termite infestations
  • Houses that have yet to be inspected by pest control professionals.

Now that you have learned about the places where termites will hide in your home, it is time to learn about the steps that pest control professionals like PestBusters take to handle termite infestation in homes.

Termite Inspection Method

Most pest control professionals will first inspect your home to understand the degree of termite infestation. From the outside of your house to the inside of your house including the furniture.

Once the termite inspection is completed, the pest control professionals will provide recommendations on the termite treatments available. However, if there is no sign of infestation, termite experts may advise you to be proactive in the termite prevention plan.

At PestBusters, we offer complete solutions to termite-proof structures as well as the most effective methods to exterminate termite colonies. Our inspection methods include:

  • Inspection – Visual inspection or Termatrac Detection Radar to detect active infestation on the walls, cracks, crevices, and any possible entry points.
  • Visual inspection – Inspect for mud trails or possible damages to wooden structures.
  • Microwave inspection – Use of a microwave to detect termite movement beneath parquet flooring or behind built-in furniture.

Termite Treatment Method

There are many ways for pest control professionals to treat a termite infestation in homes. At PestBusters, our strategies include:

  • Spot treatment whereby we only treat the infested area. After one week, we will return for a follow-up. If there is an active infestation, we will continue the treatment until there is no active infestation. However, there is no guarantee to this as the dusting may not be effective if there is a severe termite infestation.
  • Whole house inspection + treatment where we will inspect the whole house for signs of active infestation and treat areas where the infestation is detected. After one week, we will return for a follow-up visit to determine whether there is an active infestation. If so, we will continue the treatment until there is no active infestation.
  • Foaming treatment allows us to drill holes measuring 3-5mm into hidden areas and pump chemical substances into them. After two weeks, we will return for a follow-up.
  • Exterra Above Ground Baiting System is where baits are placed on the infested areas. Every 2 weeks, we will replenish the baits until the colonies are eradicated. This treatment may take longer, ranging from 2 to 6 months depending on the size of the colony.
  • Prodding treatment is where we inject chemicals along the base of the tree to eradicate any active termites in the tree. After two weeks, we will return for a follow-up.

With these inspection and treatment methods, you should not wait too long to contact us as you may prolong the chance of termite infestation in and around your house. Contact us at (+65) 6288 2828 or 24-hour response (+65) 9180 9990 or enquire online today for the total pest control services!