Pests are gross, but they are more than just a major pain. Certain critters, especially wood-destroying insects, can actually compromise the structural integrity of your home. If enough of its structure gets eaten away, you are in serious trouble because there is a significant risk of collapse. To protect your investment, it is critical that you know the signs of termites, carpenter ants, or powder post beetles so that you can call in the pros in a timely manner and avoid the need for extremely expensive structural restoration work.
Distorted Wood and Visible Damage
When you notice changes in the wood itself, this is a clear sign that you are contending with pests. Termites, which consume wood from the inside out, often leave behind something called “hollow spots.” To see if this is the case in your home, tap on a piece of wood, such as wood beams or framing. If it sounds dull or papery instead of solid, the inner structure has probably been eaten away. This is a serious issue because the wood can no longer support its load.
Additionally, look for mud tubes on foundation walls or floor joists; because subterranean termites use these small tunnels to travel between their colony in the soil and their food source, which is the wood that makes up the structure of your home, they are a definite indicator of an active infestation. Another sign is buckling floors or ceilings and doors or windows that suddenly stick, which are often the result of weakened, sagging structural elements that can no longer hold their original shape. Since these changes can be gradual, you might not notice them until the damage is severe.
Frass, Droppings, and Other Debris
Insects always leave behind waste and byproducts that give away their location no matter how well they try to hide. Frass is a fancy name for the fine, sawdust-like material that certain wood-boring pests, especially carpenter ants, push out of their tunnels. Unlike termites, carpenter ants do not actually eat wood. They chew through it to create nests, and they expel the wood shavings. You will usually find this frass in small piles near tiny holes in the wood or along baseboards, and it might even contain parts of dead insects.
Pest droppings are another dead giveaway that you have an infestation. For instance, drywood termites leave behind tiny, six-sided fecal pellets that look like coarse grains of sand. If you find these small piles of debris, which are definite proof of nesting activity, you are in major trouble. At this point, the infestation has moved past simple foraging, and the pests are actively living and breeding inside of the structure of your home.
You want to address these issues quickly because ignoring them means the pests will continue to eat away at your house’s support system, making restoration more complicated and costly. And if the problem persists long enough, your home can require tens and thousands of dollars to make it safe for you to remain there. As soon as you notice any of these warning signs, call United Water Restoration for reconstruction services in Charlotte, NC, and we will help you restore your home so that it remains strong for years to come.
