Identifying Termites: Spot Them Before They Bring Your House Down

While other pests can be a challenge, only termites can bring the house down around your ears (or at least cost you a hefty amount of renovations) due to their appetite for wood. Unfortunately, they can be difficult to find until it is too late. You are more likely to encounter termite damage before you see the termites themselves! Also, they can be difficult to identify because they’re tiny and look like ants. So, how can you identify these critters, both from the damage done to your house and from what they physically look like?

1. Check your wood for small holes and galleries. See if you can find galleries, or tunnels in the wood when looking for termite damage and the accompanying hungry termites. Often you will also find small holes. You may see subterranean termites damage near or under the ground level of your house. Or, if you're snooping around your attic, you may see dry wood termite damage at the tree-line of your house.
2. Look out for swarms! Termites swarm in the warmer months of November and December. During this time, they come to the surface in droves during their mating season. How can you tell the difference between swarming termites and swarming ants? Swarming termites drop their wings after they land in search of a mate. If you see wings on your windowsill after a swarm, it was termites!
3. Differentiate between ants and termites. Have you found a bug that you think might be a termite? Here’s a description of the physical difference between ants and termites. Termites detect what's going on around them with straight antenna, different from an ant's bowed antenna. If you can, try looking deep into their eyes. Ants gaze back with regular compound eyes, but termites won't be able to; they don't have any eyes. A careful observer will also notice that ants have a pinched “waist” with a pointed abdomen, while termites have a long straight body with a blunt abdomen.
4. Consider where you live. If you live in a hotter climate, it’s more likely you’ll deal with termites. So, if you’re on the east coast, in the cities of Sydney, Brisbane, Cairns, or Adelaide, you might want to go snooping for termite galleries in your basement and attic!
5. Ask a pest control professional. Remember, termites can cause serious damage to your home. If you’re not sure whether it’s termites or not, it’s better to be safe than sorry!

Dependable Pest Control are termite control experts. We inspect houses in Sydney for termites and provide safe and effective termite control solutions.