It’s getting warmer in Portland: flowers are blooming, parks are open, and you and your family are spending more time outside in nature. But with this warm weather, it isn’t just you and your family getting more active. In warmer weather, termites also become more active. Nicknamed “silent destroyers,” termites are estimated to do up to $5 billion in damage annually, and most of this occurs before homeowners even know they have a problem. Let’s learn a little more about termites, and how you can tell if you have a termite problem in your Portland, OR, home. 

The Good And The Bad

Termites get a bad reputation, and for good reason: they do massive amounts of damage to homes and property. Yet no one ever talks about the good termites do for the environment. Termites are actually great for the ecosystem. They decompose wood and plant material, turning it back to usable soil, which in turn helps new trees and plants grow. As for termites tunnel, they are providing natural aeration for the soil, making it easier for water and nutrients to get to the root systems of plants and trees.

While there are environmental positives, the over 2,000 species of termites in the world can also be a major problem. Termites live in colonies, and these colonies eat 24 hours a day, seven days a week. They can chew through your home’s foundation, walls, paint, and even wallpaper undetected, leaving your home in need of expensive repairs, or in worst-case scenarios, rendering it unsafe for you and your family.

Be Alert For Signs Of Termite Activity

As a homeowner, the best thing you can do for your home is to schedule yearly termite inspections. It is also important to be on the lookout for signs of termites in between inspections. If you catch an infestation early, you can prevent irreparable damage to your home or property. Signs of a termite infestation include the following:

• Mud tubes: Termites build these tunnel systems to get from their colony to their food source. These tubes are usually found on your home’s exterior walls or foundation, as well as hidden in crawl spaces and in the walls.
• Frass: Frass is a powder-like substance that resembles sawdust. It is actually termite excrement and can be found next to holes in the wood of your home.
• Swarmers: Swarmers are termites that expand the colony, and are sometimes confused for flying ants. A clear sign of swarmers in your home is discarded wings. Swarmers shed these wings when they find a mate and a place to establish a new colony.
• Changes to paint and interior wood: You should also be on the lookout for paint that looks bubbled or uneven, and wood that sounds hollow when you tap it.

Get Professional Help

As a homeowner, there is a lot that you can do yourself to prevent a termite infestation, but your best weapon in the fight against termites is professional help. At Kanga Pest Control, our trained, licensed, and professional pest control technicians can help with termite prevention or deal with a current infestation.

Here at Kanga Pest Control, we provide specialty termite prevention and treatment, which starts with a home inspection. After a thorough inspection, our technicians will recommend a pest treatment and prevention plan for your home, including termite control.

We back up our services with our Pest-Free Guarantee. This means that if we treat for termites or other pests and they return, we will come back at no additional cost and re-treat your home. On top of that, we will beat any competitors price by 5%, and offer any of our Portland area veterans a 10% discount. Here at Kanga Pest Control, we want to be your termite and pest control solution.