In this article, we’ll be giving you tips on how to tell if you have termites in your walls.
Your walls are an important part of your home, both in and out. You spend a decent amount of time and money to keep it looking good, but what happens when things start to fall apart?
Termites are among the few insects that can do considerable damage to your walls, but how do you know the damage is caused by termites?
Keep reading!
10 Signs Of Termites In Walls
Termites in general are very destructive insects. They chew through wood, clothing, and books. They also have a very hard and painful bite that can leave a sore on the skin. These bites can also cause certain kinds of irritations.
These pests are known crawlers, and they can travel significant distances in search of food or shelter. Among the surfaces which they crawl on include your walls.
They don’t just crawl by, they do some damage and leave some signs along the way. These signs are very noticeable, some more than others.
The first step in the fight against termite infestation is actually being able to determine their presence.
Below, we will list out signs that you have termites creeping into your walls.
Bubbles In Paint
As termites crawl through painted walls constantly, their activities can leave small punctures in the paint. These punctures will allow an inflow of air and this will cause bubbles or swellings to appear in your wall paint.
Termites have very strong jaws that can rip through the wood, so a few layers of paint won’t be much of a challenge to them. In the search for food or shelter, termites can chew through the paint to see what they can find.
The size of these bubbles will be determined by the intensity of termite activities across the wall.
It could be that the paint you used is of low quality, so it could puncture on its own, even without termite activities. Nonetheless, it remains a strong sign that you have termites in your walls.
Lines On Dry Walls
Once again, termites can bore through papers on drywalls in search of food or nesting spots. In the process, they will have to travel several distances.
Boring under the surface of these wallpapers will leave a faint line trail, which won’t usually be in a straight form. If you see several lines of a faint nature across your drywall surfaces, then that’s a pointer that you’ve got termites in them.
There is only one way to be sure of this, and that’s by ripping off the wallpaper to see for yourself.
Peeling Paint
Similar to the paint bubbles that can be caused by termites in your walls, the paint could also start peeling off.
Some paint products help repel termites, but if the paint you have on your walls does not have these repelling qualities, then it won’t be able to withstand the termite activity.
Several patches of peeled-off wall paint could also be an indicator that there are termites in your walls.
When you notice this sign, then it’s time you scrape off the old paint, exterminate the termites, and paint over the wall again. This time with paint that has better termite repelling ability.
Your Walls Become Hollow
Walls are usually thick on the inside when they are built. When you tap on them, there should be no signs of hollowness. On the other hand, if you notice that there are a few hollow spots around your walls, then it could be the termites at work.
If your home is high in humidity, then it would be easier for the termites to bore through, especially if the walls are made of cheap, non-durable materials.
Unstable Baseboards
If you or your contractor did a good job of sturdily installing the baseboards on your walls, then they should remain sturdy at all times.
If you start noticing a lean on either side of the baseboard, then it has become unstable. The weakness of the wall could be the reason for this, and termite activity could be the major cause of this as a whole.
An unstable baseboard will not hold up well under any sort of pressure, be it when you place a weighty item on it, or you place your hands on it. If the pressure is sustained, then it could fall off the walls.
It could also be that the termites in your walls have damaged the baseboard itself since it is closely positioned by the wall. Whatever the case, a weak or leaning baseboard is a very obvious sign that you have termites in your walls.
Hollow Wood
If your walls are predominantly made of wood or have a significant amount of wood on them, then termites would love to chew through them.
If you notice one or two termites around your wooden walls and you suspect they might be inside, then a simple way to find out is by tapping on the wood.
If there are no termites inside, then you will feel the thickness when you tap on it. On the other hand, if the wood gives off a hollow sound when you tap, then you can be sure that the hollowness was caused by termites and their wood chewing habits.
Wood Dust On The Floor
Termites can do a great deal of damage to wooden walls over a period of time. You may not notice it the day the damage begins, but in due time you will start to notice the signs of termite activity in your wooden walls.
One such signs are wood dust on the floor. When termites bore through wood, they do not bother cleaning up afterward. Hence, you will find wood dust on your floors.
These appear in small heaps and you can find more than one heap of wooden dust as a result of termite activity.
Small Piles Of Termite Wings Near Your Walls
Swarming termites usually fly away from their old colonies in search of environments to start new colonies. They could also migrate for the sake of avoiding the harsh winter cold.
If your home provides a warm and conducive environment for them, then they could make their way in and started to explore several nesting options. One such option includes the cracks and crevices in your walls.
If the swarmer termites make their way in, they would eventually shed their wings and begin new colonies right inside the walls.
These wing droppings will be left on the floor close to the walls. If you find a couple of shredded wings along with the floors, pick them up and study them to be sure they are actually termite wings.
If after careful observation you discover that the wings are indeed termite wings, then you can be sure the swarmer termites have begun building a new colony in your walls.
Noise From Within The Walls
You may not know this, but termites are very noisy eaters, the worker termites especially. Besides making noises when they chew through wood, they also make clicking sounds when they bump into each other as they move.
The sounds are very faint, so you may not be able to tell when there are other noises around.
If you find fee termites around your home, but can’t quite figure out where they have nested, then listening closely to the sounds coming from inside your walls is a good way to discover them.
To be certain, turn off your television, radio, or music player to ensure the entire house is silent. This will help you pick up the faintest sounds when you place your ear to the wall and take a good listen.
If you listen closely and you notice slight clicking or munching sounds coming from inside your walls, then you can be sure there are termites in there.
Closing your windows and doors to block off external sounds is another step you can take to detect termite sounds inside your walls.
Stiff Doors And Windows
Humidity and other temperature changes can cause your windows and doors to become stiff at the hinges and harder to open or close. But that’s not all that can cause stiffness, because termite activities along your door or window frames can do the same.
Termites produce moisture when they chew through wood, and this can also cause the doors and windows to warp, hence becoming tougher to open or close.
If there are termites are positioned by the walls near your door or window frames, then they will surely make their way in and bore through.
Conclusion
Termites can love crawling through concealed spaces and they don’t mind creating those spaces themselves if there are none available. Hence they can bore through wall paint and wooden walls.
We trust this article on how to tell if you have termites in your walls has been helpful.