If you live in Alaska, you don’t have to worry about inspecting your home for termites. But, if you live in any of the other state, and especially if you live in California or the Southeast, you should do an annual inspection of your home. A home inspection is easy and not very time consuming, and it can save you thousands of dollars in home repairs.

Subterranean termites are the most common type of termites and they can be found in nearly every state. Drywood termites are usually found in the Southeast, and the Gulf and Southern California coast and dampwood termites are found along the coastal areas of Northern California and the Pacific Northwest. 

The main tools you need for your home inspection is a flash light and a screw driver. You may also want to bring along a notepad and pencil and a small gardening shovel as well.

The first sign of subterranean termites you should look for are mud tunnels along your foundation walls. If you have a slab you should look along the exterior of the foundation. If you have a crawl space foundation, you need to look along the exterior of your home’s foundation and inside along the crawl space walls and pillars. Subterranean termites live in colonies in the ground. In order for them to enter an above ground food source, such as your home, they construct mud tunnels to protect them from predators and dehydration during their journey. Mud tunnels are constructed of dirt and are about as thick as a pencil. If you find a mud tunnel, you can inspect it for activity by breaking off a one to two inch section of the tunnel and looking for termites. If termites are present, the tunnel is active. If you don’t find any termites, leave the tunnel as it is for one week and note where it was found. After a week, go back to the tunnel to see if it has been repaired. If the damaged tube has been repaired, the tunnel is active. If termites are found, you can place a few termites in a sealed jar for a termite specialist or your extension office county agent to properly identify. You want to know exactly which termite has infested your home because the Formosan subterranean termite is more destructive than other varieties.  

After you have checked for mud tubes and noted their locations, you should look for any wood that touches the ground. All wood, including treated lumber, that has contact with the soil must be inspected for termite activity. Check your home siding as well. The siding should be at least six inches above the soil. Other areas to check are porches, decks, and steps. Use your screw driver to probe the wood at or near ground level. If the wood is easily penetrated, it has been damaged by termites or other wood-destroying organism. You can also tap the wood with the end of the screw driver. With little effort, if the wood is infested, an indention will be made. If termites are active you can often find signs of feeding, such as dirt and mud inside the wood or small trails and holes in the center of the wood. If you have wood that touches the ground, this should be corrected as soon as possible because it can be an easy route for termites to infest your home.

Next you should look for and correct areas that hold moisture. Termites need moisture to survive. Make sure downspouts, water spigots, air condition lines, and low areas with improper drainage are corrected to move water away from your foundation. Also check for other food sources that you have around or near your home. Any wood on the ground invites termites to the surface. Woodpiles, mulch beds, tree stubs, fallen limbs, and landscaping timber are all potential food sources for termites. If you have these items, inspect them for termite activity by looking for mud tubes and by probing the wood. You can also sample the soil by digging small holes six to eight inches deep. Make sure you dig the holes 12 to 18 inches away from your foundation to leave any chemical barrier undisturbed.

Now, you are ready to inspect the inside of your home for termites and to identify and correct high-risk areas. Inside inspection is especially important if you have found mud tubes or other evidence of infestation on the outside of your home. Pay special attention to areas where you found the tubes on the outside. You should check floor boards, wallboard, wood trim around doors and windows, and wood in the attic. You can find mud tunnels inside your home as well. If mud tubes are found, you should inspect them the same way you did on the outside. You need to also search under kitchen and bathroom sinks for moisture caused by leaking faucets. Any areas in the house that retains moisture must be thoroughly inspected for signs of termite activity. Inspect the wood, by taping it with your screw driver. Also look for flight exit holes that are constructed to allow swarmers to fly out. The flight exit holes look like small mud packs protruding from one or more openings in the wood or mud tubes and are constructed just prior to swarming.

A home inspection is not difficult to do and it’s not very time consuming. With a little effort, you can correct problem areas that pose a risk for infestation or you can stop an existing problem from becoming much worse.

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