A termite infestation can be devastating to your home. You might get stung or live in constant fear of your children or pets getting hurt. Handling an invasion on your own is a bad idea as you will most likely make mistakes that could worsen the issue. For example, you may use too much pesticide, which can harm your health.
Here are ways a termite attack can impact your home.
Weakens Your Home's Structural Integrity
Termites can eat up the wooden structural beams of your house, which will compromise your home's structural integrity. The beams are responsible for adding strength to your house's structure and offering support underneath other heavy components of your home, like windows.
Once the beams become weak, your home can be at risk of falling, especially during harsh weather such as storms or heavy winds. Another worrying factor is that termites can breed quickly, making it easy for them to wreak havoc in your home. Also, termites are very good at hiding. They can sneak into your home and multiply quickly in dark and isolated places such as the basement or garage.
If you spot a few termites in your home, you should immediately call a pest control expert. Usually, termites live in colonies, and some members break away to form other communities. So, sighting a single group of termites means they have already spread through your home.
Repair Costs
Termites can cause severe damage to your home, leading to costly repairs. You may not quickly notice the damage until it's too late. The termites can make your home's wooden structures to rot, forcing you to renovate your home. Sometimes, you may have to replace your entire roof or ceiling.
As a preventive measure, you must watch out for termite invasion signs such as tunnels of mud in wooden structures, pieces of wings lying around, wood that sounds hollow when tapped, discolored drywall, peeling paint, and excessively squeaky floorboards.
Affect Your Home's Curb Appeal
Termites can affect your home's curb appeal. Whether it's your furniture, carpet, kitchen cabinets, or fence, termite damage can make your home less appealing. This problem may make your visitors uncomfortable, causing you embarrassment. You may also struggle to resell your home in the future. Potential buyers will be turned off by unsightly termite-damaged items such as furniture.
Besides affecting your home's curb appeal, termites can give off a weird moldy smell that will further discourage potential buyers interested in your home.
For more information, contact a company like Consumer Termite Control Inc.
Most pest infestations can quickly get out of hand if you do not address them. There is a reason people joke about "breeding like mice." You can go from having two mice in your home to having hundreds in a matter of weeks! When you think there are pests inside your home, you need to take control, and quickly. You take control by calling in a pest control professional. They can use a combination of trapping, poisoning, and cleanup methods to eradicate the pests. Learn more about these methods and about other pest control topics on this website, created to educate people like you about the pest control industry.