Pasadena Termite Control: Essential Tips for Homeowners

Do you own a home in Pasadena? There's a good chance you’re worried about a possible termite infestation. These wood-eating pests are extremely common in homes, neighborhoods, and businesses and extremely dangerous to both our families and our bottom lines.

There are three different species found in Pasadena: subterranean termites, drywood termites, and dampwood termites. Not only can all three cause significant damage, but all three remain active throughout the year. Before you start panicking about termite activity, you should know there are ways to control its spread near your home. By identifying warning signs and using the right preventative techniques, you can easily create a barrier around your home that keeps pests out for good.

But how do you keep termites out of your Pasadena home? And what do you do if they start getting too close for comfort?

This article dives into everything you should know about treating termites around your home. We'll cover the signs of termite activity and explore how quickly damage can escalate when left unattended. By protecting your property, applying specific products, and partnering with the right pest control company, you can keep your property safe from termites in Pasadena virtually all year round.

Here's what you need to know about termite activity, beginning with how to identify their presence in or around your home.

Identifying Termite Activity: Key Signs to Watch For

We know termite infestations in Pasadena quickly go from bad to worse. That's because these insidious invaders are almost impossible to catch in their earliest stages. Not only are they completely silent and excellent at staying hidden, but they also know how to infest less trafficked areas and avoid detection by you or your family.

That doesn't mean they're impossible to find, though. Far from it! There are ways you can identify unwanted termite activity before their numbers swell to an impossible size.

For example, you can keep an eye out for the following:

• Discarded Wings: Sexually mature alates, known as termite swarmers, shed their wings after finding a mate and begin colonizing an area. If you find small, transparent wings near windowsills or doors, you may have a termite infestation developing nearby.
• Mud Tubes: Subterranean termites build protective mud tunnels so they can safely travel from their food source (household wood) to their underground colony. You might find these pencil-sized tubes along your property's foundation or running up or down the basement walls.
• Hollow-Sounding Wood: Termites consume wood from the inside out, leaving a hollow shell behind. If your wooden structures sound hollow when tapped, you may be facing an established termite infestation.
• Visible Damage: Although termites are elusive creatures and difficult to stop, they can still leave visible damage in your wood or drywall. You may start to notice bowing walls or sagging ceilings. Over time, doors and windows may begin to stick thanks to the warping of the wooden frames.
• Frass or Termite Droppings: Drywood termites leave behind sawdust-like droppings that collect near walls and baseboards. Sometimes referred to simply as frass, these droppings resemble tiny, ridged, wood-colored pellets. Spotting these near your wooden structures could be a warning sign of an infestation.

If you think or know that any of these termite warning signs are present near your Pasadena home, you need to schedule an immediate inspection to get to the bottom of the issue. Thankfully, you can rely on the team at Accutech Pest Management to perform a termite inspection on your behalf. Give us a call to set up an appointment at a time that's convenient for you.

Understanding Termite Damage: Why Timely Action is Crucial

So you know there's a termite infestation brewing near your home. Do you really need to be concerned about your safety, or can you wait for the problem to go away on its own?

As much as we'd love to believe that termites would move on our behalf, the truth is that these unwanted invaders are extremely difficult to move without 'encouragement.' Some termite infestations can survive for years without disturbance, leaving a trail of destruction throughout your property and risking the value of your home.

It also doesn't take long for termite damage to spiral out of control. Termites can breed relatively quickly, which means infestations can double or even triple in size over the course of a few years.

Larger termite colonies lead to larger amounts of wood destruction. A single colony can grow up to 60,000 members, eating through as much as five grams of wood per day and up to four pounds of wood per year.

This level of destruction can wreak havoc on the structure of your home. Sagging ceilings, warped walls, and stuck window frames are just a few of the most common concerns, although serious issues with electrical wiring, plumbing systems, and foundation damage may also occur.

The longer you wait to address termite issues, the more expensive they can be to fix. That's why the best way to protect your property from termite activity is to nip it in the bud with termite prevention tips.

Let's take a closer look at the steps you can take to defend your Pasadena home.