What To Do If You Spot Signs Of Termites On Your Roseville Property

Some pests are capable of spreading disease, bacteria, or just being a nuisance – but only one type of pest can wrack up thousands of dollars in property damage: termites. Since termites can go undetected for years at a time, it’s not a good sign if you’re seeing signs of their presence in your Roseville home. 

Here’s what Roseville homeowners should know about the types of termites and damage they cause, why they infest homes, what attracts them, and the benefits of using professional pest control in Roseville. 

How To Identify Termites And Their Damage

Because the signs of termites tend to be subtle, it’s important for homeowners to know what to look for, such as:

• Swarmers: Perhaps the biggest sign of a termite problem is spotting termite swarms on your property. During their mating season, termites swarm in large groups when looking for a mate. You may see these flying termites, but it’s more likely that you’ll see the signs left behind from a termite swarm, like their discarded wings.
• Frass: Termite droppings, also called frass, tend to resemble sawdust or coffee grounds since a termite’s diet primarily consists of wood. You may find frass piled close to baseboards, windows, or doors.
• White ants: While termites and ants can look quite similar in size, their coloring varies. If you see light or even white-colored “ants” near your home, they may actually be termites.
• Mud tubes: Subterranean termites create mud tubes near the foundation of your home.

Besides identifying the signs of termites, what do termites look like? Here’s how you can identify termites, and what the most common kinds of termites in Roseville look like:

• Subterranean termites: Subterranean termites are the most common type of termite in the country and in California. These termites prefer to live underground and can have a coloring that ranges from off-white to dark brown. Living underground can also make them harder to spot since the signs are less noticeable. Reproductive subterranean termites are larger, brown or black, and are the only type of termite that has wings. While worker termites are cream-colored or white and resemble small ants, the soldier termites are similar to the workers but with darker heads and more pronounced jaws.
• Drywood termites: Drywood termites don’t need constant access to moisture to survive, and they enjoy making their colonies above-ground in dry wood. These termites are creamy white to light brown and are especially known for their preference for drywall. Their soldier termites have large brown heads with armored jaws.
• Formosan termites: Sometimes called “super termites,” Formosan termites aren’t something you want in your Roseville home. Alates, or reproductive swarmers, only grow to be a little over 1/4 of an inch in length with pale yellow to brownish bodies and translucent wings covered in small hairs. Soldiers have more rounded heads than subterranean termites and lack teeth. Formosan termites are one of the more aggressive types of termites.

Drywood termites tend to be the easiest to catch in your home only because the signs are more obvious. A subterranean or Formosan termite infestation is more likely to go unnoticed for longer periods of time if you’re not getting annual inspections.