When termites make their way into your home, it’s nothing like a typical pest infestation—it’s more like a ticking time bomb. Termites multiply quickly and can cause serious damage to homes and other structures, eating away at the wood and causing thousands of dollars in repair costs. But how quickly can termites cause damage to your house? The answer may surprise you—read on to learn more.
Termites Can Destroy a Home in As Little as 1 Year
Termites are silent invaders, causing damage to homes by breaking down and eating anything that contains cellulose. While their favorite snack is wood, they also eat clothing, dung, mold, soil, and more.
How fast do termites eat wood? Often—especially in a place like Florida—termites make themselves at home in your yard. As they slowly expand their nest by digging tunnels, they move closer to your home, often entering by building mud tubes. Once inside, they’ll travel to all the wooden portions, eating away at the structure of your home. Most homeowners don’t notice the infestation until the damage has been done and fixing the problem costs thousands of dollars—if you’re lucky.
So, how long does it take for termites to do damage to your home? It partly depends on the colony’s size. The larger the colony, the more damage they can do. Here’s a rundown of the different types of termites that can infest your home, and how quickly they can do damage:
- Subterranean: The most destructive type of termite—and one of the most common throughout Florida—the subterranean termites typically live underground. As the colony matures, they can do significant damage, destroying a home’s structure in five to 6 years. The Formosan termite is one type of problematic subterranean termite, and they reproduce so rapidly that they can destroy a home in as little as one year.
- Drywood: Although drywood termites damage much more slowly than their subterranean counterparts, but they’re still a problem for many Florida homeowners. They have smaller colonies and like to infest dry wood in attics, walls, furniture, floors, supporting beams, and more.
Signs of a Termite Infestation
Every property owner should be vigilant against termites. Often, the early signs of termite damage are subtle or unnoticeable to start. Often, homeowners don’t notice the presence of termites until it’s too late and major damage has occurred. By being proactive and inspecting your property, you can catch a termite infestation early. If you’re seeing any of the following early signs of a termite infestation in your house, call the termite control experts at Evergreen Lawn and Pest Control – Debary right away:
- Discolored or drooping drywall
- Mud tubes leading to/on your home
- Peeling paint when no water damage has occurred
- Swarmer termites and discarded wings
- Tiny pinpoint holes in drywall
Call Evergreen Lawn and Pest Control at the First Sign of Termites
If you suspect termites have invaded your home, time is not on your side. The longer you wait to deal with a termite problem, the more damage can be done to your home. Call the termite control experts at Evergreen Lawn and Pest Control – Debary right away at (407) 880-6655. Our industry-leading termite control treatments are non-toxic to humans and pets while protecting your property for a minimum of five years. Call today!