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

There are many ways you might detect termites on your Del Rio property. You may cut into a termite-infested tree and see thousands of termite workers crawling around on the inside. You may do a renovation and find evidence of termite damage hidden inside walls, floors, or ceilings. You might get lucky and find hundreds of winged termites inside your home or business—no tree trimming or renovations required. Often, property owners discover termites in an obvious way, like one of these examples, and seek out Del Rio pest control for assistance. Some choose to take care of termite problems with DIY termite treatments. We don't recommend taking on termite control yourself because there are many ways control products can fail when misapplied. We also don't recommend waiting until you see an obvious warning sign of termite activity. If you wait, you risk having these insects do lots of damage to your property. Join us as we look at detecting signs of termites in your yard, how concerned you should be if you find them, the challenges of DIY termite control in Del Rio, and the best solution for termite control.  

When you see hundreds of termites, you know you are in trouble. The problem is that you're not likely to see hundreds of termites. You are far more likely to see just a few of them. The problem property owners in Del Rio have is that they don't recognize termites when they see them. It's true. Termite identification isn't as easy as you might think.

Worker Termites: If you were to look at a picture of a termite on the internet, you'd easily know it was a termite. Termites are recognizable insects. So, why is it hard to detect them in your yard? There are a few reasons:

• Termite workers are only 1/8 of an inch long. That is surprisingly small. You may not give them a second glance when you see termites.
• Termite workers look a little bit like ants. You may shrug them off as little, pale-colored, fat ants.
• There are a lot of insects in the world. When you pick up a dead branch, you won't be surprised to find something crawling on it, and you may not care to know what those little critters are.

It is hard to truly understand the difficulty of detecting termite workers, even after reading the reasons given above, but you'll quickly understand when you see worker termites and recognize them for the first time on your property. They're easy to overlook.  

Winged Termites: You likely know that winged termites are called swarmers and that swarmers have long white wings that hang past the abdomen of a termite swarmer. When you see a group of these in your yard, you won't wonder what they are. But only one landing on your skin may go unnoticed.

• A termite swarmer is only 3/8 of an inch in length. Like the worker termite, a swarmer can be hard to recognize because it is so small. You may not immediately notice its long white wings that stack on its back and have rounded tips. 
• There are lots of insects that can land on you while you're in your yard. You probably brush them away most of the time without paying much attention to them.
• You may know termite swarmers to be entirely black, but some species are orangish-yellow.

Do you see the challenge? It is wise to look closely at the bugs you see in your yard. They might be worker or swarmer termites.

Another clear sign of termite activity on your property is termite damage, but don't hold your breath looking for the damage termites do. Termites have a strong aversion to light sources and dry air. You'll need to look for signs of termite damage. 

• Hollow timbers. When termites feed on the inside of wood, sound timbers will sound hollow when you tap on them. 
• Honeycomb dents. When drywood termites feed on baseboards, window and door frames, and other hardwood sources, you may notice tiny dents.
• Water damage. Termites could be to blame when you see walls bulging, ceilings dipping down, and floors sinking. 
• Splintering. In humid or damp spaces, you might see wood splintering. 
• Frass. Drywood termites produce frass. You might find this material leaking out of gaps and cracks. 
• Mud. Subterranean termites create shelter tubes out of soil and saliva and also use this material to patch holes in tunnel walls. When you find wood that has mud on it, there may be subterranean termite workers inside.

When you find warning signs of termites on your property, is it time to contact a certified professional? Should you be worried about seeing only one or two termites or a minimal amount of damage?  

The Extent Of Damage Termites Can Cause To Your Property

It is wise to take notice of tiny, pale-colored bugs. If you see even a single termite worker on your property, it is a warning sign of an infestation. Termites encroach. They don't pass through your property. They move into your property and create nests as they go, and due to their sneaky behavior, you can have a million worker termites in your yard and not know it.

When you see a winged termite, you should know it is a reproductive termite. The goal of reproductives is to create new nests. So, if you already have a termite nest, you're about to have more.

We can't tell you how much damage termites can do to your Del Rio property. All we can do is share the facts with you.

• Termites commonly hide from view.
• Termite workers can travel a hundred yards in search of food sources.
• When termites find food, they often create satellite nests near the source.
• Worker termites feed on more than one food source at a time. They can damage your home even as they feed on a pile of dead branches in your yard.
• Worker termites are persistent. They will keep coming and coming.
• More than one colony can feed on your property at the same time.
• Colonies keep replicating. You're going to have more and more nests.
• Homes with pressure-treated wood are not immune to termite damage. Water damage can allow termites to access protected wood sources.
• As your home ages, it becomes more susceptible to termite damage.

Given these facts, what should you do to protect your property? Should you buy some termite control products and treat your own property? Let's look at the challenges.

Do-It-Yourself Termite Control Is A Waste Of Time And Money

Termite control is not only hard work; it is hard work you may do and still have termite damage your property. We believe this is the worst outcome. It is far better to have a certified termite control professional handle your termite protection from the start. When you do termite control yourself, here are a few ways things can go unexpectedly.

• Some products don't work as promised. The best products are the ones tested in laboratories and universities. These have the research to prove their claims. 
• Termites may go around your products. Worker termites can detect dangerous materials. As they groom each other, they detect these materials and avoid contaminated areas. 
• Weather conditions can cause termite products to become inert. Moisture and heat both have a role to play. 
• When installing a termiticide barrier, you might damage your property. Professionals rarely damage property and are insured for damage if it occurs. 
• Termiticides can wear out over time. While it takes years for termiticides to break down and provide an opening for termites to get through, you're likely to own your property for more than five years. At some point, you're going to need to re-treat. 
• If you don't have the training or equipment to perform proper termite inspections, you won't be able to evaluate the success of your treatments. Professionals use field-tested methods and leverage their training and experience to find the subtle signs of termite infestation. 

Real estate is a significant investment. It is best to guard your property with termite protection you can trust.   

The Most Effective Termite Control Solution For Your Property

If you are in Del Rio, contact Gold Star Exterminators to arrest termite activity and to put termite protection in place. Our pest control technicians perform inspections to correctly identify whether you have drywood termites or subterranean termites and apply appropriate treatment protocols. Once your property is termite-free, we will work to keep it that way. Our technicians are trained professionals who know how to properly trench, drill, and apply treatment products. We support these treatments with annual inspections and a termite guarantee. Your termite guarantee will be for one year, but you can extend it for up to five years after the first.

At Gold Star Exterminators, we take the guesswork out of termite control and prevention. Let our experienced, certified technicians take care of termites for you. Life has enough surprises, don't you think? Why let termites surprise you with costly damage? Reach out to us today for assistance. We're here to help.

Gold Star has been spraying our house for a few years now and I can't express how much it has helped.  I was spraying Demon WD myself and barely made an impact on the scorpions and spiders.  after they started doing it, we have very few sightings now.  Great company.

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