prevent termites Archives | Northwest Exterminating

The Hidden Cost of Drywood Termites: How These Pests Can Damage Your Tennessee Home’s Value

May 15, 2025 | Termite Control

Drywood termites may be small, but their impact on Tennessee homes can be massive. These pests burrow deep into wood, causing hidden structural damage that weakens your property and reduces its market value. Left unchecked, they can lead to costly repairs, hurt resale prospects, and threaten your home’s health. Here’s how to protect your investment.

Why Drywood Termites Are a Problem

Unlike subterranean termites, drywood termites don’t need soil to survive. They infiltrate timber in walls, floors, and furniture, often going undetected until damage is severe. The long-term consequences include:

Structural Damage: Compromised beams and joists create hazards.
Lowered Value: Homes with damage or infestation histories struggle during appraisals and sales.
High Costs: Repairs and treatment expenses can skyrocket if infestations are ignored.

Top Signs of A Drywood Termite Infestation

Detecting drywood termites early can save you thousands. Watch for:

Hollow Wood: Tapping reveals empty interiors.
Droppings: Pellet-shaped frass near affected areas.
Discarded Wings: Swarmers shed these near doors or windows.
Pinholes and Cracks: Small holes or warped wood indicate hidden damage.

How to Protect Your Home From Drywood Termites

Preventative measures are your best defense. Follow these steps:

Inspect Regularly: Check wood for damage, especially in attics and furniture.
Seal Gaps: Close cracks in wood, windows, and vents where termites enter.
Control Moisture: Use dehumidifiers and fix leaks to reduce humidity.
Opt for Treated Materials: Renovations with termite-resistant wood protect your home.

Eco-Friendly Termite Control

For a greener solution to infestations, try:

Boric Acid or Orange Oil: Natural, effective treatment options.
Green Pest Control Services: Professional treatments that prioritize well-being and sustainability.

Protect Now, Save Later

Don’t underestimate the cost of inaction. Drywood termites threaten your Tennessee home’s value and overall health. Act early to spot infestations, prevent damage, and keep your property market ready. Consult pest control professionals to ensure your home remains a secure and termite-free investment.

Ready to get started? Give us a call or click the button below for your FREE termite control quote!

Can Termites Come Back After Termite Treatment?

Feb 10, 2023 | Termite Control

Termites are so destructive because they eat wood from the inside out, often going long periods of time before they are discovered. For this reason, annual termite inspections are critical to protecting your home. These inspections help spot signs of termites sooner, allowing termite control to be implemented earlier in the termite infestation.

There are several different options when it comes to termite treatments. Here are four of the most popular:

Liquid-Soil Treatment

Liquid-soil termite treatments are applied to the soil around your home to act as a treatment barrier. They last for an average of 5 years. A trench is dug around the perimeter of your home, and liquid termiticide is applied. The trench is then filled in. This method helps to prevent future infestations while also killing any existing termites as they travel between your home and their nests.

Bait Treatments

Bait station treatments are another option for termite control. Bait stations are strategically placed around your home using this method. Each station contains a slow-acting termiticide that the termites take back to their nests and share with other termites. These treatments may take longer to work on termites. They also necessitate regular monitoring and maintenance to ensure that each station contains bait.

Wood Finishes

Wood treatments are an additional termite control option. These treatments make use of either surface sprays and treatments or injected sprays and foams. Wood treatments kill existing termites while also penetrating the wood to prevent future problems. These treatments necessitate direct access to infested wood, which can be difficult to obtain in some cases. Sprays are better for new construction treatments because the wood can be treated while the house is being built. Injected foams are better for use on existing structures because they can expand into cracks and crevices that sprays may not be able to reach.

Pre-Treated Materials

Pre-treated building materials are ideal for new construction. The termiticide can be sprayed or brushed on. Termiticide can also be applied anywhere the new structure comes into contact with the soil, allowing the soil to be pretreated. Using pressure treated wood is another option because termites are less likely to infest wood that has been treated with chemicals.

While these termite treatment options are efficient at eliminating existing infestations, unfortunately they do not provide permanent elimination of termites. There is always a risk that termites will return to invade again. Termite control is an ongoing process, requiring persistent maintenance and prevention techniques to continue to keep them out.

You can prevent termites by:

Getting rid of water sources by eliminating or reducing standing water around your home.
Repairing any leaky faucets, pipes, and air conditioners.
Diverting water away from your house with properly functioning spouts, splash blocks, and gutters that are clear of debris.
Repairing and replacing damaged roof shingles, fascia and soffits on your house.
Replacing weatherstripping on doors and windows.
Routinely inspecting foundations for loose mortar, uneven or bubbling paint, wood that sounds hollow when you tap it, and for the presence of mud tubes which termites use to reach food.
Regularly inspecting wood in and around your home for noticeable changes, making sure to check windows, doors, and skirting.
Making sure there is at least an 18″ gap between the soil and the wood portions of your home.
When storing items in the attic or basement, using plastic storage containers and metal shelving instead of cardboard or wood.
During swarming season, keeping doors and windows shut as much as possible. Keep outdoor lights turned off at night also, as they will attract swarming termites.
Keeping firewood stored at least 20 feet away from your home and elevated off the ground.
Keeping plants a few feet away from your home.
Making sure there is at least a 4″ barrier between your mulch and the side of your home. You can also use mulch made of rubber, plastic, or gravel.
Removing any tree stumps from your property.
Scheduling an annual termite inspection of your home and property to help detect termite problems early before they can cause significant damage.

Contact your local pest control company for a thorough evaluation.

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5 Ways to Avoid Termites in Coral Springs

Feb 6, 2023 | Florida Pest Control, Termite Control

South Florida Termite Control: Protecting Your Home From Infestation

Subterranean and drywood termite types are popular within the Coral Springs area, looking for homes for their next meal! Termites are year-round pests, making it essential for every South Florida homeowner to be on top of termite control. Check out the top 5 ways you can prevent termites from invading your home and causing billions of dollars in repairs!

Be Mindful of Stacked Wood

If you’re keeping wood stacked against your house, you could be leading termites right inside your home! Leaving woodpiles near your home is not only a great source of food for termites, but it also gives them a safe passage into your home. To avoid the risk of a termite infestation, don’t store any type of wood products in your crawlspace and stack your woodpiles at least 20 feet away from your home. For extra precautions, consider placing wood in a sealed plastic container with a lid and elevating it off the ground.

Repair Drainage

Termites need moisture to survive, and if there’s any improper drainage in or around your home, you create the ideal environment for them to thrive. Inspect your downspouts and divert water away from your home. Regularly check that your faucets and A/C drip lines are not causing water to pool around your foundation.

Remove Mulch & Debris

Did you know wood mulch is a major termite attractant? It’s true that wood mulch can be a great landscaping tool, but it is known to contain moisture that attracts termites. If you’re using mulch, keep it at least four inches away from your foundation. Likewise, make sure it never contacts the home’s siding, window frames, or door frames. Sometimes an overlooked reason for a termite infestation is clogged gutters. Clogged gutters containing debris will collect moisture, attracting termites. It’s important to remove debris and clean your gutters on a regular basis to avoid backup.

Maintain Landscaping

Trees hanging over your home and overgrown bushes can create the perfect shelter area for termites. These areas will often cause moisture to build up and provide an area to build their colony. Avoid termites utilizing your landscape by regularly maintaining it and keeping your trees and shrubs trimmed on a regular basis.

Regular Termite Inspections & Treatments

While the above can help make your home less attractive to termites, the best and most effective way to avoid termites is to do a home inspection and regular termite treatments. There are several termite treatment options, such as bait stations, liquid-soil treatments, and spray/foam treatments. It’s best to contact your local Coral Springs pest control company to provide you with a thorough termite inspection and recommended termite control plan that works best for your situation.

How Fast Do Termite Treatments Work?

May 5, 2022 | Termite Control

Termites cost homeowners billions of dollars each year. Known as silent destroyers, these pests eat wood from the inside out, going long periods of time undetected in your home. Treating termites depends on the type of termite you have. The most common are drywood termites, dampwood termites, and subterranean termites.

You can protect your home from termites by having an annual termite inspection performed on your home. A termite technician will come out once a year and inspect the inside and outside of your home for signs of termites. You can also help prevent termites by keeping soil around your home dry, making sure landscaping doesn’t touch foundations, fixing leaks, and using concrete for foundations.

Sometimes despite our best efforts, termites invade our home. Once they get in, professional termite treatments are necessary to completely eliminate the infestation. The type of treatment you use depends on the type of termite you have. The three most common types of treatments include liquid-soil treatments, bait stations, and sprays/foams.

One of the most important questions any homeowner wants to know when treating termites is how long the treatment takes to work.

Liquid-Soil Treatments: These treatments work as a barrier around the exterior of your home. A trench is dug around the perimeter and filled with liquid termiticide. The trench is then filled back in. As termites travel from your home to their colony, they pass through the termiticide. These treatments can last up to 5 years. Liquid-soil treatments work faster than bait stations, with colonies usually completely eliminated within 3 months.
Bait Stations: Bait stations are used outside your home to provide a food source the termites take back to their colonies. These treatments take longer to work than liquid-soil because the termites first have to find the bait, then take it back to their colonies and wait for it to be eaten by all members. Eventually the entire colony, including the queen, will be killed off. Bait stations also have to be monitored on a regular basis and refilled when necessary. Bait stations can take up to 6 months to completely eradicate a termite colony.
Spays/Foams: Sprays and foams are used to treat existing wood structures or new construction. The product is sprayed directly onto the wood, killing existing termites and soaking into the wood to provide preventative treatment for future infestations. When applied, termites usually start dying off within 1 to 2 days. However, it can take longer for the treatment to reach the queen, if it ever does.

Termites can be a big headache for homeowners. If you have a problem with termites or just want to get ahead with prevention, contact a pest control company who can provide you with a thorough inspection and termite control plan that works best for your situation.

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4 Types of Termite Control

Apr 14, 2022 | Termite Control

Termites can cause serious damage to your home, affecting both its structure and integrity. Termite damage can also be costly to repair. Let’s take a closer look at how to recognize when you have a termite problem, as well as the different types of termite treatments that are available today.

The first step in preventing termites is to identify when you have a problem. Termites eat wood from the inside out so they often go undetected for long periods of time, causing substantial damage before you even realize you have a problem. Recognizing the signs of termites in your home is a good first step to identifying their presence. Common signs of termites include:

Noise: Soldier termites bang their heads against the wood or shake their bodies when disturbed. This can be heard as a quiet clicking sound coming from your walls.
Discarded wings: Swarming termites leave existing colonies to reproduce and establish new colonies. Once they mate, they discard their wings. These wings can often be found near doors and windows.
Warped wood: Termites produce moisture as they tunnel through wood. This moisture causes wood to warp, making doors and windows difficult to open and paint to bubble. This can often resemble water damage.
Damaged wood: Termites eat wood from the inside out, leaving behind a labyrinth of tunnels in damaged wood. This wood will then make a hollow or papery sound when tapped on.
Feces: Termite feces, also known as frass, is left behind as termites tunnel through wood. Frass can be seen as piles of pellets, black marks, or a dark, powdery substance near the sites of damage.
Mud tubes: Subterranean termites will build mud tubes to provide moisture and to protect them from predators. They use these tubes to travel between their colony and their food source. These tubes are usually found near foundations.

Prevention

The best way to control termites is to prevent them in the first place. Some common termite prevention tips include:

Using concrete foundation.
Leaving ventilation space between the soil and the wood.
Covering exposed wood surfaces with sealant or a metal barrier.
Keeping the soil around foundations dry (through proper grading, adequate drainage, and clear gutters and downspouts).
Reducing openings termites can use to get in (by filling cracks in cement foundations and sealing around where utilities pass through walls).
Fixing leaks immediately.
Keeping vents free from blockage.
Making sure trees and shrubs are not planted too close to the home.
Not allowing trees and shrubs to grow against exposed wood.
Not piling firewood or wood debris next to the house.
Having annual termite inspections performed.

Termite Treatments

Once you have an established termite infestation, the next step is deciding which termite control treatment is best for your situation. Treatments depend on a variety of factors including the type of termite you are dealing with, the severity of the infestation, the type and size of your home, whether it is a new construction or an existing home, the cost of the treatment, and more. There are four main types of termite treatments: