What You Can't See Can Hurt You

We often take the mindset of “out of sight, out of mind." While that may work with some things, with others it can be a drastic mistake. When you hear that rattle or grinding noise in your car, you turn up the radio and pledge to do something about it later. When that one bill is overdue, you push it aside and pretend not to see it. When you notice some wood dust or bug wings in a pile in the basement you shrug it off. While you may think these things are harmless, ignoring them can create some serious unintentional consequences.

Termites are one of those things that we don’t often see so we can easily forget the damage that they can do to our Indianapolis homes if left unchecked. Read on for the warning signs, and how important it is to take preventative measures against termites.

Often, termites don’t give us any warning signs. They are quiet, odorless, small, and hidden behind walls. However, termites are prevalent in Indianapolis, so they could be living in your home and doing damage without you knowing. All homeowners should frequently check for even the most obscure signs of termites, these include:

• Flying ant lookalikes (swarming termites) swarming near your foundation or woodpiles may mean termites have made their way inside.
• Discarded wings on the floor and near corners or walls could also mean that termites have successfully invaded your home. 
• Dust that looks like small sawdust piles around your wood beams, cabinets, or under flooring when you haven’t been doing any woodworking is a surefire sign there are termites nearby. 

You can take a few preventative measures yourself such as removing all moist wood from in and around your home as that is the favorite snack of termites. This includes keeping wood piles dry and away from the house, removing old decaying tree stumps and downed trees, and cleaning up yard debris and leaf piles. That being said, the best way by far to prevent termites and the damage they can cause to your home is to consult a professional pest control expert like those at Action Pest Control. They will develop a comprehensive plan to inspect and treat your home, as well as do future monitoring to be sure that termites are not doing damage to your Indianapolis home. It’s safer and much more cost effective to create a termite prevention plan with an expert rather than having to do termite damage control after the fact. Don’t let termites be one of those things that you consider out of sight, out of mind.