4 Noises That Indicate the Time Has Come for Termite Treatment

Termites are one of the sneakiest pests going. In fact, some homeowners don't realize they have an infestation right under their noses until the termites have done considerable damage. Termites are difficult to spot, even if they have infested an area right in front of you. But if you know what to look and listen for, you can detect a termite infestation.

If you think you might have termites on your property, listen for the following sounds.

1. A rapid clicking noise

If you search your property, carefully checking each wooden component that you find, you might just alert termites to your presence. When termites become alarmed, thinking that danger may be nearby, they bang their heads against their tunnel walls. This will sound like a rapid clicking noise. Only the soldier termites bang their head. The banging alerts the other soldiers of nearby danger.

2. A rustling noise

When termite workers are busy chewing their way through wood, if you listen closely, you may be able to hear a rustling sound. This papery rustling is the sound of thousands of termite jaws all chewing away. If you hear a faint noise but are unsure, place a glass against the wooden components in the vicinity until you identify the termite's location.  

3. A buzzing noise

When a termite colony is mature enough, usually after several years, that colony begins to produce termite swarmers, also called alates. During humid weather, termite swarmers leave the nest and fly around looking for a mate. If you hear a buzzing somewhere in your home, there may be termite swarmers flying around inside your walls or in the attic.

Termite swarmers are a very bad sign because only mature colonies produce them.

4. A hollow noise

One clear way to identify the areas that termites are infesting is to walk around your property knocking on wooden structures and components. If a wooden area sounds hollow when you rap at it, then there may be termites inside the wood. Termites tend to chew below the surface of wood and very seldom break through where you can see them. But hollow wood could mean termites.

All of these sounds are an indication that termites are in the area. And if you can hear termites, then they are likely to be in the area in large numbers. Professional termite treatment can help you to eradicate the problem before it gets out of hand. Contact a termite treatment company for more information.