How Do Termites Spread?

We all get a little paranoid during termite season. The mysterious pests move from house to house, popping up when owners least expect it. Before you know it you’ve got an infestation on your hands. How do termites swarm and spread so fast during termite season? Below we’ve mapped out exactly how termites silently move throughout the home and wreck havoc.

Mud Tubes

You may be able to recognize them. Mud tubes are the best indicator of a subterranean termite infestation. Termite swarms build these small tunnels from soil, wood, and frass. They stick them to walls, trees and anywhere else they travel frequently. Termites spread throughout the home using these tubes as highways to navigate to areas where they can feast.

Through Cracks on the Walls

Termites can’t chew through concrete, but they can squeeze through tiny cracks and holes in your home. It only takes one opening for them to begin invading your home. Seal all cracks in your walls and the foundation of your home. You can potentially save thousands of dollars and prevent a nightmare infestation.

Moisture to Wall Contact

Areas of your home that connect to the soil can be danger zones. Wood that connects to the ground can serve as a bridge between the land and your home. Foraging termites can quickly stumble upon wood when they’re seeking foot, discover your home, and go back to recruit the rest of their colony. To stop termites from finding you use treated lumber wood for your house. Baits and barriers can also be useful and prevent them from entering your home.

Galleries

Drywood termites are a little different. Instead of building tubes, they hide out in the wood they infest. Termites chew through the grain and create galleries as they eat. The galleries are still tunnels, but instead, the termites live inside the wood. If the wood they infect connects to the rest of the home, an infestation is imminent. In most cases, homeowners don’t find out about them until the wood starts to soften and degrade.