Termites In The Walls: The 5 Signs To Look Out For In 2024

Having termites in the walls of your structure is not a funny situation, and must be prevented or controlled as soon as the signs become obvious.

One good thing is that the feeding behaviors of these pests often give them off and help you become aware of an ongoing infestation.

In this article, we will be describing the signs to look out for on the walls of your home.

 

Can You Hear Termites In the Walls?

Can you hear termites in the walls? Yes, you can. If you have a serious infestation, you may be able to hear a soft clicking sound coming from inside your walls.

The soft clicking sounds you hear are merely worker termites eating. Yes, these workers can be quite noisy when they eat.

The holes within your walls clearly indicate the presence of termites, and you’d better hire the services of licensed pest control experts as soon as possible.

Walls have enough space for these pests to thrive and are easily accessible, hence their susceptibility to termite infestation.

 

Read also: Termites In Idaho: The 2 Termite Species & 1 Visitor

 

What are the Types of Termites In Walls?

• Subterranean Termites:

Subterranean termites are the most common termites that may likely live in your walls and are responsible for most of the termite damage in the United States of America.

These termites are able to thrive in the walls of your home and can congregate in large numbers. Spotting a single subterranean termite clearly signifies a large infestation nearby.

• Drywood Termites:

These bugs are difficult to spot, unlike their subterranean counterparts, and this is due to the fact that they congregate in smaller populations.

Drywood termites live in wood and feed on this wood; hence, your walls will be a perfect dwelling place for them. They do not need contact with soil, so there is no need for them to go out.

All they need to do is stay in the wall, feed, and reproduce to increase the population.

 

What Damages Do Termites in the Walls Cause?

• Subterranean Termites:

Have you ever seen wood that has been damaged by water? The wood looks discolored and like it can just be broken by touching it.

When subterranean termites infest your walls and the wood in them, the wood resembles water-damaged wood, discolored and soft.

When subterranean termites infest your walls, you will notice the following:

• • Walls become discolored.
  • The paint on your walls has bubbles protruding.
  • The woods are buckled and disoriented.
• Drywood Termites:

As we mentioned earlier, drywood termites have no business outside as they live in wood and feed on this wood. This makes the wood prone to faster destruction by these pests.

Because of their feeding habits, eating from the inside out of the wood, the wood makes a hollow sound of emptiness when gently tapped.

It is important that you hire the services of a pest control expert as soon as you notice this.

 

Read also: Termites On Brick Wall: Are Modern Day Houses Now Penetrable In 2024?

 

What are the 5 Signs of Termites In the Walls?

• Mud Tubes:

Some termites, as we mentioned in our previous articles, are very sensitive to dry air, and this makes traveling from their nests to the food source difficult.

These ants create mud tubes, which they link from their nests to the food source; this way they can easily travel to and fro.

Spotting a mud tube may not signify an active termite infestation in your wall, but it is good that you keep checking to see if you will spot any termites.

• Bubbling of Paint:

If you have termites in the walls of your home, you will begin to notice the bubbling of the wall paint. This is due to the reaction between moisture and the paint.

All living things require moisture to survive. Like they say, water is life. Termites are not an exception, and they will try to move water from its source to the walls where they live.

When this water meets with the paint, it causes a reaction, which leads to the bubbling.

• Wood Trim:

Termites in the walls of your homes are usually wood-eaters. They feed on cellulose materials, and hence, your wooden materials provide them with all the cellulose that they need.

If there are termites in the walls of your home, you will notice the trimming of your wooden items. These trims are often signs of termite tunnels, so you must carefully inspect for this sign.

• Hollow Sound When You Tap Wall:

We previously mentioned this one. Termites in the walls of your structure will definitely cause the walls to create hollow sounds when gently tapped.

Some species of termites live and feed off the wood in your walls. They eat it inside out and, hence, cause great damage to this wood.

This feeding habit causes emptiness in the wood, hence the hollow sound it creates when tapped.

• Pin-sized Holes in the Wall:

When you have termites in the walls of your home, besides hearing the sounds of the workers eating, you will also notice visible, pin-sized holes in the walls.

Did you know that these tiny holes can be used to tell the species of termite infesting you? Here is how:

• Subterranean termites cover up the holes with soil.
• Drywood termites do not fill the holes with soil.

 

How Do You Kill Termites In the Wall?

• Termiticides:

Termiticides are used to control termite populations and come in both liquid and foam formulations. You can purchase your termiticide from Amazon and carefully spray it in cracks in your walls.

It is advisable that you check the label of this product, as some may not be safe for indoor use.

• Termite Baits:

Although termite baits may not be really effective against termites in the wall of your structure, they will definitely go a long way in attracting these insects to their deaths.

While placing this bait, be sure to keep children and pets away from the application area.

 

Read also: Termites In Oklahoma: Something Interesting About These 2 Termite Species

 

Conclusion

How do you kill termites in the wall if the methods mentioned above prove ineffective? You must then hire the services of licensed pest control experts.

Leaving termites in the walls of your home to thrive for a long time can be very dangerous, as they can cause the structure to fail and even collapse in the long run.

How do you kill termites in the walls of your home? Let us know your methods via the comment section below!

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