You probably know that lots of animals hibernate during the winter, such as bats, prairie dogs, bears, etc. But do you know that there are insects that hibernate too? It's true. But, sadly, termites are not one of them. Not only do termites stay active in winter, they are simple organisms that don't require sleep. That means they're able to consume the wood of your home 24 hours a day, all winter long.
Termite activity in winter:
When the weather turns colder, subterranean termites typically stay closer to their colonies, down below the frost line. But termites that have found food and shelter inside your home's walls or foundation will not be affected by temperatures outside. They are able to eat away at your walls and support beams 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, without stopping. And, that can be bad news for your equity.
How do you know if you have termites?
There are several ways you can detect termite activity in your home.
- Mud tubes. If you find pencil-sized tubes that look like mud along your basement walls or in crawl spaces, you may have active termites. If they are dry and crumbly when you break them off, they are most likely old and not being used anymore. But if you break one off and it gets rebuilt in a day or two, this means you have active termites.
- Hollow sounding wood. Termites eat wood from the inside out, not on the surface. If you tap wood every few inches with a screwdriver and, in places, it sounds hollow, you may have termites.
- Damaged wood. While doing repairs or renovations, it may become apparent that you have termites if a tool breaks through the thin veneer of surface wood left by termites. When this happens, you will likely see tunnels that run parallel to the wood's grain.
- Swarmers, or discarded wings from swarmers. These are not signs you will see in winter. Swarmers are produced during warm seasons. But keep in mind that, if you see termites swarmers or the wings they shed, inside your home, you may have an active infestation.
How to know for sure.
If you have seen the signs of termites, or you want to know for sure that your home is safe from termite damage, Parkway Pest Services can help. We offer the most advanced and effective termite program available in the industry. We use the industry-leading, and Eco-friendly Sentricon® Termite Colony Elimination System. Termites may not need to sleep in winter, but humans do. Make sure to contact us today to get your home protected with the Sentricon® system, and rest easy knowing your greatest investment is protected.