Insulating Around Windows And Doors Where Termites Exist

Decks patios porches tree stumps sheds and garages are also termite hotspots.

Insulating around windows and doors where termites exist.

Termites aren t limited to wooden delicacies inside your home either. Termites can tunnel through the walls. Carpenter ants enter structures through cracks and crevices around windows and in foundation walls through heating or air conditioning ducts where tree branches or utility lines contact a structure and through ventilation openings in the attic. A friend reopened sealed pocket doors on the top floor of his 1900 triple decker in boston recently and from inside the walls along with the pocket doors came shredded paper.

Some ants such as fire ants solenopsis invicta and big headed ants pheidole megacephala will often bring dirt into homes in an attempt to nest in the walls of the structure. Another sign to look for is difficulty with windows and doors sticking or bubbling paint. The three common types of home invading termites dampwood drywood and subterranean are drawn to homes for different reasons. Termites dead or alive.

They nest in wood that is moist or has been previously damaged by water or termites. This could be a window door vent or small crack. Any wood that comes into contact with your home s exterior may create an opportunity for termites to infiltrate your home s interior. Winged termites are often the first sign of a subterranean termite infestation.

Most dampwood and drywood termites live inside the woods they eat while subterranean termites mostly live in the ground and venture to and from the wood they consume back to their underground colony. When a colony has matured winged swarming termites can be seen around windows and doors. After mating these termites locate a new breeding site and create another colony spreading infestations throughout multiple locations. Experiencing a termite swarm is the 1 sign that your property has a termite problem.

Joists can be weakened and you can experience damage like sagging floors shifted window and door frames peeling paint and more. Winged termites are highly attracted to sources of light and are most active in springtime. Termites feed on cellulose an essential component of wood. Serious infestations that are left unchecked can result in even more dramatic damage.

In the late 1800s primitive insulation could be comprised of a number of mundane materials such as newspaper wood shavings corncobs and even seaweed. Swarming termites are attracted to light and are often found near windows doors vents and light fixtures. The effects termites can have on your home s insulation when we talk about termite damage we usually talk about damage to the wood in your home. This means that a colony of termites might be calling your house home.

A common sign for some homeowners is wings around areas that your home opens to the outdoors. Subterranean termites will search out food sources that exist above ground in addition to their more readily available food supplies.