If you have suffered wood rot in your home or property, one of the main causes could be termites.  While we can take care of wood rot replacement at MBC Services, it is important to know and understand information about termites to prevent this from happening again. No matter how old or new your house is, no matter what size, no matter what style, there is going to be wood in your home. And where there is wood, there is the danger of getting a termite infestation.

What are termites?

Termites are colony pests who feed on cellulose. Cellulose appears in any plant or wood material. These pests are a danger because as they eat the interior of wooden materials, they hollow it out, weakening the structure.

5 Signs you may have termites:

  1. Finding discarded wings on the floor, near walls, or in windows sills.
  2. Termites also leave tiny brown pellets of excrement, so if you start to see these, that is a strong sign.
  3. If you find mud tubes inside or outside, this is another sign of termites.
  4. Termites eat the cellulose inside wood, so as they get nearer to the surface of wooden structures, the paint on wood bubbles or cracks.
  5. If your wood sounds hollow when you tap on it, you probably have termites.

What can I do?

There are many ways to get rid of termites. The best solution is to call professionals to exterminate them for you. Typically, it will $30-$50 per month for the professional to identify the size of the colony, spray outside your house, use baits, and spray inside wall voids. But, you can always kill them and prevent another infestation yourself.

When you are working on your termite problem, be sure to remove any easy food sources, such as firewood, lumber, or paper. Pull out stumps and other paint-based debris and place screens on every entry point into your house. Creating a sandy soil barrier also works to slow termites down. Chemical-filled liquid pesticides, wood treatments, baits, and stake treatments are also available.

If you have experienced wood rot as a result of a termite infestation, you’ll want to call a professional team to get the wood replaced – as old, rotten wood can be dangerous to the structure of your house – as well as be detrimental to the visual aesthetics. Contact MBC Services for a free quote on getting your wood rot replaced.