Summer is approaching and along with it comes yard work.

Cutting grass, trimming, and weed eating, all in the name of making your home’s landscape beautiful.

However, all the maintenance in the world will not hide the fact that you see flying ant-like bugs around your home!

If you’ve noticed mud tunnels built along your home’s foundation or around your property, the chances are high termites have taken up residence in and around your home.

How can you find out?

Let’s explore five signs your property may need a termite service.

Termites are small but busy bugs that leave many clues about their presence and the damage they can do to your home and property.

1. Noisy Eaters

If you listen closely, termites are noisy eaters, and you can hear the distinct crunching of your home’s wood as they munch away.

They aren’t shy.

They are loud and messy.

Have you ever heard this crunching and wondered what it was? Termites are the culprit.

You can hear them chewing in any infested wood inside and or around your home.

2. Flying Swarms

Have you ever been mowing and ran into a swarm of fluttering wings around your home?

If this has happened to you, there might be a problem.

Termites fly, and you can spot swarms in and around your home.

The male and female termites take flight. They leave their nests and fly in search of mates. These are called “Swarmers” and when seen, in most instances, you have a termite problem.

Examine these bugs if you spot them. They could be white ants or flying ants. The way to know if you have termites is to examine their wings. Termites have distinct wings, which are long, and the same length compared to a fly, which has different sizes and two sets of wings.

3. Subterranean Termites

Termites can not only take residence in your home, but there is a group of termites that live underground. Subterranean termites nest underground and can be invisible for over ten years and then reappear. They can live in your grass or around trees in your backyard.

They can live under your home’s foundation and make their way up and into your home.

Be on the lookout for mud tunnels or “shelter tubes.”

These tubes may seem empty, but termites build them to last. If not disturbed, termites will return to the same shelter tubes at any time.

4. Banging Heads

Yes, that is correct, just like rock and roll stars, termites bang their heads.

Male termites are called “soldiers” and when the colony is disturbed, to send out a signal that danger is near, they bang their heads against the wood and shake their bodies causing a loud “clicking sound.”

If you hear this type of clicking activity in your walls, it is time to call in a professional termite service.

5. Discarded Wings

One tells-all sign you might have a termite problem is the piles of discarded termite wings.

Male and female termites shed their wings once they find a mate. The wings are discarded as the male and female unite and find a nesting site and seal themselves up to mate and start a new colony.

Be alert to piles of wings around your yard and home.

If seen, don’t wait because termite damage may have already started.

Understanding the signs of termites is the first step in preventing major damage to your home and property.

Our trained technicians at Third Coast Home and Commercial Services know the specific signs to treat and eliminate any termite intrusion and protect your home from further damage.

If you would like to learn more and or have seen or heard these termite signs, book a FREE inspection today or get in touch at 281-713-0132.

We will be glad to come and inspect your property for termites.