What are the Evidences of Termites Outside? What Signs In Yard Owner’s Should not be Ignored?

Sign of infestation

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Unsurprisingly, termites don’t appear inside buildings from nowhere. They come in from outside and sometimes they infest the adjacent territory beforehand. Consequently, it’s necessary to know what to look for to detect the vermin beside your house.

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  • The evidence of termites outside
  • Places to check
  • Useful articles
  • Video

    • The evidence of termites outside

    Needless to say, some things that should ring the bell outdoors coincide with those indoors. And, as in the case of indoor search, you have to be extra attentive, because if you don’t, the termites themselves can be left unnoticed until the complete destruction of a thing they dwell in.

    Photo2Mud tunnels. If Subterranean termites cannot burrow through some material, they lay tunnels of mud, feces and saliva around and then travel through them towards sources of food and water. Sometimes they build them on brickwork, concrete walls, concrete slabs, posts and other dense structure materials they cannot eat through. This is a good indicator of termite infestation in progress.

    Learn more about subterranean termites: signs of their activity; best methods of treatment and DIY methods. Eastern subterranean termites and their tunnels and tubes with photo.

    Frass. Aka droppings, pellets, feces and excrements. A substance that resembles a mixture of salt and pepper. A pile of such pellets on a tree stump or by a window frame is a reason to think that there’re Drywood termites inside.

    Learn more about drywood termites: signs of their activity; best methods of treatment: spot treatment and DIY methods; how to get rid of them in furniture?

    Arboreal nests. There’re termites who build nests that look like ugly grey ulcers on trees. Usually these nests are built by those termites that don’t cause much harm for house timber materials, but still there’s a risk.

    Swarmers. Presence of swarmers in a building is a true symptom of an active infestation inside. However if you notice one outside, it isn’t a reason for panic, it’s a natural phenomenon but nevertheless you should look for a colony around the place you spotted the swarmer to make sure.

    Wings. As you probably know, termites’ swarmers stop being alates (winged species) after mating. Drywood termites do it just after that, whereas Subterranean ones can carry them a bit longer (which is one of the ways to tell them apart). Piles of discarded semi-translucent wings mean that termites either are or were nearby.

    Blowholes in trees. Both termite species do that, but the Subterranean termites, which colonize trunks and root crown, make the most visible ones. When alates are ready to come out of the nest to establish a new colony, workers cut a longitudinal exit in the trunk. When the flight is over, workers shut the hole, over which, in response to injury, the tree produces a callus.

    Hollow sound. If tapping a wood makes a hollow sound, it’s possible that termites have eaten out galleries inside.

    Paint blistering, bulging or staining.

    Collapsed timber. If the termites have completely devoured something from inside out, you will see that there’s nothing left but a paper-thin shell. Sometimes a severely damaged wooden thing falls down by gravity.

    Places to check

    Photo3Here’re a few places you should check outside to make sure:

    1. Inspect the house foundation, garage and other structures for mud tubes coming from the ground.
    2. Examine to soil moisture around or under the foundation to understand if faulty grade construction moisturizes soil near to the building.
    3. Check firewood for barbecue, the least fortunate place where termites can establish a colony. If they are there, use it as intended.
    4. Inspect door and window frames and the places where utilities (gas, pipes of an air conditioner, and electric wires) enter the building. If termites or rotten wood are visible in there, start taking appropriate measures.
    5. Check roof eaves and guttering attentively for leakages that can eventually make the wood rot. Look behind closely located, dense bushes or plants.
    6. Don’t forget about any wood-to-soil contact such as fences, trellises and stairs carriages.
    7. Open and examine all exterior fuse boxes and electrical meters adjacent to the walls; termites settle in such places all the time.
    8. Thoroughly observe wooden items near swimming pools that are splashed by water often.
    9. Have a look at old dead trees and stumps. Since you unlikely take much care of their integrity, you can poke these things or chop up to see if there’s a colony inside.
    10. Attentively inspect sidewalks, connecting patios, attached porches, and all hard-to-reach places.

    Since termites come into houses from outside, you should know what places in your yard to check for termite infestation and what signs to pay attention to.

    Generally the signs of termites in yard contamination are the same as of the indoor one.

    In Short, you should inspect all wooden items around your house, the house itself, and the places where your house foundation touches the ground.

    Look for wings, mud tunnels, destroyed wood, blowholes etc. Hope, this article will turn out to be useful for you to secure your yard against this dangerous vermin.

    Here you can learn more information about effective treatment method called tenting (fumigation): dangers for termites, preparing for fumigation and cleaning after, how long does this procedure last?

    Useful articles

    If you interested in more information of termites we recommend you to read the following articles:

    Video

    Please watch the video. In it you can see more information about signs of termites in yard.

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