Did You Know That Bugs Are Eating Your House? – CandysDirt.com – Candy’s Dirt

Are wood-destroying insects eating your house?

By Brenda MasseSpecial Contributor

Hows that for clickbait? But for real, bugs could be eating your house.

It is swarming season for wood-destroying insects (WDIs), and despite how awful that sounds, its kind of a good thing. Termites and other WDIs can quietly munch on your home for years before you know theyre there. If you see them swarming, that means the colony has gotten large enough to send out colonizers.

That doesnt sound good at all, you might be thinking, and youd be right, but were all about silver linings. The swarm may be the thing that lets you know youve got an infestation, so you can take care of it.

So in honor of swarming season, heres some interesting stuff about wood-destroying insects.

Its moist and cool there, and theres lots to eat. Here you can see some termites have been feasting on the beams under the house for quite a while. This homeowner is going to need an exterminator and a foundation repair person.

When a concrete pier is poured they use a cardboard mold to hold the shape. Theyre supposed to remove the cardboard after the concrete dries, but this step gets skipped more often than youd like to think. Its sort of like offering termites a snack and a direct path to the main feast your house.

The same goes for these form boards. These are meant to hold the place when sidewalks and driveways are being poured, then should be removed once theyre dry. Another tempting snack and path for termites to your house.

Powderpost beetles actually arrive in your house within the wood. Once they were peacefully living in a tree somewhere that got milled and turned into cabinets, and now you have these little buggers leaving little powdery trails through your woodwork.

In this video, Michael Bosco of Safehaven Pest Control and Clayton Bailey of Green Scene Home Inspections discuss ways to make your home less attractive to wood-destroying insects, as well as the different types of wood-destroying insects and how to recognize them.

Unsure if you have wood-destroying insects? Opt for a WDI inspection to make sure your home isnt becoming a meal for the bugs.

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Did You Know That Bugs Are Eating Your House? - CandysDirt.com - Candy's Dirt