BLOG

Could Termites Be Inside Your Walls?

Walls are an integral and strong element of every house, as they provide structural support and protection. As strong as they are, walls are also extremely vulnerable and susceptible to repeated termite damage that could prove fatal for any property.

By looking out for signs of termites in your walls, you can potentially spot an infestation in its early stages and save a significant amount of money. Irrespective of the age of your property, it is always advisable to look out for signs of termites in your walls.

Here is a list of ways in which you can spot signs of termites in your walls:

1. Mud Tubes: One of the easiest and most visibly obvious ways of spotting termite infestation is to look for any sort of mud formations in your walls. Usually, the presence of termites may cause the formation of a mud pile, mud patch, or mud tunnel on your walls. Be sure to look for areas behind furniture, which may not be in your direct line of visibility, as termites can infest walls that are hidden by structures.
2. Discoloration: If your walls are covered by plasterboard or wallpaper, you can carefully keep an eye out for any sort of discoloration on the walls. Discoloration may look like a wet patch or a brownish stain on the wall. You can also spot discoloration in the form of multiple spots, dots, or blemishes on the wall, which are seeping through the plasterboard or wallpaper.
3. Bubbling on paint: If you have painted walls in your house, the most prominent sign that you should look out for is the bubbling of paint in different parts of the wall. Since termites eat through the wood in walls, they tend to leave behind the layer of paint that the wooden wall was under. Hence, you will be able to see a thin layer of paint covering a hollow space.
4. Ticking sounds: Termites are extremely aggressive and active as a species. If they have infested any section of your wall, they will surely make significant noise inside the walls. Termites are most likely to make ticking sounds while they are eating through the wood.
5. Hollow sounds: If you suspect that a wall has been infested by termites, you can do a quick check by tapping on the surface of the wall. If you hear hollow sounds upon tapping, the wall has likely been infested by termites.

Apart from looking out for these signs, it is always advisable to conduct regular disinfection treatments in your house. By doing so, you can prevent the start or spread of a different type of infestations, and hence protect your property as well as health.