Termites can eat your home from the inside out, slowly crumbling your home's support and structure until there's nothing left but sawdust. Protecting your home against them can be tricky, but it's not impossible.

To keep your home in tip-top shape, you'll want to familiarize yourself with termites and the symptoms of an infestation. After all, treating a termite infestation quickly can help prevent severe damage to your home.

Let's discuss everything you need to know about termites and discover how to keep them away from your property. That way, you can choose the best termite control in Houston.

Sadly, termites are relatively common throughout Texas, including Houston. Properties improperly protected against termites can suffer thousands of dollars worth of damage.

Termites vary greatly in appearance, depending on their role within the colony and their species. For example, workers are typically cream-colored or white with yellow heads. They're also some of the tiniest termites.

But a fertile termite that's preparing to reproduce can be more than twice the size of a worker, is typically much darker in color, and has long transparent wings.

Still, this general description isn't entirely accurate for all species of termites. So when checking your home for a termite infestation, you'll also need to consider the types of termites found in your area.

In Texas, there are three common types of termites that you may find in your home or on your property:

• Drywood Termites

• Subterranean Termites

• Formosan Termites

To help you detect a potential infestation, let's take a moment to explore these types in greater detail. That way, you'll be better equipped to spot live termites and take action to remove them.

Drywood Termites

There are three types of drywood termite in Texas. However, their habitat and behavior are relatively consistent, regardless of subspecies. For example, drywood termites consume and live inside of wooden structures.

They don't care what kind of wood is available to them, so long as they can break it down and form termite nests inside it. As such, they're one of the most troublesome types of termites.

Wood termites can be challenging to identify, as they often hide deep within your home's wooden components. But checking out some termite pictures could help you confirm the type of termite you're dealing with.

Subterranean Termites

With small, yellowish bodies, subterranean termites don't look like a major threat. But if you find one of their mud tubes wrapping around your home or up a wall, you'll want to call for immediate pest control services.

That's because subterranean termites can be incredibly slow-working and sneaky. In most cases, homeowners aren't even aware that the termites have taken over until years after they've started eating your home.

Formosan Termites

Formosan termites are notable for having large orange heads and yellow-orange bodies. They're also comparatively large.

A worker drywood termite might top out at 3mm in length. But a worker Formosan termite can grow up to 15mm long. That's five times larger!

Still, like drywood termites, Formosan termites can digest nearly any type of wood. This trait makes them a significant danger to any home with wooden framing or supports.

Additionally, this type of termite can infest your home from the ground up. Like other subterranean termites, Formosan termites can build mud tubes to connect their outdoor colony to your indoor wooden objects and structures.

If you're unsure what kind of house termites you're dealing with, you may want to reference termites images or termite pictures. You could also look for some of the signs and symptoms of a termite infestation.

Termites aren't the most noticeable creatures. Often, by the time you've seen live termites crawling around, they've already decimated your home. Still, there are a few early warning signs to watch for, including:

• Mud Tunnels

• Sawdust Near Baseboards

• Small Holes in Walls

• Flaking Paint

• Loose Tile Flooring

• Buckled Wood Flooring

• Stained Drywall

A significant sign of a termite infestation would be dozens of small, flying insects that suddenly appear at the end of winter and through spring. While these could be another type of bug, they also could be mating termites.

When fertile termites mature, they develop wings. These aren't very functional and can help them fly for short bursts of time. But they're designed to catch the wind, helping termites spread to faraway places.

These termites with wings are called termite swarmers. Seeing flying termites is a great sign that you need to contact your local pest controls services again. Remember, prevention is the best protection!

Have you noticed a few small flying termites in your home, but you're not quite sure you're dealing with termites? If so, you may want to take a moment to examine the bugs that most closely resemble flying termites.

For example, the most flying bugs most often confused with termites include:

• Powderpost Beetles

• Flying Ants

• Carpenter Bees

• Carpenter Ants

Notably, flying ants are often called black termites even though they don't consume wood. This is because they closely resemble termite swarmers.

Of course, you don't need to become an entomologist to handle a termite problem. Contacting a local pest control service can ensure you receive the best possible solution to any termite-related issues or infestations.

Regular pest control services are the best way to prevent termite infestations. That's because termites can spread several miles if caught in a strong breeze. So even if you live far from a forest, you could get termites.

These pesky pests can burrow or chew their way into your home, resulting in termites in wall cavities and support beams. Though they aren't the easiest thing to eradicate, pest control agents know how to get rid of them.

Having a pest control specialist examine your property and spray for termites at least once per year is an excellent idea. They'll be able to spot early signs of damage, helping put an end to infestations before they start.

Even better, consistent pest control services can help you avoid other types of common pests. As such, you could be protecting your home's integrity and value while also saying goodbye to fleas, spiders, and mice.

Could your home be hiding a termite infestation? If you're not engaging in regular pest control services, it could be. But, of course, there are also signs and symptoms to watch for, such as peeling paint and stained drywall.

Still, you may need to hire a professional pest control technician to help you diagnose a termite problem. Fortunately, high-quality termite control in Houston is only a phone call away.

Would you like to know about termite pest control services in Houston, Texas? If so, please get in touch!