Termites are a major problem for homeowners across California. These destructive little pests feast on the cellulose found in wood, drywall, flooring materials, and more. While mature, swarming termites have wings that allow them to fly and spread, the termites you’ll typically find infesting structures are wingless worker termites. So how do these wingless workers get inside your home? There are a few common ways for termites to gain entry.
1. Through Wood Touching Soil
One of the most common points of entry for termites is from wood materials in direct contact with soil. This includes decaying tree stumps, landscape timbers, wood mulch, and other materials providing a bridge from the ground into your home’s wooden foundation or exterior walls. The termites build mud tunnels along these wood materials to enter unseen.
2. Through Cracks and Crevices
Tiny cracks, crevices, gaps, and joints in your home’s foundation and exterior can provide an open invitation for termites to enter. These may seem too small to spot, but provide plenty of room for worker termites to squeeze through. Their soft bodies allow them to twist through impossibly tight spaces humans can’t even fathom. Over time, the cracks and crevices can expand in size, allowing even more termites to access your home’s interior walls and wooden materials.
3. Swarmers Flying In
While swarmers are only temporarily winged adult termites responsible for spreading and mating, they too can be the source of new termite colonies in your home. During the termite swarming season, often in spring, swarmers may fly inside through open windows or vents, shed their wings, and attempt to start a satellite termite colony within your home’s wood materials. And once established, a termite colony can quickly expand in just a few months.
For the rest of this article, we’ll discuss common signs of termites, when you should schedule a professional inspection, proactive preventative treatments, our top recommended solutions for termite control and eradication in Oroville homes, plus an FAQ on the most common termite questions we receive from local homeowners.
Common Signs It’s Time to Call for a Termite Inspection
If you suspect termites may have already gained entry to your home, watch for these common signs of infestation:
- Hollow sounding wood
- Mud tubes along sill plates or foundation
- Sagging floors or ceilings
- Peeling paint or wallpaper
- Sawdust around baseboards
- Damaged books, papers, furniture
- Swarming winged termites
Don’t delay – call Western Termite Solutions at (530) 534-1688 to schedule a thorough termite inspection as soon as you notice any of these warning signs. Catching infestations early allows for more effective treatment plans to eradicate termites and prevent costly structural damage over time.
Why Routine Preventative Termite Treatments Are Recommended
With termites causing over $5 billion in property damages every year in the US, don’t wait until it’s too late! Even if you don’t see signs of active termites, have our termite control specialists provide preventative liquid treatments around the interior and exterior foundation of your home for full perimeter protection.
Preventative termite control treatments create a chemical barrier to defend your home against future infestations taking hold. Depending on the products used and your home’s needs, treatments may last 3-5 years or more. Contact Western Termite Solutions to schedule routine preventative treatments to defend your most valuable investment against termite destruction.
Western Termite Solutions’ Top Termite Control & Treatment Recommendations
As trusted pest control experts serving Oroville for over 25 years, we have extensive hands-on experience in what termite control solutions deliver the best results for homes in our region:
- Taurus SC – Provides an invisible insecticide barrier lasting up to 5 years when applied to soil. Offers excellent preventative protection against subterranean termites.
- Altriset Termiticide – Controls all subterranean termite species through treated soil at foundation perimeter. Lasts for 10 years when applied properly.
- Vikane Gas Fumigation – The most effective whole-structure treatment to eradicate severe drywood termite infestations within the home. No messy liquids – just gasses permeate through the entire building quickly.
Trust our family-owned business to provide honest, professional guidance on the right termite control solutions for your home and budget.
For more answers about termites in Oroville structures or to schedule an inspection, give Western Termite Solutions a call at (530) 534-1688 or fill out our contact form. Defend your home now against termite destruction!
Termites FAQs
Still have questions about termites in Oroville homes? Here are answers to some of the most common questions we receive:
What do termites look like?
Worker termites are soft-bodied, pale insects about 1/4″ to 1/2” long. They lack wings and eyes. Soldier termites have reddish-brown heads and large mouthparts for defense. Swarmers have two pairs of long, white wings with black veins.
What type of termites are common in Oroville?
The Western subterranean termite is the most common local species that lives underground and infests structures. Drywood termites also sometimes infest wood materials.
How fast can a termite infestation spread?
An established colony of just 60,000 worker termites can consume 1-2 pounds of wood per day. This ability to spread incredibly fast makes quick treatment important.
When is the termite swarming season?
In northern California, termite swarming season typically runs April – June as a mating ritual. However, destructive worker termites are busy year-round.
Can I treat termites myself?
We don’t recommend DIY termite control due to the complexities of properly assessing the infestation and applying certain professional-use termite treatment products. Leave it to our licensed experts!