If you’re currently a home buyer, you can save yourself a lot of trouble by knowing the signs of termites. Obviously, before you buy, you’ll want to get a pest inspection. But you can save yourself the waste of time and money if you know what to look for.

When looking for termite damage, look for small, 1 mm sized holes in wood. Check behind surfaces. Sometimes you’ll even find termite holes in plaster or drywall. Look near windows and doors. If the house has termites, you will sometimes find discarded wings here. Often, the very first sign of a termite infestation is the presence of flying termites. These are called swarmers or alates.

You might also notice tight fitting doors or windows that are hard to open. This can be a sign of damaged wood, which can be a sign of termites! Sometimes this can look like water damage, or like the wood is blistering.

Look for pencil sized mud tubules in the ground near the home. This will alert you to the possibility of termites in the area. Have any wood damage examined by a professional before buying. If you notice something, but aren’t sure, be sure to point it out and ask your inspector. Sometimes, a home used to have termites, but the home has been treated and the termites are long gone. And inspection can tell you if that’s the case. But if you happen to see a termite while looking for signs, you know there are plenty more.

Termites like to keep their areas clean, so check for pellets made of wood around the ground that look like coffee grounds. It can also look like sawdust. This can be termite droppings

Termites will live in a home no matter what season it is. Some people say that they only live inside during the winters, but that’s actually a myth. Termites cause over $5 billion dollars in property damage a year. It’s good to recognize the signs of them early.

Are You Thinking of Buying a Home in Dubois County?

Use our site to search homes for sale in Jasper, Dubois, Spencer, Martin and Davis counties and all of our surrounding areas. Unlike the “big name” sites out there, at Sell 4 Free Welsh Realty our site is directly connected to our local MLS and is updated with new homes every hour. By signing up for New Listing alerts you can stay on top of the newest homes for sale and get price change alerts so you can stay ahead of other buyers and beat them to the hottest deals!