Termites may be small pests – only measuring about 1/4 of an inch to 1/2 of an inch – but the damage they do is far more extensive than anything that other persistent pests can do to our East St. Louis homes. Termites alone cause billions of dollars in infrastructure damages every year! A large reason for this is because they can go undetected for so long since they stay within their own tunnels and do not want anything to do with us. Termites never sleep or stop working for any reason, so the workers can continue carving their tunnels for the rest of their short lives. It is easy for a massive termite colony to stay safe from predators because they have everything they could possibly need within their tunnels. Termites eat cellulose-based items, so the wood that they chew through is the perfect meal. They even carve out small chambers within their tunnels to act as rooms for the more vulnerable members of their colony, such as the queen and young termites. 

Essentially, termites present a different kind of danger than other invasive pests. While other insects contaminate our food and spread dangerous diseases, termites are completely separate from these risks. Since they are contained to the wood that they live within, termites wreak havoc upon the structure of the house or building. For one, they usually attack wood that is already damaged in some way, such as water damage or weather damage. Termites are also fast tunnelers, so they spread the damage throughout a structure faster than seems possible. The more wood that termites tunnel through, the weaker the structure will become. If a termite infestation goes unaddressed for months or years, it can lead to extensive structural damage that will cost a lot of money to fix – and will be a major safety risk in the meantime. 

It is crucial to be observant of your home or business and to stay on the lookout for any signs of termite damage. The most common ones include mud tubes on surfaces, hollow-sounding wood, and droppings (aka frass) near the wood. As soon as you see any of these signs, call Pointe Pest Control immediately. Our team will visit for a scheduled service as soon as possible, where we will inspect all impacted areas to determine if the issue is definitely termites and assess the damage that has already been done. Between our thorough inspections and our effective treatments, we guarantee that we will get to the root of your termite issue and eliminate these pests for good. Give us a call for more information on our efficient termite control services and to learn more about how our team can keep your East St. Louis space termite-free all year long!