Termites are eusocial insects that feed on wood. Every single termite carries special protozoa, enzymes, and bacteria that are responsible for its ability to digest the wood’s organic fibrous material known as cellulose. There are two primary kinds of subterranean termites – the workers and swarmers.
If you spot one termite in your house, there is a big chance that there is an entire colony that remains hidden somewhere in your beams, walls, or other wood components of your home. But, how long does it take for termites to destroy one house?
Termites and Their Destructive Capacity
It will take 3,000 years for one termite to eat and consume all the wood in a modest home of 1,000 square feet. Before you feel relieved, however, don’t forget that termites never live on their own and the termite colonies can multiply fast. The biggest colonies could consume a pound of wood every 24 hours.
Once a house is infested by a colony of termites, it can just take three years before noticeable damage occurs. The rate of damage will depend on the colony’s size. It will only take eight years before all of your home’s wood components get destroyed by a large enough colony.
The moment damages occur in major wooden structures, it often takes several thousand dollars to have them repaired. This is the reason why it is a must to keep an eye out for signs of a termite colony in your home and property and contact treatment and inspection services right away.
Termites could pretty much damage a house in just one day. Mature termite colonies can consume the same amount of wood required to produce one 2×4 board foot in only 24 hours. This is already plenty of damage. The only reassuring news here is that it can take up to four years for newly developed colonies of termites to reach the level of population that can do this kind of serious damage.
No matter how long it takes for termites to damage a house, one thing is for sure. Their presence can always put your home in danger.
What is So Dangerous About Termites?
Termites don’t pose direct threats to humans. It means that they don’t carry and spread diseases but they can do the worst thing you can imagine in your home. The instability of a building is the real danger brought about by termite infestation. Termite damage is typically unseen. These insects love setting up homes in areas where they don’t get disturbed. These areas can include the wall timbers, foundation timbers, and the wood supporting the roof. Termites might even feed on wood furniture in buildings with long-term infestation.
What are the Signs of Termite Damage?
You might have noticed how you find it hard to close the kitchen door sometimes or how there are soft spots in your living room. These small clues may mean that the house is settling or it could also be due to structural instability as a result of weakened supporting timbers. The sad news is that if you notice this level of damage even as you walk across the floor of your living room, it is likely then that the damage is already pretty bad. It might take up to three years of chewing before noticeable damage occurs.
How do you know if there are termites in your home, then? Termites are very small creatures and that is why you need to watch out closely for them. Some of the most common signs of termite infestation include the following:
- Termite droppings that resemble sawdust
- Hollow sound when tapping on wood
- White-colored ants
- Tunnels in wood
- Strange clicking or tapping noises that come from beams, walls, and other wooden components
- Mud tubes in the soil surrounding the foundation of your home
- Discarded wings
When you see any of the following signs of a termite colony in your house, make sure that you don’t ignore them. The problem won’t go away if you just pretend that there is no problem at all. This will only give these small pests more time to just continue the damage in your home from the inside out.
Tips to Prevent Termite Damage
Most of the time, homeowners insurance doesn’t cover termite removal or the resulting costs for repair. To ensure that you don’t pay thousands or even tens of thousands for repairing termite damage, it is important to be proactive. There are several things that you could do to ensure that termites don’t damage your home:
- If you are living in a place with common termite concerns, contact a professional who can check and inspect for termites at least once a year.
- Check your house and property for signs of termite infestation regularly.
- Find a reliable pest control company that will deal with your existing termite problems. Take note that you will pay less in the future if you solve the issue sooner.
When you take such proactive steps, it is more likely for you to find and destroy termite colonies way before they even get the chance to inflict any serious damage to the structure of your home or property.
What If the Problem Is Not Termites?
Bark beetles are also problem insects that can destroy homes. These beetles can either be quite large or very tiny and could burrow around beneath tree bark. Trees are the source of lumber and there are times when lumber may contain eggs of bark beetles that could bore and emerge through the wood. Wood boring beetles are also close cousins of bark beetles. These are more damaging than bark beetles as they can be present in new construction, with tunneling that can result in wood instability. Another insect that can destroy wood is carpenter bees which can ruin roof eaves, fences, decking materials, and support timbers.
You should never underestimate the small size of termites because these tiny insects can end up damaging and destroying your home if you don’t eliminate them right away.
