Sure.
Termites can pop up at any time so this is a smart thing to do.
If you find termites (or any other wood-destroying insect) in or around your home, call a professional pest control company so they can treat the area before they cause structural damage.
If you live in a cold winter climate, this is best done during the spring and summer months, when they are more active and easier to find.
Another thing to remember is that inspection methods vary depending on the type of wood-destroying insects in your area.
This ranges from Dry wood termites to Formosan or Subterranean termites and Carpenter Ants (or even the Carpenter Bees) to Powder Post Beetles.
Lastly, there are places where you can find a combination of these guys. Like Subterranean termites and Carpenter Ants together.
They each have different inspection methods, and each leaves behind different clues.
These pointers are general in nature and don’t address a specific type of wood-destroying insect (WDI) or wood-destroying organism (WDO).
Whew! OK, let’s get going…
First, grab a flashlight and a long screwdriver. These are your tools.
Your screwdriver is for tapping on wood and stabbing any areas you might think have termites. If you also have a crawlspace or cellar you may want to put on your weekend work clothes because you’ll end up dirty before you’re done.
Next, start outside of the home.
Disturb any mulch and wood in contact with the soil as you walk around your home.
Get behind any bushes and inspect your foundation wall. Look for mud tubes, blistered wood, and pellets.
Look at your garage door frame for mud tubes and blistered wood. Open and check inside any bait traps around the perimeter of your yard.
Inside your home, start at the front door and check the walls, ceiling, baseboards, and windows. Look for termite wings, bodies, frass (piles of sawdust), mud, blistered wood, etc.
Open all exterior doors and check for wood decay at the bottom of doors and door frames.n
In the garage, walk around the perimeter looking closely at the concrete walls, garage door frame, and expansion joints for mud tubes.
Go into the attic and check gable vents for swarmer wings, pellets, and emergence holes.
If you have a basement or crawlspace, start at the ceiling and work your way down to the floor.
Look at the rim joist, subfloor, floor joists, main beam, and support posts.
Pay attention to areas of rot and moisture damage and areas between sistered joists.
Expect this to take about 1 hour to perform.
You’ll want to do this every year, especially if you live in an older, mature area.
