If you were successful in this crazy housing market and actually were able to purchase a home, the last thing you want to find out. is that your home has a termite infestation. Termites if left untreated can cause thousands of dollars of damage to your home, and can put your family in danger. One question we’re constantly asked by homeowners is if termites can caused damage to drywall. Thankfully, here are some drywall signs of termites to be on the lookout and hope to prevent these damaging insects!
Why Termites Are Attracted To Drywall
It’s near common knowledge that termites are attracted to wood, but termites are actually attracted to cellulose instead of just wood. Cellulose is an insoluble substance which is made up of plant cell walls, which means it makes up paper, wood, clothes, and drywall. Since there is cellulose inside of drywall, termites are attracted to drywall. Since pretty much every home in America uses drywall in some fashion, most houses are technically at risk of a termite infestation.
Drywall Signs Of Termites – Signs of Termite Drywall Damage
A serious infestation of termites can cause heavy damage to drywall along with other areas of your home. This means it’s incredibly important to look out for warning signs of termites so that you can catch the infestation early and limit any serious damage to your home. Here are some drywall signs of termites to look out for:
- Holes In Drywall: As termites are eating their way through drywall, they will create pinhole sized holes in the drywall to release feces and occasionally used as an entrance. These will be small holes around the sized of a pinhead, but there can be multiple holes on a single wall.
- Discarded Wings: Another obvious sign of a termite infestation in and around drywall is a pile of discarded wings. After termites are done swarming they’ll lose their wings, and they are often discarded right outside where the infestation is living. So if you have a termite drywall infestation, they will likely pileup right along the drywall.
- Hollow Sounding Drywall: Hollow drywall is slightly more difficult to identify than hollow wood, but if you are suspecting a termite infestation in and around drywall it can be worth to start knocking on the drywall and see if you can notice obvious hollow spots.
- Termite Frass: Termite frass is another word for termite poop. As termites eat their way through material, they have to excrete this material in the form of frass. They often do this by excreting out of a pinhead sized hole in the drywall, which means the frass will be found along the ground by the wall, or smeared down the wall. Read our guide on what does termite poop look like!
- Mud Tubes: Subterranean termites will build mud tubes on drywalls as a shelter for the colony as well as a way to easily travel in and out of drywall. Mud tubes are extremely easy to identify because they don’t look like anything that might naturally occur inside your home. Generally they will start on the ground and travel a few feet up the wall, but they can come in all different shapes and sizes!
- Head Banging Noises: When termites think they are in danger, they will bang their heads against the drywall to warn the rest of the infestation of danger. Since termites are so small these noises are quite faint, but they are definitely noticeable, especially at night. So if you’re wondering do termites make noise, well the do!
How To Prevent Termites In Drywall
Because cellulose is in most types of building materials, most homes are at risk of a termite infestation. That being said, there are a few different things you can do to prevent termites from entering your home and prevent termites from damaging your drywall and the rest of your home:
- Clean The Perimeter Of Your Home: If you’re ever wondering where do termites come from? Well the majority of the time termites come from outside and then into your home in the pursuit of food, water and shelter. By cleaning up the perimeter of your home you help to create a barrier between your home and termites looking for a new food source. So clean up piles of wood, overgrown bushes and hedges, and generally just clean the perimeter of your home.
- Fill Entrance Cracks And Crevices: Since termites are coming from outside and then into your home you want to make it as difficult as possible for them to find an entrance to your home. You can do this by sealing and cracks and crevices using caulk, spray foam or steel wool. This will also help any infestations of other insects and rodents.
- Routinely Inspect For Signs of Termites: Everyone is at risk of termites, so you need to be diligent about looking for signs of termites. The soon you find an infestation the easier it is to remove it, and you prevent serious damage.
- Call A Professional: Although there are plenty of DIY termite solutions which are relatively successful, calling a professional is going to be the surefire way to remove an existing infestation or prevent a future infestation. If you have a severe termite infestation they might have to do termite tenting, which is a bit more extensive, but termite tenting lasts quite a while!
Final Thoughts On Drywall Signs Of Termites:
Termites are any homeowners worst nightmare. But thankfully they can be prevented and if you have an active infestation they can be removed! If you currently have a drywall termite infestation, we recommend you use one of our trusted service providers to professional remove your termites!
I hope you’ve found this guide on drywall signs of termites helpful and I hope it helps you protect your home from termites!
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