What To Do About Termite Tubes

Termite tubes are a very obvious sign you may have a termite problem. Termites are called pests for a reason. If you ever come home to find these tiny insects have decided to claim your house as their own, you should take action immediately. These bothersome insects can end up doing immense harm to your home’s structure. Because termite tubes are a huge red flag, whether you’ve had termites in the past, or think you have them now a professional inspection is necessary.

Termite tubes are paths that these bugs make in order to travel from their food source to the colony. They will appear as dirt-like lines on the walls or foundation of your home. You can always destroy termite tubes, but keep in mind it will not get rid of the real problem. Read on further to find out what you should do if you ever find termite tubes in your house.

Cleaning up Termite Tubes

For many people, a natural response to any infestation is to destroy anything they see. Termite tubes are the main form of transportation for subterranean termites. Therefore, disrupting these tunnels should get rid of them, right? Sadly, this is not the case.

If you ever come across termite tubes on or near your home, the first step will always be to call a professional like Budget Brothers Termite. To see the extent of the infestation, you can pull away a piece of the tunnel. If termites are active, the wall will be rebuilt within a day or so. And if the hole remains untouched, this simply means that the colony may have moved on to a different part of your home. Once you’ve received treatment, and termites are gone for good, you can clean the termite tubes by scraping them off the surfaces and disposing of them.

Iceberg Effect

Termites are tricky insects. Most of the time you won’t even realize you have an issue until it has gotten out of hand. Termite tubes are a definite sign of a problem, but they themselves have little to do with the extent of the infestation. Your first instinct may be to tear the structures away from your property and call it a day. Sadly, all this will do is slow them down for a day or two. They will then re-build their tunnels, or simply move to another nearby food source. Just as it is with icebergs, the tubes are only the part you can see, there is always much more going on beneath the surface.

Wait for a Professional Opinion

As soon as you realize you have termites you need to contact a professional. Do it yourself options are simply not reliable in terms of a complete extermination. In the case of termites, they are more than just a nuisance. They can potentially damage the structure and foundation of your house. We deal with scenarios like this all the time and know exactly how to get rid of termites once and for all. If you come across any termite tubes, it is best to leave them as they are. This allows our professional inspectors to see every aspect of the infestation.

If you discover termite tubes on or around your house, don’t panic. Budget Brothers Termite has the knowledge and experience to take care of the problem and ease your worries. Call us for an estimate today, your house will thank you.