Termites not only put holes in your home’s structure but in your wallet, too. In the United States, termites, bed bugs, and other pests can cause over billions of dollars in damage to crops and structures annually. These pests can produce extensive damage to your property without you even knowing, bombarding you with expensive repairs. And most homeowners in the nation spend thousands of dollars on repairing termite damage in their homes.

Knowing where do termites come from is vital in keeping them out of your property and avoiding costly repairs. A common misconception about the pest is that it comes from rotten wood, and although they love wood, that’s not where they come from.

To help you avoid having a termite infestation at home, here’s a guide on where termites come from, what attracts them, and how to get rid of them using different termites treatment methods.

Where Do Termites Originate?

Three major types of termite species invade different parts of America, including dampwood, drywood, and subterranean termites, and all species originate and thrive in various habitats. These environments help these pests get the food and shelter they need to survive. And unfortunately, this pest deems any home to be a sustainable nesting site for their colonies.

The following are the different common termites that invade any home. Each pest has its preferred habitat and its point of origin.

Drywood Termite

This termite can live in any dry wood habitat, allowing them to find shelters in structured wooden buildings, like your home. These pests can travel into your wooden furnishings or dry firewood, and they can also live in trees nearby the voids or cracks of your home’s exteriors. Because this drywood termites like to live deep inside wood, infestations from this specific termite can be hard to detect.

Dampwood Termite

Opposite of drywood termites are dampwood termites that seek out wet or moisture-damaged wood and damp soil to create their nests. Leaky faucets and gutters in basements and kitchens can draw this pest inside your home, especially if your home has ground-level openings, making it easier for them to travel inside.

Subterranean Termite

Subterranean termites like the dampwood termite require damp soil to nest their colonies. A subspecies of this termite, the Formosan colonies, use mud to create pencil-sized tunnels that lead from their original nests to a food source. You can find subterranean termites in backyards, gardens, and houses where moisture, damp soil, and wood are plentiful. This pest loves munching on fallen branches and old tree stumps.

Knowing their origins can help you quickly detect them, helping you avoid costly repairs. However, it’s best to hire pest control services or have annual termite inspections to prevent them from building a colony in your property.

What Attracts Termites?

Termites are pests, and like most of these creatures, they have a natural attraction to food, water, and shelter. Anywhere termites can find convenient and unhindered access to any of these things is a place that’s attractive to them.

• Food

Termites are mostly attracted to food sources, which include wood and cellulose material. They typically like munching on lumber, firewood, paper, and framing. So, never store these materials near places that are accessible to termites like the foundation of your home. Quickly remove rotten lumber or firewood to avoid these pests creating colonies in your property.

• Water

The moist soil of your home’s foundation is a perfect breeding ground for these wood-destroying insects. Keep the land next to your property’s foundation as dry as possible by quickly repairing leaking gutters, faucets, splash blocks, pipes, or downspouts. You can use irrigation systems and lawn sprinklers to minimize water gathering near your home’s foundation.

• Shelter

A moist, dark, and warm place is a termite’s preferred breeding ground or home. These selected conditions make the undisturbed places in your home, including attics, crawl spaces, and garages a perfect place for them to thrive. Avoid getting these pests by reducing the moisture in your property’s crawl spaces by getting moisture inspections and evaluations to find the sources and solutions.

You can keep a lookout on these conditions to avoid getting termite damage in your home and paying for expensive repairs. However, these can be hard to detect, so if you want to ensure your house is free from termites, hire your local pest control company for the best results.

What is the First Sign of Termites?

Usually, the first signs of termite infestations in your property are the presence of ‘swarmers’ of flying termites, which often leaves discarded transparent wings near your home’s surfaces. When you see these termites, it’s when male and female termites decide to leave their old nest and find a mate then establish a new colony near your property. When you see wings near your window sills or anywhere near your house, consult with a pest control company to see which treatment termite is the best.

Preventing Termite Infestation

When these pests find a suitable nesting place in your property, they’re quick to invade it, even if most houses don’t attract them actively. Most homeowners only notice infestations after they’ve become severe. Preventive measures you can make include knowing the different treatment of termites, scheduling annual termite inspections, keeping an eye on potential hidden leaks and wood away from your home’s foundation.

We hope this article helped you find the answer to where do termites come from. Schedule regular inspections with your local pest control companies and keep an eye out for leaky fixtures or rotten wood to avoid paying for costly repairs due to damage from these pests, saving your home and your wallet.