Pests That Damage Your Home
Termites are notorious for their wood-destroying habits, but they are not the only insects that can damage your property. Let’s look at other types of wood-destroying insects and what you can do to prevent them from damaging your home.
Wood-Destroying Insects Include Carpenter Bees
Carpenter bees are a type of bee that can cause significant damage to wood. They are yellow and black and resemble bumblebees. They cause damage by drilling small holes and tunnels in the wood to create nests and laying their eggs inside.
Carpenter Ants
Like carpenter bees, carpenter ants also chew small holes into wood to lay their eggs. They build tunnels there and live in large colonies. They prefer softer wood and are attracted to locations where moisture damage has affected the wood. Carpenter ants are usually black, red, or both colors.
Wood Borers are Common Wood-Destroying Insects
Wood borers are a general type of insect that tunnels through wood and causes damage. These insects include types of beetles, like Metallic wood borers, bark beetles, and long-horned beetles and wood wasps. These insects usually attack weakened wood or dead and dying trees, though some choose healthy trees to lay eggs.
Powderpost Beetles
Powderpost beetles often lay their eggs inside cracks within wooden materials. The larvae that hatch from the eggs eat the wood, turning it into powder. Powderpost beetles can cause significant damage to wood furniture, floors, and other wooden components of a home.
How to Prevent Damage From Wood-Destroying Insects
To help prevent wood-destroying insects from damaging your home, keep wood away from the foundation of the building. Wood stored near your property is enticing for wood-destroying insects. They may create nests there and then move into your home.
Have cracks in the foundation of your home repaired immediately. Cracks in the siding or gaps around the property can create an entryway for these insects to access your home and cause damage to wooden structures inside your property.
Dealing with Wood Destroying Insects
Contact a professional pest control company if you suspect wood-destroying insects are damaging your property. When you see obvious signs, the insects may have already caused significant damage.
A pest control company will treat your property and eliminate any infestations that are present. You’ll need to hire a professional to repair wood damaged by these insects.
Wood-destroying insects can cause damage to the wood around your home, including trim, furniture, and structural components. It’s essential to act quickly if you suspect insect activity on your property to protect your investment.
Ocean State Home Inspections offers termite inspections to Rhode Island and Massachusetts. Contact us to request an appointment.