Termite Control Services in Scarsdale

• Formosan Subterranean Termites: While less common than Eastern Subterranean Termites in Scarsdale, they are an aggressive and highly destructive species that has been found in some areas of New York. They form large colonies and can cause extensive damage more quickly than native subterranean termites. Their presence requires specialized control methods.
• Drywood Termites: Unlike subterranean termites, drywood termites do not need contact with the soil. They establish colonies directly within the wood they infest, often in attics or furniture. While they tend to cause damage more slowly than subterranean termites, their infestations can still be significant and challenging to detect. Their presence in Scarsdale is less frequent but still a concern.
• Dampwood Termites: These termites are attracted to wood with high moisture content. In Scarsdale, they might be found in decaying or water-damaged wood around homes. Addressing moisture issues is a key component of controlling dampwood termite infestations.

Identifying the specific termite species infesting your Scarsdale property is a critical first step in implementing an effective control plan.

Signs of a Termite Infestation

Signs of termites in your home are often subtle, and damage generally appears in places not easily seen. The most common warning signs for termites include:

• Sagging floors and ceilings - The impact of termite activity can cause your floors and ceilings to sag. As termites feed on a home's structural wood, it becomes weakened, leading to sagging.
• Swarms of insects - Reproductive members of termite colonies exit from the soil or wood they're feeding on in "swarms." A large number of swarmers indicates a well-established termite colony around or inside your New York home.
• Swarmers - Like other species of insects, the reproductive males and females develop wings and are referred to as "swarmers" or "alates." Alates swarm outside, mate, and then the males die while the fertilized females form new colonies.
• Tubes in the soil - Termites create "mud tubes" as small pencil-width tubes. They use them to move through the soil and onto the bits of wood they've found to feed on inside your home.
• Piles of wings - After a termite swarm has occurred, you may discover numerous pairs of discarded wings lying around your home. Seeing them is a sign that a termite colony is nearby. Properly identify the insect.
• Bubbling or peeling paint - When termites get behind walls, their moisture creates peeling, bubbling, or discoloration in the paint.
• Wall damage - Compromised and damaged drywall allows moisture to build on your walls and weaken the structural integrity of your home. By this time, the termite infestation can be quite severe.
• Hollow-sounding wood - Termite tunnels weaken wood structures as they chew through. The wood may sound hollow when tapped.
• Discarded wings - After a termite swarmer (young reproductive termite) lands, it discards its wings in a vertical pile. These piles of wings could be found inside or outside your home.
• Walls and foundation that contact soil - Exterior walls and foundations should be several inches above the soil to make it hard for termites to access the foundation and crawl space where they can eventually work their way up into your home.
• Cardboard or paper materials - Termites naturally feed on wood and cellulose materials, like paper and cardboard. Having clutter in your home and property near the outside provides termites with easy access to your home.
• Mud Tubes - We will often find termite tubes on a building's exterior. Look around your doors, windows, vents, utility lines, and ground through any crack or crevice - that's all they need to invade your home.