Termites are active in Arizona all year, but if you ask us, this stretch from fall through winter is when we see the most of it. By the time most homeowners notice something’s wrong, the damage has usually been happening quietly for a while. Here’s what we tell our own customers to keep an eye out for.
Mud (Shelter) Tubes
These pencil-wide tunnels of dirt running up a foundation wall, inside a garage, or through a crawl space are termites’ way of traveling between the soil and your home without drying out. If you’ve spotted one of these, we’ve actually written a whole post walking through exactly what they are and what to do about them: What Are Those Dirt Tubes on My Foundation?
Discarded Wings Near Doors or Windows
When a termite colony sends out swarmers to start a new colony, those winged termites shed their wings almost as soon as they land somewhere promising. A small pile of wings, they look papery and roughly the same size, near a windowsill or door can be one of the earliest signs you’ll actually see with your own eyes.
Wood That Sounds Hollow or Feels Soft
Termites eat wood from the inside out, often leaving just a thin layer of paint or wood grain intact on the surface. Try tapping on exposed wood trim, baseboards, or a wood fence post with the handle of a screwdriver. A dull, hollow sound, or wood that gives way more easily than it should, is worth having looked at.
Tiny Pinholes or Bubbling Paint
This one’s subtle, and it’s easy to miss if you’re not looking for it. Small pinholes in drywall, or paint that looks slightly bubbled or uneven on a wall or trim, can mean termites are working just behind the surface.
Doors or Windows That Suddenly Stick
We hear this one a lot: “my door just started sticking out of nowhere.” Termite activity and the moisture that comes with it can warp wood framing enough that a door or window that used to open easily starts catching.
A Faint Clicking Sound in the Walls
This is a real thing, not an old wives’ tale. Soldier termites bang their heads against the walls of their tunnels to signal danger to the rest of the colony. It’s quiet, and you’d need a fairly quiet house to notice it, but if you’ve ever heard a faint clicking coming from inside a wall, it’s worth a second look.
Why Now Is a Good Time to Get Ahead of It
Termite pressure in the Valley runs heaviest from fall through winter, even though they never fully stop working. If it’s been a while since your last inspection, or if any of the above sounds familiar, now’s a smart time to get a second set of eyes on it before it turns into a bigger repair bill come spring.
We offer free termite inspections, no contracts, no pressure, just a straight answer about what’s going on. Give us a call at (480) 677-8961, text us at (480) 682-8004, or head over to our Termite Control page to learn more about how we handle it.
