Termites in your house? How to deal with them and stop them coming back to eat your home

No homeowner wants the nightmare of termites quietly eating their house without them knowing. Termites are a silent threat that can do enormous damage to the wooden structure and furniture of a home — by the time you notice, the wood is sometimes almost completely hollow. Here is how to respond: from spotting the warning signs, to dealing with them properly, to keeping them from coming back.

Warning signs! Check now whether your house has termites

Before the problem spreads, walk around the house and check these 4 simple signs:

• Mud tubes: termites often build mud tunnels along walls, skirting boards or columns to keep moist while they travel
• A hollow sound when you knock: try knocking on door frames, window frames or wooden walls — a hollow sound means the wood inside has already been eaten
• Discarded wings on the floor: flying termites (alates) are the reproductive caste; if you see shed wings near light bulbs or window sills, there is a termite nest close to your house
• Wood dust or termite droppings: they look like tiny grains of sand on the floor near wooden furniture

Found them mid-way? How to respond and get rid of termites

If you find termites in your house, the key rule is: never spray ordinary insect spray on the termite trails because it startles the termites and they scatter to build new tunnels where you can't see them. Use these approaches instead:

• Use a termite bait system: place bait stations along the trails; the termites carry the bait back to share at the nest, wiping out the entire colony
• Use a dedicated termite spray or treatment: good for spraying into corners or spots where you first find damage — choose a formula with a transfer effect that carries the chemical back to the nest

4 long-term ways to keep termites from coming back

Prevention is always better than cure. Follow this termite-prevention checklist:

• Reduce moisture in the house: repair leaking water pipes and open windows regularly for ventilation, because termites love damp places
• Seal the cracks: Use silicone or sealant to fill cracks in concrete floors and walls, closing off the termites' route up from the ground
• Clear wood piles around the house: avoid stacking scrap wood, cardboard boxes or leaf litter against the house
• Inject termite treatment into the soil: spray or inject treatment into the pipe system under the house every 1-3 years, depending on how long the product lasts

Important caution: If you find that termites have eaten into columns, beams or the main timber structure and caused serious damage, consulta structural specialistright away to assess safety, and call ina professional termite control companyto set up a proper treatment system, for the safety of the house and the people living in it.