The cold days of winter are fading away and now is the time of year many homeowners put together a to-do list of spring cleaning tasks. As a first-time homeowner, you are excited to be sweeping out the cobwebs and letting lots of fresh air back inside your home. One thing you must be on the lookout for at this time of year is pests. In particular, look for evidence of termites. This is mating season for these pesky insects, so while you are tackling your spring chore cleanup, here are two signs termites are loitering around your home.

Swarmers

When people think about termites, they often picture the little ant burrowing through the wood pieces in and around a home. However, termites can also fly. During the spring season, male and female alates (swarmers) head away from their existing nest to mate and create a new colony. You may see the flying swarmers at night as they hang around your outdoor lighting, but it is also not unusual to see them during the day, too. Swarmers are particularly busy when rain appears. When you see large numbers of flying termites, then this is a sign they could have taken up residence somewhere on your property.

Swarmer Wings and Digging Debris

If you're outside tidying up the garden to get ready for summer entertaining, and you find a pile of small, white wings, then these are your second sign of termites as they are from the swarmers. After the swarmers mate, they throw off their wings and head into the new colony with their mate. Alternatively, if you find a pile of small wood particles, almost like sawdust, while you are sweeping out the corners of each room, then this digging debris is an indicator that termites are now burrowing through your skirting boards or wooden wall frames. Look for tiny, pinhole-sized holes near the debris to see if you can locate where the termites are colonizing.

If you spot either of these two tell-tale signs, then the next item on your to-do list must be to call your local pest control specialist to arrange for a termite inspection. Only when the inspection is done will you know for sure where the termites are and how much damage they have done. Once you have that information to hand, then you can arrange for pest control to terminate the termites to stop them from damaging your property any further.