Termites are voracious wood eaters and often times can lead to extensive structural damage, so the earlier you catch them, the better. Fortunately, you can look for signs that you have termites and address the situation by getting help right away.

Seeing Termites in the Home

Since termites need moisture and damp areas to live, you should first look for any damp, moist areas near wood in your house such as leaky faucets or air conditioners, as they will be the most attractive to termites. If you find anything, make sure that they’re actually termites rather than ants. You can tell termites apart from ants by look at the body; termites have a broad midsection and curved antennae, while ants have thin midsections and right-angled antennae. You may also find them on the window sill or actually in flight around the house after a rainstorm.

Shelter Tubes

You should also look for cracks in the foundation of your home. Termites need moist and dark areas to live so they will build   pencil-thick shelter tubes out of mud to find new sources of wood and moisture. To check whether the tubes are currently active and used, you can snap one off and see whether or not it gets rebuilt.  

Wood Damage

This is the most conclusive sign of termites, even though it may be more difficult to find. Look for any weakened or cracked wood and break off a piece. Termites will have dug little holes all throughout the wood and may have tracked in dirt as well.  Make sure not to confuse it with dry rot (where you’ll see fungus inside the wood) or water damage (where you will see dirt).  

If you think you’ve found termites in your home, don’t panic. Termites are actually very slow at eating through wood, so you’re home won’t become unsafe anytime soon. However, you will need to call in a professional since actually getting rid of an infestation isn’t easy task. TalkLocal can help you by finding you a local high quality pest control expert to talk with in just minutes, so that you’ll be clearing up that termite problem in no time!

You love taking care of your garden, but you are expecting a baby. So you are wondering, are pesticides harmful to pregnant women?  Pesticides and other household chemicals can be toxic to everyone, but pregnant women are even more at risk.  There are pesticides harmful to pregnant women and their babies in many homes across the country.  If the proper precautions are not taken, particularly during the first trimester when the baby’s neural system is developing, overexposure to pesticides can increase the risk of certain birth defects and learning problems.  Read on for some basic rules of thumb for keeping your child safe from pesticides during pregnancy.

Before you start emptying out your garage and kitchen of every single chemical product, keep in mind that the greatest risk from pesticides is from being in contact with a large amount on a regular basis.  When birth problems from pesticides are observed it is almost always a situation in which the mother either worked on or lived very close to a big agricultural farm where large amounts of pesticides were being applied.  If you are in an area like that, or work at a job where you are regularly exposed to such chemicals, it is highly recommended that you remove yourself to a different location for at least the first trimester of pregnancy when the baby is most vulnerable.  Otherwise, pesticides in the home are still dangerous but unlikely to cause serious harm.  To be safe, pregnant women should avoid contact with pesticides whenever possible, having someone else apply them when they need to be used and avoiding the areas where they are applied.

Another potential cause for concern is pesticides that are commonly found in produce at the grocery store.  Produce should always be washed before eating it, but some poisons can penetrate the food and cannot be washed off.  There has not been a great deal of study on the effects of pesticides found in food on pregnant women, but it cannot hurt to try to avoid them.  Many doctors suggest purchasing organic produce as much as possible during pregnancy in order to avoid exposure through food.  This is not strictly necessary, but not a bad idea if you are worried about pesticide exposure.  In order to avoid this potential problem all together, hire a professional to take care of all your pest control needs during your pregnancy.  With TalkLocal, you will be connected to up to three highly qualified exterminators in your area within minutes.