Termites are tiny, winged pests that look somewhat like a flying ant. The difference between a flying ant and a termite, is that termites will eat the wood around your home, and can leave it so severely damaged that you may need to have your home repaired, which can get very costly. There are signs you can look out for to know if you even have a termite problem. Read on for signs of a termite problem, and how to get rid of them if you do have them.

Signs Of Termites

Termites may not always be present where you can actually see them. If you don't see an actual termite, there are signs to tell you they may be present at your home. A few signs to watch out for include:

• Small mud tunnels along your foundation. Termites will use these tunnels to find food and take them back to their colony. These tunnels look similar to a mud dauber wasp nest, but the termite tunnels are not always straight. Instead, they curve and move along the foundation or other area of your home. 
• Dead termites may be spotted around the foundation of your home, or along the route where they have been moving.
• The wood around your home may sound hollow, where they have eaten their way through the wood. If you knock on the window frame for instance and it sounds hollow, or you spot any holes in the wood or see sawdust, it could be a termite problem.

Removing And Killing Termites

The termite removal process should be left to a professional termite pest control company. You can try to remove the pests yourself by removing the rotten wood that the pests are trying to eat through. Repairing the rotten wood will get rid of the food the termites are trying to eat, and hopefully the pests will move on to someplace else to find food. You can also try to trick the pests by placing a piece of wet cardboard near where you have seen the termites. Once the termites have moved onto the cardboard, take the piece of cardboard and remove it from your home. You can also burn the cardboard to get rid of the piece of cardboard and the termites with it.

If you have a termite problem, it can become a major issue for your home, and one that can be very expensive to repair. Call a termite pest control company for help in removing these pests properly from your home.