and four times as many colonies per acre in Tuscon. With each colony containing upwards of 100,000 individual termites, termite damage is a prevalent issue in the Grand Canyon State.

Your

home insurance

does not cover termites, so if you are a homeowner in Arizona, you’ll need to learn about termites to protect your home from infestation and thousands of dollars worth of damage.

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How to tell if you have a termite infestation

Because termites eat wood from within, termites can go unnoticed for months. If you don’t know the early signs of a termite infestation, you may not realize you have a termite problem until it’s too late.

Look out for these signs of termite activity to curtail serious damage to your home:

Termite mud tubes. Subterranean termites create these pencil-sized tunnels to protect themselves while traveling from their home to yours. You’ll find mud tubes around termite nests, wood structures, and your home’s foundation.

Discarded wings. Young termites fly in tight swarms when they leave the nest and drop their wings before moving into their new home. If you find discarded wings on your windowsill, you probably have termites.

Hollow-sounding walls or floors. Tap on your walls, floorboards, and other wooden structures in your home to confirm you have a termite infestation.

Spongy or blistered floors, droppings, peeling paint, and tiny holes in your drywall also indicate you may have a termite infestation in your home.

MORE: The 16 perils of home insurance

Are termites a problem in Arizona?

Yes, termites are a huge problem in Arizona. With much of the state located on top of the most active subterranean termite belts in North America, most homes are at risk of termite infestation.

You’ll likely encounter these invasive pests as an Arizona homeowner and need to be able to recognize them. Here are the two most common types of termites in Arizona and where you’ll find them:

Arid subterranean termites

From deserts and sand dunes to canyons, rivers, and high altitudes, arid subterranean termites thrive in most Arizona environments and are the type you’ll typically find in your home.

These termites live in underground colonies and use mud tubes to reach wood and cellulose materials. The worker termites are responsible for hunting for food and can survive for months outside the colony attacking your home. You’ll find them in the insulation, paper, stucco, pool liners, carpets, and of course wood structures in your home.

Western drywood termites

These termites love drywood as their name suggests and are easily transported through travel and commerce. Western drywood termites work slowly but cause extensive damage because they’ll form multiple colonies throughout your home. If you find blisters on the wood surfaces in your home or droppings, Western drywood termites have infested your home.

What to do if you have termites

Once you notice signs of a termite infestation, you should take immediate action and call a termite professional to eradicate the problem.

Termite treatment options will vary depending on the type of termites you have and the severity of infestation. Here are the termite treatment methods a pest professional might use:

Bait systems: This method uses a control agent to kill moderate termite infestations. Stations will be placed around your property to lure termites away from your home and the worker termites will carry the agent back to their nest.

Liquid and foam sprays: If you have a subterranean termite infestation, an exterminator will use this method to control it. The perimeter of your home will be treated with a liquid or foam control agent to create a barrier that kills termites on contact.

Fumigation: Cases of serious and drywood termite infestations require fumigation. A pest professional will tent your entire property and use a fumigant to penetrate all the surfaces in your home to kill the termites and any other pests or rodents.

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How to save money on homeowners insurance

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FAQs

Do most homes in Arizona have termites?

Yes, most homes will have termites because Arizona is situated on top of one of the most active subterranean termite belts in North America. There are an average of 12 to 18 termite colonies per acre of land in Tuscon, and 3 to 5 colonies per acre statewide.

How often should you treat for termites in Arizona?

How often you should treat for termites will depend on the type of treatment you use. You should re-treat every five years for liquid termite treatments and monitor bait stations every few months.

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