What You Need to Know About Termites in Nevada
Termite damage is a risk to homes in Nevada, but proper preventative measures and treatments can reduce the chance of termite damage.
Written by Aimee Lynn Everett
Reviewed by Melanie Reiff
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Table of Contents
- How to tell if you have a termite infestation
- Are termites a problem in Nevada?
- What to do if you have termites
- How to save money on homeowners insurance
- FAQs
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Depending on where you live in Nevada, there is a slight to high probability that your home will fall victim to termite damage.
To reduce your risk of having to deal with costly repairs after a termite infestation, make sure you can spot the signs of an infestation and prevent termites from entering your home in the first place.
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How to tell if you have a termite infestation
Since termites rarely come into contact with humans, a termite infestation can go unnoticed for months—or even years—if you don’t know how to spot the signs they leave behind in your home.
Even though these insects stay hidden inside the wood they are eating, they do leave some traces behind including:
- Discarded wings: Winged termites will swarm to find a mate when it is time to start a new colony. After swarming, they shed their wings and leave them to gather on windowsills or in spiderwebs near your foundation.
- Mud tubes: Subterranean termites use soil, wood, and their saliva to build mud tubes that connect their underground nest to their food source. Mud tubes are normally found along cracks in your foundation.
- Hollow-sounding wood: As termites eat away at wood from the inside out, they leave behind tunnels that can make wooden structures sound unusually hollow when you knock on them.
- Hard-to-open windows or doors: Subterranean termites thrive in damp environments and introduce moisture into wood as they eat it. If that wood happens to be part of your doors or windows, the moisture can cause swelling or warping that make them hard to open.
- Droppings: Drywood termites commonly leave behind their droppings, called frass, in small piles that look like sawdust or salt and pepper.
You may also see bubbling or peeling paint, visibly crumbling wood, and tiny holes in drywall, which can be signs that termites are feasting on your house.
Are termites a problem in Nevada?
According to the
Termite Infestation Probability Zones
(TIP Zones) map established by the US Forest Service, the southern two thirds of Nevada is located in TIP Zone #2 (moderate to heavy probability) and the northern third of the state is in TIP Zone #3 (slight to moderate probability).This means that houses in the southern portion of Nevada have a significant possibility of termite damage while those in the northern portion have a smaller likelihood of dealing with an infestation.
Nevada is home to three termite varieties: subterranean termites, drywood termites, and dampwood termites.
Subterranean termites
Subterranean termites are the most common and most destructive type of termite in the United States.
These termites live underground and prefer to come into your home through small cracks in the foundation. Other than the mud tubes that they construct, subterranean termites leave very little evidence that they have infiltrated your house until they have caused extensive damage.
In Nevada, subterranean termites typically swarm on warm days after a rainstorm.
Drywood termites
Drywood termites—like their name suggests—like to eat and live in dry wood. They are commonly found in parts of your home that aren’t very moist, such as the attic.
The most common sign of drywood termites are the droppings they leave behind. Small piles of droppings are most often found near small holes in baseboards, walls, or other wood around your house.
These termites are most commonly found in the southern portion of Nevada where the weather is warmer and drier. They are known to swarm year-round.
Dampwood termites
In Nevada, dampwood termites are the least common to find.
Dampwood termites prefer very damp wood, like rotting logs, woodpiles, and other wood that is on or near the ground outside. They can be caught swarming in the evenings between May and September.
What to do if you have termites
If you suspect you have a termite infestation, call a termite control service as soon as possible. Once they inspect your home and confirm your suspicions, a termite expert can recommend the best treatment to rid your house of these six-legged invaders.
Depending on the type of termite you are dealing with and the severity of the infestation, there are a few different termite treatment options including:
- Bait stations: The poison in bait stations works slowly so that termites have time to take it back and share it with the whole colony. Though bait stations are the easiest way to get rid of termites, they can take months to eradicate an infestation.
- Liquid termiticide: Liquid termiticide is applied to the perimeter of your home. A termite expert will dig a trench along your foundation and apply the chemical treatment to the soil to block subterranean termites from getting into your house.
- Fumigation: If your termite situation is severe, fumigation may be the best choice to treat your whole house. A large tent is put over your house and filled with a gas that will kill the termites. If you opt for fumigation, your family and pets will have to leave your house for a day or two during the treatment.
Home repairs and yard maintenance can also decrease the chance that your house will become a meal for hungry termites. Fixes that deter termites include:
- Filling cracks in your foundation
- Fixing leaks inside and outside your home
- Storing firewood and yard debris away from your house
- Replacing loose or damaged weatherstripping on your windows and doors
How to save money on homeowners insurance
Most homeowners insurance doesn’t cover termite damage, but having a good policy will still provide coverage if other unexpected events damage your home. If you are looking for the easiest way to get the right homeowners insurance at a low price, look no further than
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FAQs
How common are termite infestations in Nevada?
If you live in the southern two-thirds of Nevada, you have a higher chance of experiencing a termite infestation than homeowners in the northern third of the state.
Since subterranean termites thrive everywhere in Nevada, you should be on the lookout for signs of an infestation no matter which part of the state you call home.
How often should you treat for termites in Nevada?
Bait stations should be inspected and maintained by a termite control company every one to three months. Liquid termiticide usually remains effective for between five and ten years after it is applied.
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