Last week, we took a look at some creepy crawlies that have the potential to damage hardwood floors. If subterranean termites have invaded your home, they may very well decide to chow down on some flooring. But this damage can be difficult to spot. You won’t see these insects on the surface of the wood. They tunnel within the wood itself so their soft bodies aren’t exposed to dry air. They’re also picky eaters, choosing the soft part of the wood and leaving the hard areas of the grain intact. One clue you can look for is areas where the wood appears blistered or darkened.
What’s In Your Wood?
There’s another kind of termite that’s even more dangerous to hardwood flooring – drywood termites. These insects don’t require soil or much moisture to survive. They live in dry lumber and eat both soft and hard areas of the wood. With these termites, you will see small holes in your floor with little piles of droppings around them.
How worried should you be about these bugs? According to entomologists at the University of Maryland, drywood termites are not native to this area. This means if you have a drywood infestation it probably arrived with the flooring. To avoid this problem, you should have your hardwood floors provided by a company you trust to choose only high-quality, termite-free lumber for your home.
