Are you suspecting wood termites in your furniture? Well, it is disturbing when you experience termites in your wooden furniture. I am happy to share a friend’s experience with dry termite infestation; with you.
A friend made a mistake and bought termites infested furniture. Later, she has to discard some of the wood and treat some too. That cost her a lot of money to replace her lost furniture and repair the damaged furniture.
If you are here to learn more about wood termites or something new, you are at the right place.
I will share relatable ways you can identify wood termites in furniture. I will also discuss 5 ways to eliminate wood termites in your home’s furnishings.
Stick to the end of this article to find out more.
Should I Check For Wood Termites Before I Buy New Wood Furniture?
Yes, before you buy any new furniture for your house, you must ensure you have cleared up all doubts. There is a need for termites inspection.
You would not want to repeat my friend’s mistake with the furniture she bought.
If you do not have termite experience, the best thing to do is to call a professional pest control agent. That will save you from the stress that wood termites will bring you in the future.
Why Should I Check For Termites In Wood Furniture Before Buying
Acquiring home furniture is exciting, especially if it is your first time, but it is also costly. What most people fail to do is check for termites in the furniture before they buy it.
Most of the time, the attention is on the affordability and beauty of the furniture they want to buy.
It is a common mistake most new buyers make when buying wooden furniture for the first time. Only a few people go a step further to carry out termites inspection on the wooden furniture they want to buy.
It cost me so many dollars to get new wooden furniture in my new home. The thought of that amount of money slipping off my hand to the furniture seller often gets me thinking.
I asked myself, what if the furniture did not last like the sellers are advertising it? What if wood-destroying pests like carpenter ants or termites are present in the table I want to buy?
Will the money be a waste? I had countless questions running through my mind, but the issue of pests was the one that got me more worried.
I concluded that I must stay alert to protect my property from pest invasion.
Can I Stay In A House Without Furniture To Avoid Wood Termites?
No, you cannot have a complete home without furniture to beautify the interior. That is not possible. Have you ever imagined where your guest will sit or sleep when they pay you a visit to your home?
Having a couple of pieces of furniture in your house is vital. The presence of furniture in your house adds extra beauty to your house and makes you feel at home.
1qq1The fact is a house without any furniture is not an option. And losing your furniture because of termites is also not an option.
The United Environmental Protection Agency statistics show more money goes into termite treatment. It says most business owners and homeowners spend more money treating termite damage.
They spend approximately $2 billion almost every year to treat termite damage.
I am glad you are here consuming this information to guard your house against wood termites.
Let’s find out more.
What Are Wood Termites In Furniture Like?
Drywood termites are termite that lives in dry woods. Dry wood termites are oval and also light brown. They live inside the woods and destroy the wood.
Drywood termites are like subterranean termites; they eat anything with cellulosic material.
The best place to locate dry wood termites is in the wooden furniture at home.
Why Is It Important To Check For Termites In Wooden Furniture Before Buying
You know, checking for termites before you hand over the money to the seller is essential. Even if you have paid for the furniture already, do not move them to the house if you have not inspected them well.
If you do not know how to check for termites in wood furniture, you can call professional pest inspectors.
Buying a set of new furniture for the home is another investment next to housing. If you do not set specific measures, that joy will turn into tears after you move that furniture into your house.
To save yourself from future stress, you can organize a termites inspection before you make the payment.
Also, when you carry out a termite inspection, it saves your entire house. Termite inspection gives you the chance to protect your property. Buying infested furniture will spread to other properties in your home with time.
They will feed on your home. They will attack every wooden structure in your house and eat the cellulose.
A long-term wood termite infestation can lead to massive damage that can cost money.
Can Wood Termites In Furniture Destroy My New Wooden Furniture?
Yes, termites can destroy both new and old furniture. You must conduct a severe pest inspection before paying for the new wood furniture. They usually hide in the wood and feed on the core or the center of the wood. It is the cellulose in the wood that they feed on.
The termites can stay there as long as cellulose is available in the wood. If that gets finished, they move to another area in the woods.
If you don’t have termite experience, do not buy furniture without inspection. You can get a qualified pest control worker to inspect the furniture you want to buy for your home.
Can I Do A Termite Inspection Myself Before I Buy New Wood Furniture?
Yes, you can do termite inspections yourself if you are an expert and want to buy new wood furniture. But if you are not an expert and decide to check for termites yourself, you only put your house in danger.
Most often, the appearance of the furniture can deceive you into believing there are no termites in it.
Termites are pests that can stay in wood for a long without noticing. These are often dry wood termites. They are pests. We do not joke around, so do not take things for granted.
Do not keep that few dollars you need to use to hire professionals to inspect for you in your pocket and do it yourself. That small dollar you want to save can cost you a lot of dollars in the future.
If you do not know how to check for termites or have no experience, do not assume you can. Do not risk your entire investment because of ignorance.
Are There Signs To Use To Identify Wood Termites In New Wood Furniture?
Yes, there are several signs one can use to identify termites in new wood furniture. Some of these signs are visible signs that anyone can see without stress. But there are other signs only experts can use to check for termites.
If you check for termites in your wooden furniture and do not see one, don’t conclude that there are no termites.
That could mean two different things. It can mean that the signs of termites infestation in the wood are not yet visible. It could also mean you do not have termite infestation.
If you did not see any sign of termites, you need an expert to recheck the wooden furniture to confirm your results. If there is no termite infestation going on in the wooden structures, then that means you have done a great job. But if they identify termite infestation, they will give you a treatment recommendation.
Can I Buy Wood Furniture With Wood Termites In It?
Please do not make the mistake of buying wood furniture with termites because it is affordable. But if you feel like purchasing the infested furniture because it is cheap, you can do that at your own risk.
When the furniture has a termite infestation, it gives the buyer high bargaining power. The buyer often determines how much he wants to pay for the infested furniture.
Consider the effect if you choose to buy cheap furniture with termite infestation.
Before you make such a decision, you need to get the consent of experts. They can tell you the degree of the termite infestation in the wood.
If they assure you they can deal with all the termites in the wood, then you can pay for the infested furniture.
The following paragraphs show 4 ways to check for termites in new wood furniture before you buy them.
4 Ways To Identify Wood Termites In Wooden Furniture
If you want to check for termites in wood furniture, these 4 signs will help you identify termites in wood—mud tubes, tunnels in wood, hollow in wood, and termite droppings.
Mud Tubes Are A Sign Of Termites In Wood.
One sign you can use to identify termites in your new wood furniture is mud tubes. It often occurs when the wooden furniture has been in one position for a long time without movement. Two main types of termites are the dry wood and subterranean termites that can destroy wood. Dry wood termites live in dry woods, but subterranean termites live underground.
It is the subterranean termites that often build mud tubes from underground. So if you see mud tubes on your furniture, it is from subterranean termites, not dry wood termites. They create mud tubes to protect them from predators.
Seeing such a thing on the furniture indicates termite infestation in the wood.
With this sign, you do not need an expert to tell you there are termites in the wood. Sometimes too, mud tubes can be a result of the previous infestation. So you can get confirmation from termites inspection experts.
Frass Is A Sign Of Wood Termites In Wooden Furniture.
Frass is the waste pallet that termites release after they finish eating wood. It is another sign of termites in wood furniture. It’s powdery and looks like sawdust or coffee ground. You can use this clue to tell if there are termites in the wood.
Using frass can be deceptive because they look so much like dust. So if you see any powdery substance in your wooden furniture, do not assume it is dust. That could be a byproduct of the termites.
But, if you are unsure what frass are, the best thing you can do is to let an expert check the furniture for you.
Holes In Wood Are A Sign Of Wood Termites’ In Furniture.
Another sign you can look for is holes in wood furniture. Termites use the holes as exits or routes to escape during the summer when their flight takes place.
These holes are called exit holes. One thing about exit holes is that they are challenging to see with the naked eye.
Also, there is another pest aside from termites that also creates exit holes. Some of these pests are beetles and carpenter ants.
It is not easy. If you are not an expert in differentiating termite exit holes from the others, then you need an expert to do it.
Hollow Sounds Are A Sign Of Wood Termites In Furniture.
Another sign of wood termite infestation in wooden furniture is a hollow sound.
It is challenging to detect hollow sounds in a wood when the termite infestation is early. If you hear an open sound in your wood furniture, the infestation has been going on for a long time.
Usually, you can hear a hollow sound when you tap on the wood. So if you are planning to buy new wood furniture, you can use the open sound to check for dry wood termites.
So if you tap on the wood and do not hear any hollow sound, do not assume there are no termites in the furniture. You have to call a pest control professional before you can conclude.
Tunnels In Wood Are A Sign Of Dry Wood Termites In Wooden Furniture.
Another sign of dry wood termites in wood furniture you can be on the lookout for is the presence of tunnels.
Tunnels are galleries of termites built in wood. Tunnels in wood are clear evidence of termites activity in the wood furniture. When these termites get into the wood, they excavate through it and create a series of galleries.
One thing about the wood tunnels is that it is difficult for an ordinary person to identify them. It takes a pest control expert to identify it.
5 Ways To Get Rid Of Wood Termites In Furniture In The House
Since you know the possible signs of wood termites in wood furniture, it is also good to know how to remove them.
There are several ways to do away with wood termites in furniture, but we will limit ourselves to five.
We will discuss 5 quick ways to remove wood termites from wood furniture.
Expose Furniture To The Sun To Get Rid Of Wood Termites In Wood.
If you suspect dry wood termites in your wooden furniture, you must expose it to the sun. Carry all the wooden furniture outside and let them be in the sun for at least three or four days.
The sun will penetrate the wood and make the moisture in the wood evaporate. Soon the heat from the sun will dry up the termites in the wood, and they will die.
Use Diatomaceous Earth Powder To Get Rid Of Wood Termites.
Use diatomaceous earth powder if you suspect wood termites in your wood furniture.
The diatomaceous powder can be used as a natural insecticide to kill termites. Sprinkle the diatomaceous powder on the infested furniture. They will die when the insecticide powder comes into contact with the termites. The powder works by penetrating through their exoskeleton and drying them up.
Use Boric Acid To Get Rid Of Wood Termites In Furniture.
Boric acid is another natural method to get rid of wood termites. Boric acid is not like diatomaceous earth powder. It does not kill termites when they come in contact with it. Boric acid kills termites when dry wood termites ingest it into their body. When the wood termites consume the boric acid, it will dehydrate them, and they will die.
Use Nematodes To Get Rid Of Wood Termites In Furniture.
The use of nematodes is another way you can use to remove dry wood termites in furniture. Nematodes are worms that feed on termites. You can buy and use parasitic nematodes from places like Amazon and other sites.
Mix the nematodes with water and inject them into the termites’ colony. The worms will feed on all the wood termites in the furniture. After all the termites die, the nematodes will also die.
Call Professional Termites Exterminator To Get Rid Of Wood Termites In Furniture.
When you suspect dry wood termites in furniture, the best thing to do is to get an expert. You can call the termite control exterminator agency to come and inspect your furniture.
Since these agencies are professionals, they can exterminate the termites.
So if you want to save yourself from future termite infestation, the best thing is to let the termite experts do the job.
Final Thought
I can understand your joy after you finally buy new wood furniture to decorate your house.
Do not let the overexcitement lead you. The furniture’s price and beauty are paramount in this situation. But do not forget the next important step. That is to check for termites before you buy the furniture.
Some people ignore it, and later, it creates problems for themselves in the future.
Also, if you suspect dry wood termites in your old wood furniture, the signs we have discussed can give you a clue.
When you have a wood termite infestation in your house, use any of the 5 ways we have discussed to end them.
To end them, you can use nematodes, diatomaceous earth, or boric acid.
It is essential to call an exterminator to come and inspect your furniture and remove the termites.
That will save you a lot of money because termite damage can lead to a tremendous financial loss.
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