What To Do If You Have a Problem With Termites
By Amanda Harvey
Updated on November 7, 2023

To any homeowner, termites are a dreaded potential pest. Although they play an important role in the ecosystem by recycling wood, facilitating the decomposition of organic matter, replenishing essential nutrients in the soil and assisting in the growth of new plant life, these little buggers can't tell the difference between a tree and a house.
As a result, if not detected quickly, they can cause serious structural damage to a home. It is important to first identify the presence of termites and then take the proper steps to deal with these tiny pests.
How to Identify a Termite
Due to their innate physical similarity to ants, it is essential to distinguish whether or not you actually have termites. This is not as simple as setting traps, and one must properly investigate how and where the potential termites are inhabiting. If you should discover that you do indeed have termites, it is crucial to distinguish the species of termite based on the structural damage that active colonies have created in your home.
A colony can range in size, with anywhere from hundreds, to thousands , to millions of members, and can consume up to half a kilo of wood a day. In Canada, the most common species of termites include the eastern subterranean termite, the western subterranean termite, and the Pacific damp wood termite.
The subterranean species are responsible for the bulk of damage inflicted on city homes, as the damp wood species target moist and rotting wood, which usually indicates an ongoing issue with moisture. All species live in warm and humid environments but in cooler regions of Canada termites nest below the frost line or inside heated homes.
Termite Inspection Time!

source: Flickr, Balance of Nature
Although it is believed that termites primarily nest in wood, this is not the case. For a termite, any plant-based object is a potential form of food, as they eat cellulose. Although they generally remain hidden in undetected spaces, there are foolproof ways to know if they are present in your home. The subterranean species of termites create mud tubes along walls, fences and steps in order for them to travel between their colony and food source.
If you spot lines of mud in your basement or garage, then there is a definite possibility of termites. Other signs include spotted, discoloured or warped wood, as well as hearing a hollow sound when knocking on a wood surface. Termite damage happens at a slow pace, so the damage may not be initially evident. It is crucial to decipher where the infestation is located as well as how well-established it has become.
Removing Termites from Your Home
If you are certain that termites are damaging an area of your home, now is the time to act! Before addressing the problem on your own, it is recommended that you consult a professional exterminator who is trained in dealing with a termite infestation.
The cost of inspection, extermination and remediation will vary province to province as well as city to city. Unfortunately, once termites have infested an area of your home, the infestation is very difficult to control and terminate, so alongside extermination, careful prevention methods must be taken.
How To Prevent a Termite Invasion
Make sure to reduce moisture levels in your home, and prevent standing water wherever possible, this can be done by tending to leaks as well as keeping all drainage flows away from the main building of your home.
Trees and vegetation around the home should be well maintained, so that plant life does not come into direct contact with the house. If you have lumber or firewood, store it in a clean and dry place, so as to avoid attracting colonies from breeding.
Author: Amanda Harvey
Get 3 quotes for your termite removal project
RenoQuotes.com can help you get quotes for your termite removal project. If you submit your project to us, we’ll put you in contact with the most suitable contractors for you. Fill in the form on our homepage (only a few minutes), and you will receive quotes from trusted professionals.
Dial 1-844 828-1588 to speak with one of our customer service representatives
Looking for something else?
Table of contents
4 min read
Download the price guide for renovations
We’ll be emailing you the latest market price guide for renovations.
Related articles
The latest industry news, interviews, technologies, and resources.

Editorial Team
•07 May 2025
When it comes to the inside of our home, we should always be looking for a way to make it as comfortable as possible. If we’re discussing air quality, it’s important to be aware that the quality of what we’re breathing in is essential for maintaining good health. In a nutshell, bad air quality is going to affect how we look, think and feel.

Editorial Team
•16 Sep 2024
Are you hoping to build a bigenerational home to take care of your elderly parents? Albeit it’s only logical to believe that one will be able to benefit from this cohabitating situation, it’s, nonetheless, a rather large-scale project.

Editorial Team
•26 Feb 2024
The exterior elements of your home have a huge impact on curb appeal and overall attraction. When it comes to your house’s siding, has it been the same colour since you moved in? Over time, many hope to update these exterior surfaces to offer new life to tired, drab or worn-out siding materials.

Editorial Team
•07 Nov 2023
If you work in a noisy restaurant, busy boutique or open-concept office, chances are you’ve thought for a moment or two about the sound in the room. In all of these commercial spaces, it’s probably obvious that sound can be difficult to contain: whether this means receiving noise complaints from neighbours, having frustrated customers, restaurant crowd commotion or the roars of construction finding their way into your quiet business. So, what are the ways to soundproof a commercial space?

Léa Plourde-Archer
•16 Apr 2024
Interested in growing closer to your family? Well, this may be the best option if you’ve considered living in a multi-generational home. It can’t be denied that times are tough on young people, old people and everyone in between.