Termites may be small but, they can cause some serious damage.
"It was very easy to spot, you can actually see a little bit here," says homeowner Jared Levin.
The recent monsoon storms are triggering an invasion of termites. Some homeowners say the problem popped up overnight for them.
"I didn't want to sleep in the bedroom so, I actually went into the guest room," says Levin.
Pest control experts say rain presents the perfect environment for termites to live. They are attracted to the moisture in the soil and then, search for their food source: wood. In the process, they make mud tubes to survive. If you see those inside or outside of your home, it is a clear indication that you've got termites.
"I guess I just didn't know if they come out, if they're going to get on anything else, get on the dogs, get on us. Obviously, this is in our bedroom so, it's not really the best place," says homeowner Erin Rogers.
Termite tubes can be built in as little as 12 hours. They can't just be knocked down because these pests will get back to work making more.
Jared and Erin decided to call Urban Desert Pest Control to treat the area. A technician ended up drilling holes into the concrete slab and then put the product right underneath. The treatment continued to the outside of the wall, where the ground was trenched and more product was used.
Termites are being seen in new and old homes of all types across the valley. According to the National Pest Management Association, they are responsible for about $5 billion dollars in property damage every year.
"If the termites are active, depending on how active they are, they can definitely do some serious damage beyond the drywall," says Matthew Lane, technician, Urban Desert Pest Control.
While you can buy a spray to kill termites directly on the spot, you need a heavy-duty insecticide used by exterminators to kill the colony.
