Insects that take up residence in your home may just seem like a nuisance, but they unfortunately can sometimes cause serious problems. A number of different kinds of insects can do severe damage to your home if they aren’t eradicated and subsequently prevented from entering it again. Four kinds of insects in particular can cause damage to homes.

Termites

Termites have a well-earned reputation as the kind of insect you least want to find in or around your home. Drywood termites, subterranean termites and Formosan termites, three of the most common termites found in the US, are present in California. These types of termites live inside wood in your home, such as within support beams, door frames and window frames, and even in the trees in your yard. While subterranean termites can do major damage to your home due to their sheer numbers that range into the millions, Formosan termites are considered the most damaging of the three varieties.

Beetles

Termites aren’t the only insects that love the wood in and around your home. Wood-boring beetles also gravitate toward it. Wood, whether structural or decorative, isn’t safe from these beetles. In fact, they’ll even take up residence in your furniture, where the larvae will exist on the wood until they’ve reached maturity. They’ll then chew their way out of the wood on their way out of your home. The various sub-species of these beetles prefer particular kinds of wood as well as different humidity levels.

Carpenter Ants

Carpenter ants, unlike their relatively benign cousins, can do serious damage to a home on a level more frequently seen in severe termite infestations. These larger insects, sometimes confused with stinging insects because of their wings, chew wood to create rooms and tunnels in which to live, move around in and reproduce. Their excavation efforts will damage the walls of your home as well as compromise hollow doors and even your home’s insulation. San Joaquin Residential Pest Control or a company in your specific area can assess the extent of the infestation and develop a plan to rid your home of these unwanted insects.

Cockroaches

Roaches are considered a kitchen pest, and that is where they are most commonly found. Most people understand that roaches can cause illnesses and allergies when they come in contact with food or food preparation utensils. However, roaches also prefer eating starchy materials. While most roaches congregate in the kitchen in search of food, they’ve also been known to eat household items like books that have starchy components.

When you see signs that unwanted and damaging insects are present in your home, it likely means that an infestation is already occurring. Don’t delay in calling in experts to remove these pests.