Termites are beneficial to the environment because they break down dead trees and other plant material into substances useful to plants, but they certainly aren't beneficial to you in your house! Many species of termites cause considerable damage to homes, furniture, and other structures, such as wood fences.

What's worse, their destruction generally isn't covered by most homeowners' insurance.

Subterranean termites nest in the ground and burrow into wood, usually fallen trees and stumps. They enter wood of buildings where it comes into contact with the ground or they get in via tunnels through cracks in the foundation.

Signs of termites include:

• Temporary swarm of winged insects around your home
• Wood that sounds hollow when tapped
• Mud tubes on exterior walls, wooden beams or crawl spaces
• Discarded wings from swarmers

HomeTeam offers pre and post construction termite protection for homes and some buildings. See our termite website pages for more information.

Contact the branch office nearest you to find out how you can help control termites in your yard.