How Much Damage Can Termites Cause in Georgia?

If you know anything about termites, you know they can cause a lot of destruction over the course of their life. Depending on how long an infestation has been growing, termite damage can mean anything from a single chewed-through piece of wood to an entire beam being consumed. Once termites have infested a building, it can take anywhere between two and eight years to outwardly notice the signs of damage they’ve cause. In the United States alone, termites cause billions of dollars a year in damages as they make their way through the homes of millions completely unnoticed.

Perilous Termite Destruction

Termite damage is infamous for a number of reasons, including the following:

1. Termites don’t discriminate. Don’t be fooled into thinking your home is immune to termites; it isn’t. Termites feed on cellulose, an organic material found in wood. For this reason alone, nearly every standard home construction type is at risk along with a number of items inside the home or in your yard.
2. Termite colonies infest fast and grow fast. Termites create new colonies when swarmers migrate to start a new colony each year. This means that during warmer seasons, termites could enter your home without any sign of early contact, and before you know it, they’re jeopardizing the structural integrity of your home. Some species can lay up around 1 million eggs in a single year!
3. Termites can eat through a standard 2″ x 4″ in months. The average-sized termite population can eat through one foot of a 2″ by 4″ board in about half a year.
4. Termites cost homeowners in the U.S. an estimated $5 billion a year. What’s more, a standard home with termite damage takes an average of $3,300 annually to repair. That’s not pocket change!

The Extent of Termite Damage

Although they may work slowly, the danger of termites lies in the fact that an infestation can go on for some time before ever being noticed. Since these wood-boring insects are largely silent, it’s difficult to notice them until the damage has been done. Bottom line, any homeowner is susceptible to getting termites, and the amount of damage caused by infestations widely varies from case to case. Termite damage can be more costly than you may think, which is why regular inspections are of the utmost importance.