Mud tubes are one of the most common signs that you need termite control. When subterranean termites invade your home, they move up your foundation until they find wood they can eat, creating tunnel-like structures as they go. Consult the information below for how these structures, better known as mud tubes, affect your home.

What Is a Termite Mud Tube?

Termite mud tubes are small tunnels, usually no bigger than a pencil, created from saliva, feces, and soil. Mud tubes typically look like encrusted, dried dirt and can take the form of squiggly or straight lines. These tunnels protect termites from bright light or predators while traveling between their nest and food source. There are three types they use.

Working

Working tubes are the most useful to termite colonies and are made to last for a long time. They transport hundreds of termites from their nests to food sources every day. Working tubes allow termites to travel along basement walls, home foundations, window frames, and more.

Drop

Drop tubes make food sources more accessible by allowing working tubes to connect to the ground. While lighter in color than other tubes, they have a similar size and brittleness when compared to exploratory ones.

Exploratory

Exploratory tubes are thin, fragile structures that branch out in multiple directions so termites can use them to search for food sources. While they do rise from the soil, they do not connect to any wood.

How Can You Prevent Mud Tubes?

To prevent termites, fix plumbing leaks in your home as soon as they occur and keep the gutters and downspouts working properly. This limits the potential for termites to invade through cracks or openings. Avoid storing wood in the ground floor of your home and keep mulch and vegetation away from the house whenever possible; these steps limit potential termite food sources.

If you find termite mud tubes on the walls, ceiling, or foundation of your home, you need termite control. Always call a pest control professional to diagnose the issue and determine if your home requires a simple treatment, like termite traps and barriers, or if you need something more intensive, like spot treatment or fumigation.

Are you in need of residential termite control? Reach out to the professional exterminators at BUG-A-PEST, LLC. With two locations in Maineville and Kings Mill, this family-owned and -operated company has been serving the home and business owners for over 25 years. From ant and spider control to bedbug and termite treatments, they use the latest techniques to keep your home pest-free. Get an estimate from Mason, OH’s leading pest control service today by calling (513) 459-7700 or visit their website for more information.