Winter brings plenty of problems for homeowners, but at least termites won't be one of them, right?

Unfortunately, this is not the case. Just because cold weather can suppress insect activity doesn't mean that it will solve your budding termite problem. If these tiny critters are eating away at the wood in your home, the first frost will not change anything, You'll still have to be on the lookout.

Here are some things you can do to identify infestations, even in the winter:

• Check your foundation and walls. Termites don't like the cold, and the changing seasons make them more likely to seek refuge inside your home, where they can do significant damage. You may not notice at first, but over time termites leave signs of wood damage, such as grooves in walls.
• Look for mud tubes. Mud tubes are small tunnels located near termite nests, about the same diameter as a pencil. Termites use these to travel from their homes to other structures. Not all mud tubes you find will be currently active, but you can tell by breaking one and observing it. If it grows back, termites are using it to enter your home.
• Keep an eye out for discarded wings. Termites will fly to a new colony en masse and then discard their wings. If you see piles of white insect wings that appear to be the same size near entrances to your home, you could have a problem.

It's important to take care of your termite problem now before they become even more active in the spring and summer.

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