Even in Longview, Washington, termites do not skip a winter. As homeowners hunker down and wait for spring, these destructive pests continue to work beneath their homes, quietly causing structural damage.
In the Pacific Northwest, we have a climate that allows subterranean termites to eat wood year-round, bringing them into our basements, crawl spaces, and wooden foundations. Many people think the cold months give us a break, but this is when termites do some of their worst damage.
The persistent dampness and relatively temperate climate in Longview provide termites with an ideal environment to thrive, and the solution is not going to fix itself, officials explained.
Professional pest management is needed before the damage worsens. If you have started noticing hollow-sounding wood, discarded wings near windows, or mud tubes along your foundation, seek expert help from pointepest.com.
How Longview’s Climate Supports Termite Activity
Longview weather patterns are a termite wish list. It rains about 50 inches a year in the city, well above the national average of 38 inches, providing the moist environment these bugs seek. Even though winter temperatures here occasionally drop below freezing, they are not low enough for the soil under your home to really freeze, which allows active termite colonies to survive.
Foothill regions that experience brutal winters can drive termites deeper into dormancy, but the mild Longview climate will enable them to tunnel and feed for 12 months. Neighborhoods near the Columbia River receive an extra dose of humidity, and those near wetlands or wooded areas face the highest risk. Hopefully, the foundation of your home is standing between a hungry colony and your woodwork.
Termite Behavior and Home Vulnerability
Subterranean termites work like an underground demolition contractor. They create elaborate tunnel networks underground that link their colonies to their food supply — the wood inside your home. This is why you will almost always find these tubes along a concrete foundation or a basement wall, forming a small mud tube to transport.
In fact, subterranean termites do not even have to enter your house to damage it: they can attack timber from below, boring through floor joists, support beams, and subflooring.
A mature colony can eat up to 1 pound of wood a day, and with Longview homes often featuring the standard wooden structures found in the area, the smorgasbord seems endless. Well, the one thing that makes them especially dangerous is their social structure: one termite and a thousand under the surface.
Why Homeowners Often Miss Early Damage
Termites are silent destroyers, and by the time many Longview property owners notice the damage, they are already facing expensive repairs. Industry estimates indicate that termites cause approximately $5 billion in property damage in the United States annually.
However, homeowners’ insurance generally does not cover this damage because it is considered preventable. Now, here is the challenge: termites consume wood from within, leaving only a thin veneer that appears normal on the outside.
You might knock on a beam and hear a hollow sound, or find your floors feel a little bouncy when you step on them. Bubbling paint or crumbling wood at a simple touch are obvious indicators of damage, but by this point, the infestation is typically months or even years old. This is particularly true in Longview, where many pre-World War II homes have aging foundations and dry wood that can cause problems with small feeders.
Professional Termite Management Solutions
Pointe Pest Control provides thorough termite inspections and tailored treatment plans for Longview’s environmental conditions. These options destroy current colonies and limit the potential for future invasions by using liquid termiticides, baiting systems, and moisture-control techniques. Professional services differ in the extent to which inspectors crawl through spaces, examine foundation cracks and moisture levels, and assess conditions conducive to attracting termites in the first place. They also know the local building codes and the specific termite species in Cowlitz County.
