The Los Angeles area is a haven for drywood termites. These types of insects can devastate a home remarkably quickly. They get into the walls and bore into wooden beams. They work their way through the beams from the inside out, and if you saw a wooden beam they had attacked, you might not even realize that the inside is essentially hollow.

Small piles of sawdust can be an indicator of a termite. Los Angeles residents are generally advised by professional exterminators to have their homes inspected every six months. Doing this will give time to react and have the exterminator address the problem before expensive or perhaps permanent damage has been done to the structure of the home.

It is also advisable to watch the outside of the house for tracks or tunnels which the termites use as passageways to get into homes and other buildings. Being aware of the possible presence of termites and the damage they can do is the best protection for your home and the well being of your family.