Homeowner’s insurance in Texas is designed to protect you financially from the potential disasters that could cause damage to your home. Although most policies cover damage caused by storms, wind, theft and fire, almost no standardized homeowner’s insurance policies in Texas cover damage caused by termites.

Unfortunately, termites are a very real problem in Texas. The western half of the state is categorized as having a moderately high presence of termites, while areas in the eastern half of the state experience a very high presence of termites. Treating an infestation of termites can cost thousands of dollars, and without quickly ridding yourself of the pests, they could devour your home’s support structure in a very short amount of time.

Because your homeowner’s insurance policy will not cover the damage, the best treatment is prevention. By submitting to regular termite inspections, you can detect the insects before they cause a serious problem and before the costs to treat your property get out of hand.

Signs of an infestation include hollow-sounding wood, mud tubes leading into your home, small piles of wood shavings near window sills and collections of shed wings. Even if you see no signs of termite infestation or have no wood on the outside of your home, termites can still find their way into your home’s structure through cracks and crevices in the foundation, basement and windows. Be sure to keep these areas sealed and caulked to help keep the pests away.