These pests can invade your Mississippi home & wreak havoc. How do you get rid of them?

Spiders. Ants. Cockroaches.

These are many of the common pests that can be annoying or a big nuisance when you see them in your homes in Mississippi.

But there’s one that is worse than them all, and can invade your Biloxi area house and wreak havoc.

What’s the worst pest in Mississippi?

They are tiny, but mighty. They are termites.

According to a 2023 study by Groundworks, termites are the No. 1 pest in the state that cause the most damage to Mississippi homes.

The pest is also the worst for homes in Alabama, California, Florida, Hawaii, Louisiana and West Virginia.

What kind of damage can they cause?

“In the United States, termites cost homeowners billions of dollars in property damage annually,” according to the study. Yikes.

“Termites can go undetected for years. During that time, they can weaken the wooden beams of a house. The first signs could be that the floors will become bouncy and vertical supports will sound hollow. As a termite infestation progresses, the floor will no longer support foot traffic and the beams will no longer support upper stories.”

Is your home more susceptible to termites?

Your home’s foundation, exterior drainage and water issues can all make your home more susceptible to termites or an infestation.

Wood in any moist environment can easily be a termites favorite meal and damp basements or crawl spaces can be their best hiding spots.

“Effective water drainage continues to be an important way to direct water away from your home. It’s also important to address moisture issues in a basement or crawl space. Even a rebar-reinforced, poured-concrete foundation could have a small crack. That’s all a termite needs to crawl up from the ground into your home,” according to Groundworks.

How to protect your home

According to Orkin, “Termites are active across the state, from Gulfport and Biloxi to Hattiesburg and from Jackson to Tupelo, Mississippi.”

Here are a few ways to protect your home against termites:

• Use a different wood. Certain woods have proven to be naturally resistant to termites. These include redwood, bald cypress and black walnut. Most resistant woods, however, can still be infested by termites in some instances.

• Use a bait trap. Baited traps may prove helpful in confirming suspected infestations and in identifying high-activity areas. Baits use slow-acting insecticides or growth inhibitors which, when brought back to the termite nest, act to kill colonies. However, these treatments are long-term solutions and, when used alone, take time to control a colony.

Of course, when all else fails, call a pest control expert, especially if you find damage to your home.