Monsoon 2021 leaves Tucson with termite trouble

Experts tell you how to spot the destructive pests - KOLD New 13's Mikala Novitsky reports

TUCSON, Ariz. (KOLD/CBS News) - Monsoon 2021 brought us our third wettest monsoon on record, but it's also providing life-giving moisture to a certain monsoon pest – termites.

"October and November are usually the busiest months for us and this year has been extremely busy with the amount of rain that we had. We haven't seen a year like this in quite awhile," says Josh Tennenbaum, with AZ Pest Control.

Experts say the influx of termites was expected this year because of the overactive monsoon. You may not always know when you have a termite problem on your property, but there are some things you can do to deter them.

"Keep moisture, clutter, dead foliage and also try to keep the J joint of the structure clear so you can actually inspect physically view those areas where the termites are coming up," advises Tennenbaum.

Arizona Pest control says now is the time to do a thorough inspection around your house, but, keep in mind, you can only visually inspect about ten-percent of your home without an expert. Typically, in Arizona we see two kinds of termites, subterranean and dry wood.

"Typically subterranean are the ones that cause the most damage in Arizona. Those are the most problematic species. The dry-wood can also cause significant damage, but they mostly damage wood. They don't cause damage to structure," says Tennenbaum.

UA entomologist, Dr. Shaku Nair says you may not always see these pests, but you will likely see evidence of them such as mud tubes and wood that is sunken in or puffed up.

"Tt can easily run into thousands of dollars, like three to four thousands worth of dollars. If it's not noticed at the correct time, they will sometimes have to replace whole sections of their building," says Dr. Nair.

Subterranean termites are known to be relentless, so as the saying goes – you either have termites or you're going to get them.