If you're in the market for a new home, you want to pay close attention to hidden dangers. One particular hidden danger you should look out for is termite infestation. If a home you're looking at has termites, you should walk away. The pests could have already caused considerable structural damage to the home. While a pre-purchase inspection will identify termite problems, by that time you might have already fallen in love with the home. The best way to protect yourself is to look for telltale signs while you're doing the initial walk-through. Here are three things you should look for when touring homes.

Discarded Wings

When you're walking through homes, it's important that you look for the telltale signs of termite activity. One way to do that is to look at all the windowsills. Winged termites, or swarmers, have two sets of wings that are the same size. They only keep their wings for a short period of time. Once the termites no longer need their wings, they break off and are discarded. If the home you're looking at has a termite problem, you'll be able to see discarded wings on the windowsills. If you see large piles of discarded termite wings, you know that the house is infested with termites.

Mud Tubes

Termites need moisture and cool temperatures in order to survive. To create the perfect environment, termites build mud tubes. These mud tubes are usually about the width of a pencil, but they can be bigger. Take a walk around the house that you're looking at. Pay close attention to the area around the foundation and up in the eaves. These are the areas where you're most likely to see termite activity. If you find mud tubes that are intact, the home has an active termite problem.

Wood Damage

Termites feast on any type of wood, including decks, housing frames and even fences. When they chew, they leave long, grooved sections of wood. While you're walking around the home, pay attention to the areas that have exposed wood. Look for signs that termites have been chewing at the wood. If you see visible damage to the wood, the home has termites.

Termites are no laughing matter. An active termite infestation can destroy a home from the inside out. While you're out house-hunting, be sure you look for signs of termite infestation. For other tips on how to spot termite problems, be sure to speak to a pest control technician like those at Kirkland's Pest Control.