When mum Karen started a routine cleaning of her home, she was far from prepared for the shocking discovery that awaited her in her linen cupboard.

A strange mound of what appeared to be mud had formed a trail in her closet, a place where dirt seemed unlikely to accumulate.

The truth behind this mysterious trail, however, was far more sinister than she could have imagined.

Karen's initial confusion turned into horror when she shared an image of the trail on a community forum.

The picture depicted a wooden frame covered in dark mud, a sight that was as puzzling as it was alarming.

'I just found this in my linen cupboard,' she shared.

'At first, I thought it was a wasp or ant nest, but now I'm freaking out it might be termites.'

Mud trails like this are used by termites to move around the house safe from the sunlight and other ants. Credits: Shutterstock

Her fears were confirmed when pest control professionals diagnosed her home with an 'aggressive' case of termites.

They suspected that the critters had been residing in her home for years, and the five-year solution of anti-termite liquid used by the previous inhabitants had expired.

The community was quick to offer sympathy and advice to Karen.

'DO NOT REMOVE or DISTURB IT!' one member warned.

'Get the pest person to come in to set up baits. If you tamper with it, they will go elsewhere.'

Another suggested, 'The old double brick homes were sometimes infilled with slab and termites have unseen access between the brick and slab joint. Having your plans handy for the inspector makes their job easier to look at possible entry points.'

The trail in Karen's cupboard was either a build-up of termite droppings, known as frass, or a mud lead, also known as a shelter tube.

These shelter tubes are small tunnels that termites create to move around the house, protected from sunlight and other ants.

According to Forensic Pest Management Services, the presence of mud tubes is a 'red flag' for infestation, indicating that subterranean termites have already made a home within your home.

Termites thrive in warmer temperatures. It is during this season that we should watch out for them more, along with other creepy crawlies such as cockroaches and spiders.

Experts warned about the surge of termite infestations during warm weather. You can read more about it here.

Key Takeaways

• A mum was shocked to find a 'sinister' trail of mud in her linen cupboard, initially uncertain of its origin.
• After consulting with the community and pest control, it was confirmed that her house was infested with an aggressive case of termites.
• Pest control experts advised against disturbing the termites and urged seeking professional help to manage the infestation.
• Immediate action and professional inspection are recommended if termites are suspected at home.

Have you ever encountered a termite infestation in your home? Share your experiences and tips on how to combat them in the comments below.

 

[Gsr]

Years ago we had white ants got into one of our window sills inside our home. We are a brick home on a cement slab. We got the pest people in to sort it out. Cost us a lot. We put white ant bait tubes all around the perimeter of our house which the pest people checked and refilled every 3 months. After doing this for 2 years with no more finding white ants we discontinued it as it was too expensive. We still check and refill the bait stations but have had no more issues.

 

[I'm Mal]

If you get termites in your home, it is a good idea to check for water or drainage leaks. The pest control man might not tell you this but termites look for good sources of moisture and if your plumbing is leaking, a constant source of moisture is available. Termite scouts are always searching for sources of food and moisture. If there is no constant moisture getting into the ground around and under your home, they will pass through your property and not even know there is a house above them. We had termites and then discovered that our bathroom drainage was leaking like a sieve. The only solution in our case was to rip out the bathroom including the concrete floor and replace the sewer pipes under it. Then of course we had to build a new bathroom and repair the termite damage in the rest of the house. Quite an expensive fix.