April showers bring May flowers...and termites, according to Bob Vila.
“Termites are the biggest pests that threaten anybody who’s a homeowner,” the renowned home improvement expert told Cheddar Tuesday. “They cause over $5 billion worth of damages to American homes each and every year.”
So how do you check if you’ve got termites?
Take a walk around your garden or yard, said Vila. “Look for...mud runnels, like cracks in the foundation…[or] any holes that would allow insects in and out of the house.”
Another telltale sign is...crap. Literally.
“One of the things to look for is called frass, [which] is really a polite term for their excrement, their poop.”
Termites will usually “eat a hole through the side of the wood and just toss [their poop] out,” explained Vila.
“Once the termites are in the house, they’re not going to leave, they’re very happy eating up all the wood,” said Vila.
For the full interview, [click here](https://cheddar.com/videos/bob-vila-on-keeping-your-home-pest-free-for-summer).
A poison specialist and former medical resident at Mayo Clinic in Minnesota is charged with fatally poisoning his wife, a 32-year-old pharmacist who died days after she went to a hospital in August with stomach distress.
The estranged son of Nashville’s police chief, who was wanted in the shooting of two police officers, was found dead of a self-inflicted gunshot wound after leading police on a chase in a stolen car, authorities said.
