People can’t wait soon enough for spring after the long, cold winter endured across most nations. Daylight will last longer before we know it, flowers will begin to bloom, and kids will spend more time playing outside. But as the weather starts to warm, people can also see an unexpected sign, the emergence of termite swarmers, that spring has sprung
As swarmers emerge to mate and create new colonies, including vulnerable residential properties, spring is the prime termite season. Species of termites may eat a home literally from under their owners, sometimes without even noticing them until doing much harm. They can chew undetected, 24/7, through wood, flooring and even wallpaper, and can undermine, depending on the species, the buildings’ structural integrity within many years. They search for food, feed the colony’s other members, and sustain the nest and forage in tunnels. Currently, termites annually inflict property damage worth $5 billion
Termite control is a two-part process: preventing entry to your home by termites and the treatment of established termite colonies. Luckily, homeowners may take several measures to help avoid termite species from infesting their land. To secure your most significant investment from termites, here are some tips:
- Repair water leaks. Repair leaking taps, water pipes and pipes for hot water overflow under or around your house. Repairing this will decrease the level of moisture, which attracts subterranean termites near or under your house. Make sure the water does not collect around your home’s base or on your roof. Make sure to include fascia, soffits and rotted roof shingles for repair
- Reduce excess humidity. In and around the house, remove or decrease moisture, which termites need to thrive. Divert water by proper working downspouts, gutters and splash blocks away from the building. For a termite colony to survive, moisture is necessary. Puddles of water contained in or near a property would happily be used by termites. Make sure the property is kept dry and well-aired. Divert all hot water services & overflows of air conditioning from the building’s side – ensure that all downspouts are properly connected
- Proper ventilation. Ensure those subfloor areas are unblocked by vents – Sub-standard ventilation in your property’s sub-floor areas can result in high humidity and high humidity levels. Adequate ventilation and extraction fans are needed where appropriate to reduce the risk of subterranean termite infestation
- Remove access. To further minimize entry points, seal holes around water and gas lines where they reach your house. Replace the weather stripping and loose mortar around the windows and basement foundation. A popular access point for subterranean termites seeking entrance into your home is wood-to-ground contact. Try to minimize wood-to-soil contact where necessary. In addition to eliminating this highway around your perimeter, to make it unattractive to termites, you can also treat wood with termiticides and digging a deep trench
- Seal entry points. Seal the house, particularly doors and windows Via small cracks and crevices in wood, drywood termites will invade your home. Ensure that subterranean termites do not gain access to your property’s exterior wood skeleton. Seal up holes in the rooftops and siding. Termites may enter through windows with broken screens or beneath doors, given their size. Putting a new coat of paint and installing bug screens over the attic and foundation vents are two easy ways to reduce access
- Reduce sources of food. Dead trees, firewood, tree stumps and any other dead wood that can house drywood termites are removed. Store at least 20 feet of firewood away from the building. Remove stored timber, wood debris, litter, dry leaves and extra cellulose materials from your crawlspace, in and around the property. The storage of wood and other wooden materials on a sub-floor of the soil under, in or against your property can provide an enticing source of food and nesting for subterranean termites. It may also conceal signs of your termites attacking your home. These are ideal conditions for an aerial termite infestation, especially in areas with Formosan termites.
- Tidy up piles of clothes. You may be oblivious of termites eating clothing, but you may also find the cellulose they feed on in fabrics. Old piles of clothes may be a food source for termite populations
- Regular inspection. For signs of mud tunnels, rough or bubbling paint and wood that sounds hollow when tapped, the foundation of your home undergoes routine inspection. For any visible changes, monitor all exterior wood areas, including windows, doorframes and skirting boards. Inspect mainly used lumber and railroad ties for termites before being used in projects in the home or garden. Consider regularly arranging technical termite inspections which pest control companies offer. The insurance plans of homeowners do not protect Wood-boring insect damage
- Receiving routine termite checks. Working to fix conditions around your house, such as excess moisture and wood-to-ground touch, can be conducive to termite behavior with your pest control specialist. Based on the construction of your home and signs of termite activity around your home and neighborhood, deciding what preventive termite equipment, effective termite treatment, termite baits and surveillance systems, etc., would be most effective
- Maintain a neat garden. Subterranean termites may use overgrowth from gardens, shrubs or the lawn to gain entry to your house. Keep the garden from the house tended, lawn cut and overgrowth clear. In garden beds, fence posts and retaining walls, use only termite treated timber. Do not use untreated timbers, as these will attract termites to your house, form garden beds or retaining walls. Replace landscaping mulch with cellulose-free alternatives or move it from your foundation at least six inches back
- Plant wisely. Do not plant trees that are known to send roots under slabs near the house – some plants’ roots will penetrate your property’s foundations, giving termites access that is very difficult to locate. Stop such trees and allow for clearance of at least one foot when planting. Do not encourage climbing plants or bushy gardens to grow against the structure – climbing plants growing against the side of your exterior wall or foundation wall can also hide evidence of termites
- Proper fence installation. Install timber fences and support posts with a clearance of two inches between the timbers and the soil. – The timber fence palings and sub-floor timber bases often break the soil surface. Thus, it permits access to termites without detection. There are galvanized post shoes available from any good hardware store that raise the timber off the ground level
- Check wooden furniture. Besides the joists, wooden beams, wood siding and other wooden structures, termites will happily feast on wooden deck furniture or hardwood floors around your house. Inspect wood furniture and floors regularly
- Seek the help of a pest control professional. It is not possible to manage the risk of termite infestations with do-it-yourself steps. Contact a licensed pest management professional immediately if you suspect signs of termites to assess the nature of the situation and receive recommendations for an acceptable course of termite solution.
- Extra tip. Building modifications or improvements can modify previous termite defenses, often making them ineffective. Adding a gazebo, new awnings, concrete slab extensions, or even plumbing can provide a path of entry to the property for types of termites through previously applied termite barriers
Ask your pest management professional to suggest preventive strategies around your home, which could include monitoring stations, soil treatments, liquid treatment, direct wood treatments or the use of termite prevention products. The least intrusive choice is monitoring stations because they function as warning signs of activity; however, they do not provide any defense against future infestations. Proactive treatment will help protect against a potential infestation of termites and other pests in your home