Termite prevention

It is very easy for the termites to gain access to your home, these insects are very proficient and therefore it is important to take steps of termite prevention in order to reduce the risk of them feeding on your home.

Such things as small holes in the wood, crumbling drywall, sagging doors or floor, wings of the termites, and small shelter tubes are the most obvious and common signs of the termite infestation. However, even if these signs are not evident and you have no reason to believe that your home is infested, it doesn’t mean it’s not.

The first step of termite prevention is to have a licensed pest manager, or a termite exterminator perform regular inspections.  This is the best way to make sure that your home is pest free and is also reliable way of termite protection. Professionals that are qualified in termite extermination are trained to identify, prevent and treat termite infestations. They are knowledgeable of the termite biology and behavior. A pest management professional performs a thorough and proficient inspection of your home in order to determine whether there is any evidence to suggest the presence of the termites.

A termite exterminator may also consult you about making your home less suitable for termites but fixing any termite-attracting conditions.

There are a number of tips for termite prevention:

1.      Affixing wooden trellises to exterior walls may attract termite, so this should be avoided;

2.      You should keep any mulch, wood debris, scraps of lumber, sawdust and firewood as far away from your home as possible. If, however, you do keep wood, for example, for fire next to your house, you should keep it raised off the ground;

3.      Don’t store, stack, or bury any wood debris or scrap adjacent to your house;

4.      Make sure that bushes and tree branches are trimmed away from your home. Don’t let shrubs and other dense greenery, as well as mulch, be close to your house or its foundation;

5.      Don’t forget to remove trees and stumps if they have been infested;

6.      Make sure to fix any leaking faucets and water lines indoors and outdoors;

7.      Don’t leave roofs and gutters leaking;

8.      Don’t let leaves get into gutters and drains;

9.      Make sure that water runs away from the foundation;

10.   Make sure to ventilate crawl spaces and attics in order to reduce humidity;

11.   Remove any wood that may contact the soil;

12.   Make sure to cover not any less than 90% of the ground in crawl spaces with plastic sheets;

13.   Wood siding, stucco, and foam board needs to be at least six inches off the ground;

14.   Make sure there are no cracks and holes in the foundation of your house.

If the termite have been spotted, the termite extermination is necessary. Your pest management professional can help you to get rid of the termites and also provide termite protection to make sure they don’t come back.

Even if after the examination of your home it turns out to be free of insects, the termite prevention measures still should be taken if you want to ensure for your house to stay that way.

The number one termite defense product in the USA is Termidor. Most likely you will be advised to use this treatment to help fight termites.