Warm and humid areas of the world that are full of lush vegetation and lots of wood are the breeding grounds for termites. These little critters may not look like much, but they can destroy all the wood in your house in a very short time. The biggest problem with these pests is that you will not even know that you have them until it is too late. That is why it is vital to be diligent with your preventative measures. Check periodically to ensure that a nest of them has not set foot into your home.
The best way to prevent termites from targeting your home is to be proactive rather than reactive. That means that you should take every precaution to prevent them from nesting anywhere near you. Let’s take a look at some of the most proven ways to protect your home from termites and the damage that they can cause.
- Access Points – Your first step will be to remove all the access points that termites like to use to gain access. You may not realize it, but it only takes a crack or hole that is 1/32 of an inch for a termite to gain access. That is not much of a gap, so you need to check all your windows and doors to ensure no space. You will also need to seal off any vents or pipes that you may have that are open to the outside. Fill in any gaps that you see in your concrete foundation, paint the house to seal any cracks in the wood, and use bug screens that are small enough to deny the little pests entrance to your home.
- Reduce Moisture – Moisture around your home can be easy to overlook because the weather does as it pleases. Still, you need to notice any issues you have with water. Termites cause over $1 billion in property damage, so they are not something to mess with. You will want to rent, or buy, a laser level and make sure that the grade of the land from your foundation is sloping down, away from your home. Make sure that all your gutters are installed and working correctly. Have a drainage system, such as rocks and PVC pipes, to remove excess water and ensure that your sprinklers are not watering the house.
- Eliminate Food Sources – Termites love to chew on old rotten wood. Hopefully, your house is not rotting, but you need to get it fixed if it is. Replace the area that you are having problems with. Keep all the wood primered and painted to help protect them and remove any rotten stumps in the yard. This is an attractant to termites that they simply cannot resist.
- Remove Dirt To Wood Contact – One of the most critical steps your builder should take is to make sure that the ground around the foundation is set up to drain excess water, as explained above. The dirt should never be over the top of the foundation. If you have soil touching any wood on your house, you need to dig it out and slope the ground down and away.
- Install Bait Stations – If you live in an area famous for termite infestations, you will want to put some bait stations around your home. These will attract pests and distract them from going into the wood around your home. Bait stations offer a great way to target termites with the least amount of insecticides possible.
Termites are nasty pests that can cause all kinds of damage to your home if they are not dealt with before they form a huge nest. It is always a good idea to be proactive rather than reactive. Once they have taken hold of your home, it is much harder to remove them. Take steps to prevent termites from making your home into theirs.
Thanks to smithereen.com for consulting.
