Termites are very active any time of the year. This is why you should prepare your defence all the time against these pests.
There are eight tips that homeowners can use to better defend their homes.
Inspecting the Foundation
For a few times each year, look at your home’s foundation and check for any possible signs of damage just in case you can make a termite treatment plan. Termites do not eat concrete. However, they create mud tubes. This is a sign termites are scaling up the foundation as they look for tasty wood or siding. Setting an excellent schedule for recurrent white ant inspections will keep further issues away. As homeowners, taking the time to check if everything is fine should not be a significant problem. In the end, it is a preventive measure worth taking in advance.
If you happen to see mud tubes in your home’s foundation, make a closer inspection and prepare to implement some termite control tactics.
Using Your Flashlight
One quick way to look for termites is to have a good flashlight and check your basement or crawlspace. Inspect for any possible signs of mud tubes or even damage, paying close attention to corners or edges. If you suspect there is termite damage, you may want to apply the old thumb test. Check the wood using your thumb and if it gives, then you may have a termite problem.
Another tactic is to look for little grass piles as well as other signs that pests may have been damaging your house.
Maintaining Well Ventilation
Sealing and ventilation are important to moisture control. If you do not have the right ventilation in your house such as attics and basements, there is a good possibility that condensation may build up and then seep into your wood, making it an ideal place for termites.
Without the proper sealing as well as moisture barriers, there is a good chance moisture would build up and should be avoided to lessen termite infestation.
Baiting Termites Away
If you see termites lurking in your yard, then you should act urgently. Use termite bait stations that can draw them away from your home and help destroy their nests before termites damage anything.
Keeping Wood Piles Away
Keep woodpilesfar away from the house as much as possible. This is for you to control the possible termite infestation in your house. These include firewood and tree stump.
Trimming Trees and Shrubs
Living vegetation may pose to be a problem. As much as possible, you should keep shrubs trimmed and away from the house. If there are trees near your house, you have to make sure there are no limbs that are close to your house for an easy termite control.
Creating Space Between the Soil and Wood
Any place in your house where you have wood, you have to protect it, especially when it comes to siding and decks. Try to separate those areas from soil, since this is where termites linger. You should try to separate them by 18 inches, at the minimum. The distance would be enough to keep those termites uninterested.
Another method is by using a gravel bed that can serve as termite control as well as good drainage.
Applying Termiticide
Did you just finish a grave termite problem? If you did, then you may want to ensure the incident would never happen again.
This do-it-yourself termite control project is effective according to some experts: Dig a trench around the area where you had just a termite infestation problem and fill it with a termite insecticide that is foam-based and non-repellent. By “non-repellent,” it means termites would not be driven away from the area, but instead they would try to move through it and eventually die.
This method is good for reducing repeat encounters.
