How To Prevent Termites From Attacking My Home
Termites are among the most destructive insects for homeowners. Each year, homeowners deal with millions of dollars of damage caused by termites. While dealing with a current infestation is, of course, possible, it’s better to have never had to deal with it in the first place.
When Amco Ranger removes a current infestation, we also make several recommendations concerning what you can do now that it’s gone to prevent a future one. Below, we’ll talk about some of the preventative remedies that you can take to avoid major termite damage.
Understanding Termites
The termite brain may not be very sophisticated by our standards, but their society is very well ordered. They have a reproductive caste, a warrior caste, and, of course, a worker caste. The workers work 24 hours a day 7 days a week. Clearly, they haven’t invented the union yet. On the other hand, termites don’t require sleep and the majority of their work involves eating.
Worker termites provide the colony with all of the food it will need. Their very import job is mostly eating and feeding the rest of the colony. While one termite may not be able to make a significant dent in your property value, several thousand will be given enough time.
Preventing Termite Infestations Prior To Building A Home
There are several technologies that can be used for dealing with termites.
- Basaltic termite barriers – Newer homes can be built with Basaltic Termite Barriers (BTBs). In other words, the planning stages for dealing with termites begin before the home is even built. BTBs are made of rock particles packed densely enough that it creates an insurmountable barrier for termites.
- Termite mesh – This is a stainless-steel screen with holes that are too small for termites to pass through. Additionally, they cannot chew their way through either. These are placed in concrete to prevent termites from entering through small cracks that could arise over the course of time.
- Pressure-treated wood – Pressure-treated wood is termite-resistant. Note that we didn’t say it was termite-proof. The wood should still be kept a few feet off the ground to prevent termite access.
Preventing Infestations For Already-Built Homes
Of course, not everyone is so forward-thinking in their home-building approach. Most folks simply own properties that were built prior to these innovations. Nonetheless, there are ways to prevent termite infestations even when the house was not built with these anti-termite measures. These include:
- Reduce soil-to-wood contact – When possible, reducing soil-to-wood contact is a top first step to any proactive plan to reduce the threat of termites. This not only includes your house itself, but also any mulch, paper, or cardboard that might be around your house. You want at least a four-inch barrier between any mulch and your home. Having a concrete foundation with siding at least six inches off the soil is also a good idea.
- Beware your landscaping – You’ll want to consider keeping plants at least a few feet away from your foundation. If you’re landscaping is near your home, you can use pine needles as opposed to mulch. If you can’t find pine needles, you can use pea gravel or just about anything else that isn’t organic.
- Beware your storm drains – You’ll want your storm drains to empty a few feet away from your foundation.
- Eliminate excess moisture – Termites feed on moisture and are attracted to it. Leaky pipes, faucets, drains and anything else needs to be managed to prevent a future infestation.
- Sprinkler systems – You want to avoid any pooling water around your foundation. Some folks go out of their way to reroute their storm drains and forget about their sprinkler system.
It’s Swarming Season!
The first winter thaw is when termites really go into action. They like to hit the ground running and make a breakneck attempt to find food and set up new colonies. One of the things that they are attracted to is floodlights. Yes, I know they look pretty, but they’re a serious risk. You want to either term them off in the early spring or relocate them entirely. There are bug-resistant lights that you can purchase if you’re totally committed to your floodlights.
Talk To Amco Ranger To Stem Off A Serious Termite Infestation Today
If you’re seeing signs of wood damage or flying termites around your home, it’s time to consider a professional pest control expert. Amco Ranger not only provides top-quality extermination services, but we will also recommend ways to keep the termites off your property once their gone. Talk to us today to set up a free inspection.
