Termites cause over $5 billion in property damage each year.
Who hasn’t heard of termites? Sometimes they tunnel in through your home’s foundation. Sometimes they burrow through the walls. Full-blown infestations require expensive professional exterminators on top of repair costs. Steps can be taken to avoid these costs by preventing the wood-damaging pest from entering your home in the first place.
Here is some good advice every homeowner should follow.
Find and fix water leaks both inside and outside your home. Like many living things, termites are drawn to water sources. Not just because they need it to drink, but because moisture can turn structural lumber into a food source. Any leaks around your home are going to make it easier for an infesting colony to thrive. Make sure you keep your gutters and waterlines clean. Also check for signs of roof leakage regularly. If leaks are repaired promptly, surrounding wood will dry up before it has a chance to rot.
Keep trees and shrubbery away from your home.?Every termite’s favorite meal is decaying wood. Heavy vegetation breeds moisture, and it can be difficult to spot dead or dying vegetation if you let your shrubs get out of hand. When you notice dead branches on the trees in your yard, cut them off. You don’t want termites setting up camp anywhere near your home.
Don’t leave firewood or lumber supplies lying around the yard. If you lack indoor space for storing these things, create barriers to keep the wood from touching the ground. Using concrete slabs or metal stands are two examples. Specialized concrete supports are available at home improvement stores.
Avoid placing mulch too close to homes.?Mulch provides both water and food for termites. Placing it too close to homes makes it that much easier for termites to infest your walls. Rubber mulch is an alternative to wood mulch. It has the look, feel and function of traditional mulch without being of any use to wood boring insects. It’s available at home repair stores.
Termites are great at sneaking into human dwellings. While wooden structures are at higher risk for infestation, homes built of bricks and other materials should not be considered immune to termite damage.? They often rely on wood for rafters, framing and support beams. If you take steps to prevent termites from getting into your home, you won’t ever have to worry about getting rid of them. If you do ever come across termites in your home there are several pest control companies, such as Terminix, to provide extermination.
Special thank to our guest blogger, Maya Rodgers, at?maya@petsandpests.com?for her great preventative information.
