Termites are dangerous. These small creatures are no bigger than ants but they live in colonies with thousands of others. Their main source of food is wood. One colony can eat its way through 6 inches of 2×4 wood in just five months. To make things worse, you may have more than one colony living under your home.
When you imagine a piece of wood this size missing from your property structure, you can suddenly see how dangerous these insects are and the damage they can do. In fact, it’s estimated that termites cost the insurance industry $1.3 billion per year! You’ll pay hundreds over your lifetime for cover against termites, but if you ever need it you’ll be grateful you have it.
It is possible to control termites yourself. But, it is best to do it in conjunction with a specialist in termite control.
Why You Need Help
Termites generally create their colonies under your home and access them through the soil around your property. That means you may not know they are there and, if you do spot them, you’ll find it can be difficult to confirm you’ve eliminated the entire colony.
Termite control specialists will have the equipment and experience to eliminate the termites and ensure the nest is properly destroyed.
In many cases, a specialist report is also essential if you wish to claim against an insurance policy.
That’s why so many people choose to have regular termite inspections and resolve the issue as quickly as possible. After all, the longer it takes to deal with the more damage they can do.
Doing It Yourself
The best way to deal with termites is to let the professionals eliminate them and you take responsibility for controlling them, in essence preventing a re-infestation.
There are several things you can do to ensure the termites don’t come back:
Concrete around the property
One of the simplest and most effective ways to prevent termites from getting into your home is to add a six-inch-wide concrete border around your exterior walls. This prevents the termites from burying through the soil to get under your home and build a colony.
Tidying the Yard
Another important step to control termites is to remove the things that attract them. This means tidying your yard, cutting down and removing dead growth, relocating your woodpile to as far from the house as possible, and eliminating any items that are simply left in the yard, especially if they are cellulose-based.
This reduces the attraction of your home to termites, they are likely to pass you by in the search for easier targets.
Sealing Gaps
Termites can fit through almost any gap or crack in the walls of your home. Take some time to inspect your walls and seal up any cracks and gaps you can find. It won’t just keep termites out, there are a host of other pests that will struggle to get into your home.
Bait Traps
Bait traps are seen as an effective way to kill a colony. The termites check the food and, when they realize it is good to eat, they mark it and take the food back to the colony. This is when the bait is switched to poison, allowing the workers to poison the entire colony.
It should be noted that having these in place and monitoring occasionally will also help you to tell if there are any in your home.
