Are you worried about termites destroying your home right under your nose? We’ve got just 5 tips for you to keep these pests out of your home.
Identifying Termites
Spotting a termite infestation early is surely going to save you a whole lot of money. Termites can easily be mistaken for ants if you don’t look hard enough. For your reference, here are the three most common types of termites that can be found in the US, with the subterranean termite being the most common:
Phil Sloderbeck, Kansas State University, Bugwood.org Rudolf H. Scheffrahn, University of Florida, Bugwood.org Pest and Diseases Image Library, Bugwood.org
Subterranean termite Dry wood Damp wood termite
Reticulitermes flavipes Cryptotermes brevis Porotermes adamsoni
- Have a routine maintenance check.
On average, a person spends $3000 on termite control. To prevent that, regularly inspect for infestations around your house: on and below the flooring, foundation, basement, pillars, ceilings, furniture, porches, and anywhere where there is wood. Also keep a lookout for other pests (bed bugs, rats, ants, etc.).
- Keep up these preventive measures:
The best termite control is prevention. Detecting an infestation early will protect you from expending a lot of money. But, installing and maintaining other preventive measures can lessen your fees even more. Here are a few ways you can protect your home from termites:
- Like in #1, regularly inspect areas in which termites can thrive–anywhere there are moisture, wood, and leaks. According to the National Pest Management Association (NPMA), wood-boring insect damage isn’t covered by homeowners insurance. If you can, have a professional inspect your home regularly, annually would suffice, to be sure.
- Repair any leaks on walls, pipes, and wires.
- Store wood far from your house.
- Seal the gaps around pipes and wires where they go in your house. Termites are very small pests so they can enter your home through the tiniest of spaces.
- Increase the space between wood to the ground to prevent termites from traveling into your home.
- Non-chemical measures
A good and affordable, DIY-friendly way you can prevent a termite infestation is with a naturally occurring substance called diatomaceous earth. As a preventive measure, DE can be used as a barrier to keep the termites from entering your home. You can apply it on the foundation, walls, entry points of wires, and pipes. It’s recommended that you apply DE with a duster to help you get it on small spaces. When applying the substance, don’t forget to protect your mouth and nose by wearing a mask. Although it is effective, it may not work on all species and scenarios so be cautious and routinely recheck vulnerable areas.
- Chemical control measures
While these are available for you to use, doing termite control yourself may not be as effective as when they’re used by the pros. Thus, the best termite-fighting tip we’ve got for you is the prevention and consultation of pest control professionals. However, here are some approved chemical treatments by the EPA you can use should you still need to do it yourself:
- Liquid soil-applied termiticides
- Termite baits
- Building materials impregnated with termiticides
- Wood treatments
- Contact professionals
At times these preventive measures may not work, the best thing to do is to contact pest control professionals. They’ll have everything ready to get rid of those pesky critters. You can ask them for advice on preventive measures as they’ll be able to personally assess your home and best know what you’ll need to do. But they’ll probably be able to set that up for you as well at a certain cost.
Seek Professional Help!
Bottom line is, the best way to get rid of termites is to call for professional termite control. It’s going to cost you, but they’ll get the job done. If you haven’t set up the preventive measures we listed, you better get to it!
