It’s termite season, and the last thing any of us would want is for it to damage our homes. Termite damage can be both frustrating and costly. Here are some tips to help prevent these home-eating threats from ruining your happy home.
The Department of Entomology at the University of Kentucky has compiled some easy-to-understand tips that can help you battle termites this season.
1. Check your house for “earth-wood contact” and eliminate it. Look for things like wooden bars and piles of mulch that may be in contact with the ground and your home. Such things can be used as food and shelter by termites and are the perfect way for them to make their way into your home. It is recommended that all wood outside your home be kept at least 6 inches above the floor.
2. Do not allow moisture to build up in your home. Termites look for moisture and nest in moist soil. Check the outside of your home for leaking faucets, pipes, and your outside air conditioner for water. Also, check your concrete gutters, spray blocks, and downspouts to make sure they are properly draining water away from your home.
3. If there are crawl spaces in your home or building, check for moisture and make sure the humidity is low. Here, too, high levels of moisture accumulation and moisture can be a breeding ground for termites. If you find that you have a problem with ventilation, most pest control companies can install proper vents and vapor barriers.
4. Make sure you have nothing like firewood, cardboard boxes, lumber, or stacks of newspapers that are on your house or kept in a crawl space. Obviously, such things are an all-you-can-eat buffet for termites. Remove plants like grapevines and ivy from growing in your home, and remove tree stumps and dead roots as well.
5. Let’s talk about mulch again. If you’re like me, you’ve probably used too much sprucing up your garden and flower beds lately, and it’s probably spread out too close to your house. Take a look and remove as much of the excess mulch as possible. Make sure it is at least 2 to 6 inches from your house. It doesn’t matter what type of wood the mulch is, everything contains water, and termites love that.
6. Call a specialist! All of the above tips are sure to help keep termites out of your home. However, the best defense is to protect your home with a professional termiticide.
Signs that you have a termite infestation
There are a couple of things to look for in order to know that you have a termite problem. The University of Kentucky Says To Look For –
Pencil-wide mud feed tunnels on foundations, pillars, sills, beams, etc.
Winged “swarmers” termites or their scale wings on window sills and along the edges of the floor.
Damaged wood that was hollowed out along the grain and lined with bits of mud or earth.
Read more at entomology.ca.uky.edu.
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