Ultimate Guide to Termite Extermination
What’s In This Guide
When you are expecting, you want to do everything you can to ensure that your baby will be born safe and healthy. Many parents are concerned with potential risks during gestation. Expectant mothers are warned away from potential hazards like sushi, soft cheeses and even the litter box.
If termites get in, they can completely destroy the structural integrity of the home that you’ve built for your family. The more they reproduce the more termite damage they can cause and your house could start breaking down around you—possibly without you even knowing it. That’s when you need the ultimate termite treatment.
How To Tell If You Have Termites
Cracked Or Bubbled Paint
This could actually be a sign of a number of different things so you want to make sure that you check the paint in your home frequently. Cracked or bubbled paint could be a sign of termite activity because they tend to break down the walls behind that paint which can result in damage.
It can also be a sign of things like water damage, which can start to rot or mold the walls behind that paint as well. If there seems to be any kind of problem with the paint becoming damaged in your home, it’s probably a good idea to have it looked at so you can be sure that you’re not getting into something dangerous or potentially problematic for your family.
Tap On The Wood
You can actually tap on the walls of your home and the wood pieces that you can see and tell if there is damage on the inside. OK, this form of termite inspection isn’t exactly ultimate termite control, but it gives you an idea of whether there are any termites there or not—before there is even a termite infestation. That’s because termites hollow out the structure and leave an exterior casing that they can pass through.
That means you’re going to have a hollow piece of wood and if you tap on it or knock on it you’ll be able to tell that the structure is hollow. This is extremely important and can let you know if there’s a problem a whole lot faster than you might think. You’ll have to replace pieces of wood that are hollow, but you’re going to have a better idea of what’s going on right away.
Tracks In The Wood
If you start seeing tracks through the wood in your home or behind cupboards, you want to make sure you do something about it right away as well. These tracks will be thin but they’ll work their way through the wood quickly and could mean that termites are eating their way through and creating a path.
These look a lot like a veined hornets’ nest and you should immediately take action if you start to see something like this because it could be a sign of much bigger problems with termites traversing through other parts of your home as well.
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How To Get Rid Of Termites
Expose Them To Sun
Termite colonies don’t do very well when it comes to sunlight. They have a whole lot of problems with that direct light and that means you should expose them to as much light as you can. This only really works when it comes to smaller colonies or when you have a colony that you know exactly where it is. You’re not going to have as much luck if the colony has spread or if you’re not really sure where it is.
Bring In The Cavalry
There are actually a number of different worms and even nematodes that eat termites and these can be brought in from different areas to help take care of the problem. It’s important to check your local regulations before you do this because they can be against the law in some parts of the country but, if you can, they can be a quick and much easier solution to the problem—at least if it’s not too large or widespread. Remember, this is another insect in your home, however, and you’ll want to keep track of what they’re doing and how to get rid of them when you’re done with the termites as well.
Termite Stakes
When it comes to short-term solutions, you can use termite stakes which will detect activity when it occurs nearby and start to get rid of the termites that are attacking your home. You won’t have a whole lot of time with these, however, and you’ll have to change them out or replace them every once in a while to make sure that you’re getting rid of termites whenever they show up.
Spray Boundary
When it comes to long-term solutions you can use a number of different sprays that will help you create a boundary around your home. These are going to last a whole lot longer and use a number of different active ingredients that make sure termites never come into your home in the first place. You can buy some of these at most gardening stores or you can hire a professional who will come out and spray the area to make sure that the termites don’t come back or don’t come in the first place.
Wall Foam
Similar to a spray foam insulation you can get foam that fills in holes and cracks in your walls or even to the exterior of the home to reduce the chances of the termites getting in. These are going to take a bit more effort and a bit more time but they’re definitely going to help the problem and make sure that you don’t end up with termites at all.
How To Prevent Termites
For example, getting rid of moisture and water and getting rid of extra food that the termites are eating is going to help you prevent them in the first place. And, of course, there are plenty of things you can do to cut down on them once they start.
Get Rid Of Water
If you have water near your foundation this could be a breeding ground for termites. Getting rid of debris and other moisture in your gutters and making sure that you have adequate downspouts that carry the excess water away from your house can be one way to cut down on termites growing and reproducing in the area, which can make sure that they are stopped before they ever really start doing anything in your home. It’s also something simple to do that helps cut down on the risk of water damage to your home and foundation as well.
Remove Mulch
If you have a lot of mulch around your home this could actually be a breeding ground for termites as well. That’s because it’s made of wood and, therefore, provides termites with plenty of space to grow and continue to eat. By getting rid of mulch you’re cutting down on the amount of food that they have available, which is going to help you cut down on how they continue to reproduce and grow.
Mulch may look great in your yard and your landscaping, but will definitely cause you problems when it comes to termites and that’s not something you’re going to want. It might be worth the loss. Overall, there are a number of ways you can carry out termite control to cut down the risk of a termite invasion and prevent any from coming in the future. So, make sure you keep an eye out and using this ultimate guide to termite extermination to get rid of the problem before it gets too big.