Termite Prevention Tips

Normally when your house is infested by insects, finding signs of infestation is relatively easy and you’re able to react quickly to solve your bug problem. However, when it comes to termites you may not find out that your house is infested before the damage is already done. That’s why termites are one of the most dangerous pests around.

Pest Control Prevention

Unlike how cockroaches eat your food and bed bugs feed on your blood, termites aren’t interested in that. Instead, they have a taste for wood and other household items that contain cellulose. They’re one of the few creatures that can break down cellulose and turn it into nutrients for nourishment. Considering the majority of houses are made of wood, you can see why this is a problem. Before you know it the structural integrity of your house is compromised and there’s no easy way to fix that problem without spending a lot of money to have the damaged wood replaced. However, if you want to attempt pest control prevention, then there are a few ways you can try.

Maintain Dryness

Termites require water to sustain themselves. When your house has water that’s easily accessible to them it will only encourage termites to infest your house and look for more sources of food. To deal with this problem you can start by fixing any leaky faucets or pipes in your house. It’s also important to reduce the water that accumulates around the foundation of your house by ensuring that your gutters have a proper channel for water to flow away from your house and that any outdoor AC units aren’t leaking water. If you have sprinklers you should position them so that minimal water is being sprayed towards the foundation of your house. Last but not least, you should reduce the level of humidity in your crawl spaces by installing proper ventilation.

Remove Their Food Source

Now obviously you can’t take apart your entire house and replace the wood with something inedible to termites, but you can take steps to minimize the availability of wood. For one, if you have wood siding on your house it should be at least 6 inches away from the soil. Having wood that’s in contact with soil is just begging to be eaten. This also means that any firewood you have outside should either be properly elevated or kept at a distance from your house. This same principle applies to mulch as well. If you have mulch it should be used sparingly and kept at a safe distance from wood siding or wooden window frames.

Contacting a Professional

Unfortunately there is only so much you can do yourself to prevent termites from becoming a problem. Even when taking the necessary precautions to minimize an infestation it won’t ensure that the termites are eliminated. If you want to ensure safety from termites, then calling a professional pest control service is your best bet. Not only can their trained eyes inspect your home to see if you’re dealing with a termite problem to begin with, but they can also treat your house with termiticide and other pesticides to ensure that your house will be unattractive to termites and virtually impossible to infest.

Need Help With Pest Control Prevention?

Prevent Pest Control is equipped to solve any termite issues your home may be dealing with, as well as having a great source of information on ways to deal with pest control yourself. If you’re interested in acquiring our services or learning more about pest control then feel free to visit our website or call us at (440) 517-5581