Save Money & Protect Your Home with Termite Prevention
When it comes to steps to prevent termites from chewing on your home, “an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.” In fact, in terms of worth, experts estimate that termite damage can cost a homeowner an average of $3,000 – just for repairs.
It’s also important to realize that all homes – not just wooden structures – have areas that are likely targets for termites.
Termite Breeding Grounds – Inside & Outside
The first step to prevent the spread of termites in your home is to understand that there are three elements in which termites can breed and thrive: wood or cellulose, water, and soil. The next steps all focus on eliminating those elements (as much as possible) both inside and outside your home in order to prevent termites from chew-sing your home.
WOOD & CELLULOSE
It probably goes without saying that termites feed on any material that contains cellulose, which is why wood is their primary source of food. The following tasks will go a long way to help starve them out:
- Get rid of scrap wood, tree stumps, or any wood that touches the ground, from your yard.
- Use only pressure treated wood for your fences and docks.
- Remove firewood piles from inside your house.
- Repair fascia, soffits, and rotted roof shingles.
- Keep your wooden furniture, especially antiques, well maintained, and away from humidity.
WATER
Take care to eliminate or reduce moisture inside and around your home to help prevent damage from these silent destroyers:
- Fix leaky faucets and broken pipes under sinks, behind appliances and everywhere else.
- Check that your outdoor faucets don’t drip, your sprinklers don’t reach your house, and that the water from your air conditioning system drains away from your home’s foundation.
- Make sure downspouts, gutters, and/or splash blocks are in working order.
- Keep wood flooring and baseboards dry.
SOIL
Except for drywood termites, most types of termites require contact with soil to survive. That’s because they build mud tubes leading from their colonies underground to food sources. Steps to take to mitigate any buildup of soil include:
- Cleaning up your yard.
- Removing any thick vegetation around the foundation of your home.
- Maintaining an 18-inch gap between soil and any wood portions of your home.
Too Late to Prevent Termites?
If you suspect your home already has a termite infestation, don’t delay. Contact us for an inspection. The professionals at Heath Pest Control have been taking care of our local community’s pest control needs for nearly 20 years.