A homeowner’s insurance covers lots of things but in most cases, termites are not one of them. Termites are active all year long, although they tend to swarm in the warm spring and autumn that is only because they are flying out to create new colonies. If a queen has its home below or near your house, you are in trouble because they can chew through anything that contains cellulose around the house and the damage is irreversible.
Sadly the truth is it is difficult to keep termites out of your home forever, but thanks to the prosionals over Texas Bug Control these ten tips might well help prevent most of them and the experts can take care of the rest. So let’s get on with dealing with those pesky critters…
Deploy termite Baits
Termites swarm every year which makes it difficult to keep them away for long because once they swarm, they can land anywhere in your yard and start a nest. The best way to prevent them from creating nests all over your yard is by creating baits which make it easier to control where they build new colonies making it easy to control their spread. You can get your local pest control to give you long-lasting termite control baits which are laced with chemicals that take time to kill termites so that a single termite can spread it to the nest and even to the queen.
Use instant termicides
In most cases, you will only realize that you have a termite problem after finding them inside your barn, basement or other parts of your house. In that case, you need a direct killer that takes out as many of the termites as possible before you can deploy other preventive measures. The best way to kill them is to spray a concentrated solution of boric acid on the areas affected by the termites. You can also buy instant termiticides from the store including Termidor foam which evaporates and leaves an odourless chemical that will kill the termites if they spread into the house. Most instant termiticides only last a few weeks so you can’t rely on them for the long term.
Use Termite barriers around your foundation
Many pest control companies charge a lot of money to build you a termite barrier but it is a very simple job that you can handle in your free time. It involves digging a trench around the foundation of your house or other structure you want to protect, filling the trench with a solution of Termidor, Taurus or other termiticides that have long-lasting effects. You should ensure that you follow the instructions carefully when making your solution.
Whichever product you use, make sure it is rated to last more than one year for your barrier to having the desired effects. You can also spray the long term termiticide solution on your hedges, fence or around the structures you intend to protect. The barrier doesn’t kill termites instantly, but it ensures they die by carrying the chemical back to their nests killing the queen.
Keep mulch and wooden debris away from your house Foundation
Piling boxes, leftover wood and other termite food in your backyard next to the house may keep the wood safe from the rain but it may also cause termites to invade your house. To keep your house safe, you need a barrier between hedges and gardens and your house which is why it is recommended to use pebbles instead. Having pebbles around your house and potted plants repel termites because nothing will attract them to build mud shelters and scale your wall.
Fix sources of leaking water
Like roaches, termites are attracted to moisture and leaking pipes and outdoor taps give them a lot of it. If you have leaking plumbing in your house, especially on walls leaking to the outside and inside your basements, you may be one mud shelter away from a termite colony. You should ensure that your house’s drainage is working properly and that water from the roof, sink, bathroom and outdoor taps flow smoothly to a designated area and doesn’t flow all over the place.
Treat wood and cellulose-containing installations before using them
When constructing or repairing your deck, basement, barn or other wooden structures in your home, you have to take into account the extent of termite infestation in the area. It is wise to use a spot treatment for any wood that may be already infested. You just need to drill a hole and ensure you hit the nest before spraying boric acid or other termiticides you are using. You can also spray and treat your wood in Termidor solution. The same goes for the ground where your wood will be laid.
Do a regular wood inspection
Termite resistant and termite-proof don’t mean the same thing. When buying painted wood, you may be told that is termite resistant but that doesn’t mean it won’t be invaded by termites at one point. So, even if you used termite resistant wood for your home, you should still schedule regular inspections by a certified exterminator or do it yourself.
Create stands to store wood off the ground
Keeping your wood warm and dry for the winter is necessary but it is not worth ruining your home over. Termites may actually eat out much of that wood before they turn on your house which is a double loss. You should therefore make a stand using materials that won’t be susceptible to termites such as metal or strong plastic. You can also create a barrier such as a large plastic or metallic carpet between your wood and the wall or floor so that termites don’t have direct access to your wood.
Go for termite killing nematodes
For every natural pest, there is a natural solution and nematodes are the best green termite exterminator you can use if you don’t want to poison your lawn with insecticides. You can buy them in your local pest control stores or go online. The nematodes are parasites that burrow into the bodies of termites and then poison the pests. They are effective in killing termites and other destructive insects around your home without poisoning the soil.
Deploy DIY solutions for subterranean termites
Diatomaceous earth is a solution for killing termites that stray into your house, especially during the swarming season. You can also use essential oils such as orange and neem on wood and cardboards targeted by termites as they kill the pests over time by preventing them from moulting. Boric acid is still the most reliable solution that you can pour anywhere that termites are attacking and they just can’t survive it.
If you have any other tips for keeping termites out of the home do let us know in the comments below.