Termite Control
Termites live all over the USA and bug all who own or rent a house. Sooner or later 99% of houses are attacked by termites. It can happen once in 50 years or EVERY year. For this reason it is good to learn how to manage termites and keep them off your property.
Below you will find termite control steps that will guarantee safety for your house and comfort for its inhabitants. Some of the things suggested you will be able to do on your own while others will need qualified assistance. But it all will depend a lot on the extent of the infestation in your particular case.
On the other hand, if most of this advice is heeded, one can completely eliminate the possibility of getting infested with termites, and list their house among 2% of buildings that don’t have to fight this problem at all because of wise management and prevention strategies.
Termite Inspection
The fact is that 98% of the time termites are found accidentally, and in many cases major damage has already been done to the wooden structures of the house. If only we took time to inspect our houses once every 2-3 months, we could avoid all the hassle connected with using chemicals or having significant repairs done to the house.
Certainly, inviting a professional exterminator is always the best choice, as there will be some places in your house that you will not want or be able to get to. You will need just one comprehensive inspection from a qualified specialist who will be able to suggest specific practical steps that you could take in order to prevent infestation or detect it at an earlier stage. By an early stage I mean 1-2 months since the insects infiltrate your house or build a nest nearby.
For other types of pests 60 days may sound like a lot but remember that termites are pretty slow in their activity, and it may take anywhere from 12 to 18 months for some serious damage to become obvious. For a house to be totally destroyed by termites, one needs no less than 3-4 years and a colony of at least 500,000 individuals. Well, you might think that one should be indeed blind to the insects not to notice their activity for so long, but it does happen very often.
If you spend 3 hours every 3 months inspecting key places and structures around your place, you will definitely prevent wasting two-three thousands dollars every so often on repairs. That’s why PREVENTION through inspection is the key concept in termite control.
Look for the following signs of termite infestation:
- Live insects in your house. Browse the net for a good description of a termite so that you don’t confuse them with ants, flying ants or roaches;
- Search your garden for mud holes and tree stumps;
- Thin mud tunnels on walls are a sure indicator of termite infestation. Termites build them to extend their nest or to overcome some uneatable materials like mortar, bricks and concrete;
- Damaged wood;
- Wood grains of sawdust near woodworks;
- Flying swarms of termites ready for reproduction;
- Wings of flying termites that they shed before entering the next cycle of their lives establishing a nest;
- Buckling paintwork;
- Tiny holes in wood;
Once you are sure that your house has been infested or has a high probability of infestation because of the place where you live or because of a termite outbreak in the area, you can move to the next level of termite control:
Termite Prevention
Prevention thorough Organic Control and wise House Management are probably the best option in combating termites when one has in mind environment and absolute safety. Even though these help more at prevention stage, it is possible to get rid of termites only with organic control measures and modification and corrections in your property.
If you have identified a colony just several weeks after they have migrated to your garden, you will have at least several months before they get to your house in search of food. Taking some of these measures will help you inhibit or totally stop their further proliferation. Through a little bit of experimenting or professional advice you will exterminate these relentless but vulnerable insects.
Biological Control such as:
- Parasitic round worms that infest earth digging termites and bugs;
- Encouraging predators: spiders, flies, bats and ants;
- Metarhizium Anisopliae fungus that is a natural termicide;
- Adding organic material to the soil might be a temporary solution as many termites will prefer to eat dead plants instead of live;
- Crop rotation will strengthen the plants;
- Planting trees with termite resistance: Acacia Polyacantha, Albizia Zygia, Capparis Aphylla;
- Planting trees with termicide characteristics: Erythropleum Suaveolens, Detarium Senegalense;
- Physical Control:
- Sand barrier around your house 10 inches wide and 10 inches deep will make it extremely hard for termites to get to wood;
- Divert rain water from foundation;
- Flower planters should not be closer than two feet from the building;
- Avoid mulch next to the foundation;
- Don’t store paper or firewood against the house;
Chemical Control
Chemical Control should be conducted, or at least supervised by a certified exterminator, and includes several options:
- Soil-barrier chemicals;
- Treated Zone termocides;
- Baits;
- Treated wood;
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