How To Prevent A Termite
Invasion In Your Home
home equity articles and tips
Even though the likelihood of a termite infestation making its way into your home is lower during the colder months, there are still many precautions that homeowners can take throughout the year that will help to keep termites at bay. In most regions, termite populations tend to surge during the spring. Ask any exterminator and they will tell you that preventative measures are the first line of defense against termites. Read on to learn more tips on how to prevent a termite invasion in your home.
Exterminators Are the First Line of Defense Against Termite Infestations
The first step in preventing a termite invasion is to schedule a pest inspection at least a month before spring officially starts. If there are any termite nests in or around your home, waiting too long to take action will allow the termites to procreate freely during the winter. By the time spring rolls around, what was once a tiny colony could become a major infestation. It will save you a lot of money down the line if you simply hire a licensed exterminator to inspect your home a few times each year.
Wood Usage, Storage and Removal
During the winter, many homeowners need wood for fireplaces or wood burning stoves. You may also encounter winter storms that cause limbs and branches to collect in your yard. Termites will try to make their home in any kind of wood or organic plant material that has been allowed to decompose. For this reason, it is important to keep any wood stored in or near your home dry and free of decay. You should also promptly remove any downed limbs and branches that fall into your yard.
In some cases, termites use trees and outdoor wooden structures as a sort of bridge into your home. To help prevent this, make sure that there are no trees, wooden furniture or structures making contact with your home. This will make it more difficult for a termite colony to find entry points through vents, windows, attics and other openings near your roof.
Making Your Home Inhospitable to Termites
There are three things that termites look for when seeking a new place to inhabit—shelter, warmth and water. If the colony cannot find a suitable outdoor location that meets these needs, then they will certainly try to invade an area of your home that does. To make sure this doesn’t happen, keep your attic, basement and crawl spaces completely dry and at a relatively cool temperature. Fix any moisture problems in these areas of your home and make sure that your ventilation system is working correctly. Termites will be less likely to try to inhabit cool, dry places.
Savvy homeowners realize that termite prevention is something that needs to be attended to in all seasons. No matter where you live, a termite invasion is a very real threat for most homeowners. By taking the right precautions during the fall and winter months, you will greatly reduce the likelihood of a termite infestation occurring in your home.
Savannah Coulsen is a freelance writer. She lives in Raleigh. Savannah loves to read and write and she hopes to write a novel someday. Savannah also loves learning and is a self-proclaimed health guru. Savannah found information for this post from Jones Bros., an exterminator in Sacramento.
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