Nashville, Murfreesboro, Mt. Juliet, TN
Termites are a major nuisance. They are tiny, clustered, and ever-so-hungry! Yes, termites are one of the very few pests that keep nibbling on wood continuously. A typical colony of termites has between 350,000 to 1,000,000 termites. Imagine them constantly nibbling at the wood in your home and eating away different structures. No wonder termites have been billed as the number one reason for home destruction. On top of that, a termite queen lays thousands of eggs a day, during the swarming season. She, also, lives for 30 to 50 years! Worst of all, termites are particularly adept at gaining entry to houses. Don’t you just hate them? Are you aware that you may, in fact, be inviting them to your home? How? You do this by providing them with food, water, and shelter. Wood, moisture, and soil are all these little pests need to create elaborate colonies and swarm. By providing these, you may be inadvertently inviting them to infest your home.
Six things you can do to avoid termites at your home:
1) Hinder access
Preemptively sealing-off entry points that termites use to enter your home is the best way to hinder access. Most termites enter through gaps around gas and water lines or in areas where wood meets soil (ground). Thus, eliminate any wood-to-soil contact in your home, which can be typically found in places such as porches, garages, or anywhere wooden posts are placed directly in the ground. You should treat all wooden items in your home with appropriate anti-termite spray to get rid of the ones that may have already entered.
2) Make food scarce
The food that termites need to survive is wood or cellulose. Thus, get rid of dead plants, roots, stumps, and foliage around your home. Also, get rid of unnecessary lumber or papers stored around your home (attic, crawlspaces and kitchen). Opt for cellulose-free mulch options or ensure that the wooden mulch is at least six inches below the foundation. You will also want to keep the siding six inches above the soil. Make it a point to not store lumber, firewood, or even paper under your home or on a soil-floor as it will provide entry, food, and breeding grounds for termites. In addition, ensure that at least 90 percent of the soil is covered using plastic sheets in crawlspaces. 3
3) Make water scarce
Repair leaks in water outlets, pipes, faucets, and HVAC units. Ensure that rain water does not drain in towards the foundation. Leaky gutters and roofs must be promptly fixed as well. You can use drain tiles to divert water away from the home, if need be. Similarly, water from sprinklers should be diverted away from the house. Remove humidity from attics, crawlspaces, and other sub-floor regions through proper ventilation. Fans can be used for extraction of humidity in special cases.
4) Say no to untreated timber
When constructing fence posts, garden beds, and other structures in your garden or backyard, use termite-treated wood only. In addition, ensure that you have provided a gap of 50 mm, at least, between wood and soil, when erecting posts, fences, or retaining walls.
5) Don’t use house structures to support creepers and climbers
Indeed, climbers and creepers look great along your walls or wooden structure. These cellulose-sources allow termites free access to your home. In addition, certain plants and trees facilitate termite infestation even when not leaning against structures directly. They do so through their roots which grow and spread under slabs and foundations of homes. Stay clear of such plants and trees.
6) Reinstate termite protection methods each time you have any major work done
Home improvement tasks can alter, or completely annul, any previous termite prevention/protection in place. So if you had, say the awnings replaced, a concrete slab extended, a veranda added, or even had some plumbing done, it is always a good idea to go back and check the health of your physical termite barrier. Replace if need be.
If you live in the Nashville, Murfreesboro or Mt. Juliet area and think you may have a termite problem or just need a termite inspection, call Ameri Care Services today! Contact Us.