7 Things Your Termite Exterminator Wants You To Know | The Family Handyman
Don't allow termites take over your home. Exterminators share the things they about want you lot to know to protect what you lot value most.
Termites are extraordinarily talented at destruction. Each year, they cause more than than $5 billion in belongings impairment in the U.S., and most homeowner'due south insurance plans don't encompass termite damage. Plus, damage from termites is more common than impairment from overflowing or fire.
And termites are not just a problem in warm climates. Although infestations are more than mutual in Southern states, termites live in every state except Alaska, as far as pest-control experts can tell. (They're too found in parts of Canada.)
You can prevent a termite crisis with regular inspections. Experts recommend ane every i to three years while watching for signs of termites yourself. Professional person exterminators shared a few other things they want you to know:
Moisture Leaks Are a Big Bargain
"Excess moisture will attract termites and other household pests," says Ralph Fisher at Earthwise Termite & Pest. If you have a leak in your home, remove or thoroughly dry out all the saturated wood. Repair whatsoever dripping hose bibs or sprinkler bug, too.
"Termites need shelter, food (wood) and moisture to alive," says Eric Hoffer of Hoffer Pest Solutions. "Any wet leak, such as in the roof or in the fascia, volition let termites to survive." Also check tricky spots such as your air conditioning baste lines. They tin can pool up confronting the firm, and termites will use that equally a moisture source.
Termites Eat 24 Hours a Day, Seven Days a Week
Nancy DeWitt, possessor of Patriot Pest and Termite Control says, "Termites never sleep, which means they are continuously consuming woods and damaging your holding." Left untreated, information technology could seriously weaken the foundation and structure of your home.
Merely that'due south not all. Termites don't merely eat forest. They'll eat anything with cellulose, an indigestible fiber commonly found in plants. "Then, aside from chewing on woods, they can feast into your garden plants, also," DeWitt says.
Other materials containing cellulose include wallpaper, paper, books, vesture, furniture, cardboard boxes, etc. So instead of storing things in paper-thin boxes, DeWitt recommends plastic bins for storage.
Maintain an Inspection Gap
For whatsoever home with a stucco exterior, make sure the stucco doesn't reach the footing. "Instead, y'all desire to have a ane- to 3-inch gap, too known every bit an inspection gap, which will allow you to see termites coming from the soil up," Hoffer says.
Also, watch out for wood-to-footing contact such every bit a fence postal service. "This blazon of area is ripe for termites," he says.
Termites Flock to Home Additions
Fisher advises circumspection when expanding your habitation. "Add-ons are a keen way to increase the foursquare footage of your habitation, merely termites should be considered before the procedure begins," he says.
Example in point: Pouring new physical against the existing concrete creates a seam. Termites tin fit through cracks as small every bit ane/32-in., and Fisher says a new seam may provide termites access to the dwelling house while remaining undetected. Fisher suggests homeowners consult an extermination professional nearly treating the soil and/or studs.
Besides, Fisher says to take caution when installing a new deck.
"When placing a deck against the dwelling, you lot are creating a physical bulwark," he says. "Make sure to run the boards parallel to the home. This will come in handy should a termite professional need to use a liquid chemical treatment application. Removing two boards parallel with the home is much easier than removing the whole deck."
And, Fisher says, make certain you lot leave enough room for a visual inspection of the foundation.
Recall About Other Sources of Forest and Food
Hoffer also recommends removing onetime stumps from your 1000. "A stump provides a great feeding ground for termites to feast," he says.
"And if you're an avid gardener, beware that mulch can come with termites," Fisher says. "In some cases, homeowners are actually paying to have termites delivered to the home via mulch. Ask your landscape specialist if you have whatever mulch options to minimize the corporeality of termites brought in with bulk mulch. Bagged mulch tin can besides have termite activity as well, yet it's far less likely."
Get an Almanac Inspection
Every twelvemonth, have a professional person come out and do an inspection, Hoffer says. Preventive treatment works, and it's a lot cheaper than dealing with an infestation after the fact.
"They will see things that you don't meet," he says. "Typically, most professionals volition exercise it at no charge. They may try to sell y'all on a service while they're out at that place, but you don't have to purchase that."
Termite Control Is an Ongoing Solution
"Most homeowners probably accept heard that termites live in colonies and at that place are many termites in a single colony," Hoffer says. "That existence said, I don't call back they understand just how big and subversive these colonies tin be. The boilerplate termite colony can contain anywhere from 75,000 to 250,000 private termites."
Because these colonies can be then big, almost termite services are not one-and-done. Hoffer says exterminators should utilise a tailored approach depending on the customer's specific termite infestation.
"If they take a total-blown termite infestation, and so we'll showtime focus on eradicating the electric current infestation," Hoffer says. "This is a alpine task due to the large number of individual termites in a colony, so we'll then implement a termite monitoring system to ensure that all the termites have been eradicated."
Thinking most cut corners and hoping for the best? Don't. "If a termite service is offering y'all a one-time service, information technology runs the take chances of not killing all the termites in a colony, allowing them to rebuild their colony and putting your home dorsum in danger," Hoffer says.
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