Termite damage can become irreparable or very costly to repair the damaged areas of your home. Because it’s hard to spot termite damage in the early stages, it’s crucial to have a yearly termite inspection.
To help avoid significant damage done to your home, we’ve compiled a few tips to protect you from termites. And if you’re in Frederick, MD, reach out to the experts at Phenom Pest Protection for help with any pest problem you’re facing including termites.
Ways to Protect Your Home From Termite Damage
There are many ways to protect your home from termite damage. Some require an application of a chemical composition to prevent the tiny bugs from chewing on the wood. Other methods of prevention have to do with the design of your home – which we’ll cover below…
Eliminate Feeding Sources
Termites like to eat wood and wooden species beyond the wood inside your walls. If you live in a wooded area, clean up tree stumps, fallen trees, leaves, and other wood-like debris from the area around your home. If you have woodpiles, store them as far away from your home as possible.
Consider Wood Treatment
Wood treatments work to exterminate termite colonies already in place and prevent future colonies from starting. Here are a few options for wood treatment.
- Surface Spray
- Injected Spray and Foam
- Borate Treatment
- Gas Fumigation
The surface spray is directed at the surface of the wood, while injected spray and foam are applied into the wood of the walls of your home. Borate wood is pretreated wood that you can use in the construction process. Gas fumigation is a gas released to eliminate termites within the structures of your home.
Put Up a Chemical Termite Barrier
A chemical barrier is a trench dug around the perimeter of your home and then filled with termite repellent. Liquid termiticide can become a hazardous substance if it is installed incorrectly so make sure to hire a termite professional.
Use Termite Bait Systems
Termite bait draws in and poisons termites to prevent them from making their way into your home. The bait is placed outside of your home in strategic locations. At Phenom Pest Protection, we use Sentricon® with Always Active™ to ensure that your home doesn’t fall victim to termites after treatment. These bait stations are safe and only accessible by a special key so children and pets can’t get into them.
Release Roundworm in the Environment
Roundworms (also called nematodes) are termite predators. This is a very low-maintenance treatment because all you have to do is to let the roundworms out and allow the circle of life to take place! Keep in mind that roundworms have a limited lifespan, so you will have to reintroduce them to the environment.
Limit Wood to Soil Contact
If you are building a home, always use a concrete base. Keep any door frames, wooden lattices, wood sidings, or window frames around at least 75 milliliters off the ground. It is important to take these steps during the construction phase to minimize your chances of having termites later on. However, if you have wood-to-soil contact, reach out to a pest control company that can advise you on the best prevention tactics.
Fill Up Termite Gateway Cracks
If you spot termite gateway cracks, use termiticide poison on or around these areas. These cracks form on foundations, piers, sills, and joints and are entry points for termites.
Take Preventative Measures
After extermination treatments, take preventative measures to make sure these critters will not come back. Speak with pest control experts on what steps you should take to avoid termites from visiting again in the future.
Prevention During Construction Projects
Use pre-treated wood, which is wood treated with a borate treatment, to build. During construction, use a concrete foundation and make sure you leave enough space between soil and wood for ventilation purposes. Keep the soil around foundations dry after construction with proper grading and drainage.
Termite Prevention Do’s & Don’ts
There are a few do’s and don’ts regarding termite prevention.
Do
- Clean downspouts and gutters
- Check for any fractures in cement foundations and fill them with caulk, cement, or grout if necessary.
- Fix leaks and install a dehumidifier to reduce moisture
- Make sure that vents aren’t blocked
- Ensure there are no woodpiles, stumps, or fallen trees near your home
- Fix any wood-to-soil contact
Don’t
- Do not landscape too close to your home’s foundation
- Do not store wood debris or firewood near your home
- Do not ignore the signs of termites
Besides this, add an annual or bi-annual termite inspection with a professional to your calendar.
Total Termite Extermination and Prevention Services
If you have a termite infestation, termite control and extermination are critical. If you find that a neighboring home has termites, you should take preventive measures on an annual basis, so you don’t become their next victim.
An experienced professional will look into areas that you might miss, so don’t hesitate to call a professional termite exterminator if you haven’t had a treatment or inspection in a few years.
