Each year over 5 billion dollars worth of damage is caused by a small group of insects. The insects responsible for this devastating damage go by the scientific name of Isoptera, but most people know them as Termites. While termites can cause a significant amount of damage, they don’t get talked about enough. Nearly 52% of Americans have never had their home inspected to determine whether or not Termites are present. Furthermore, roughly 33% of people have been impacted, or know someone who has been impacted by termites. So, while termites impact many people, there aren’t enough measures being taken to prevent them. Listed below are 7 tips to keep your house termite-free.
1. Prevent Moisture
In order to keep termites away, you will want to avoid having any sources of moisture in your home. More importantly, you want to really make sure that you avoid having any type of moisture near wood in your home. Termites are particularly attracted to wood products that have moisture in them.
2. Store Cardboard Away From Walls
When storing cardboard or paper products make sure to keep them off the ground, and away from walls. If termites do find their way into your home, they will be drawn to the most accessible wood and paper products. Keeping these items away from walls and the ground will help to prevent termites.
3. Seal Your Home
If you have any noticeable cracks or holes in the interior or exterior of your home, make sure to have them sealed up as soon as possible. Many insects, including termites, will find their way into homes through the easiest route. If you close up easy routes of entry, it will help to keep your home termite-free.
4. Clean Regularly
Pests, including termites, are attracted to dirt, mold, and just overall uncleanly environments. If you clean your home regularly, it will help to prevent a whole variety of pests. Make sure to clean any products that contain wood as well. On a similar note, you should also clean the outside of your home. It does not need to be spotless, but you need to remove any brush piles or areas outside of your home that contains wood products.
5. Have Your Home Inspected
Another great way to prevent termites from damaging your home is to have your home inspected by professionals. They will be able to look for signs of termites that you might not ordinarily notice, and they will look in places that you wouldn’t think to look. Consider having your home inspected at least once a year to make sure that termites are not causing unhidden damage.
6. Fix Leaks
On top of fixing any cracks or holes in your home, you should also make sure that your home does not have any leaks. Check all of your faucets and showerheads to make sure that they don’t have any leaks. Pay attention to your walls and your ceiling to see if you notice and water leaking through at any times as well. As mentioned earlier, moisture combined with wood is an environment that termites thrive in.
7. Spray
One last way to help keep your house termite-free is to spray surfaces where you believe termites would be attracted to. A commonly know spray is boric acid. Boric acid is a mixture of water and boric, a natural compound. Boric is commonly found in plants and fruits. It is safe for humans and pets but is quite deadly to termites and cockroaches. On top of using boric acid, you can also call professional exterminators to spray around your home to help kill existing pests and prevent them in the future.
Conclusion
Overall, there a quite a few different ways that you can help keep your house termite-free. In summary, the methods are preventing moisture, store cardboard/wood away from walls, seal your home, clean regularly, have your home inspected, fix leaks, and spray. If you are still concerned with the possibility of termites invading your home, or would just like to have your home inspected, give Bennetts Services a call or visit their website. They are experts in not only identifying different types of pests, but they also can eradicate them quickly and efficiently.