Most people have heard of termites, these insects are known to eat wood and can be a substantial problem in certain areas of the country. Interestingly, they are also essential in some parts of the world to dispose of decaying material.
But, no matter how useful they can be, this is not an insect you want in your home.
They Eat Wood
The biggest issue with termites is that they eat wood. They will often gain access to the wood in the structure of your property by digging through the soil around your home and down to the foundation level. At this level there is wood to eat, it’s also damp and warm, making it a perfect environment for the termites to flourish.
Of course, they can also target the furniture in your home. As a species they are not generally fussy about the type of wood they eat, although they do prefer softwood;
The real issue is that once the termites are in they will build a colony. A colony of termites can eat a foot of a piece of 2×4 in approximately 6 months. That may not sound like a lot but you can imagine the effect on the structure of your home if a piece of wood this big was missing.
Then, you need to multiply t by the number of colonies in your home. It’s not unusual for the termites leaving the colony to create new colonies in the same house, dramatically increasing the amount of damage that can be done.
In short, if the problem goes unnoticed and untreated for 6-12 months you could be facing serious structural problems. It may even be unsafe to stay in the house.
The result is an expensive repair bill that may, or may not, be covered by your insurance.
Dealing With Termites
The key is to prevent the termites from getting in and to deal with them promptly f they have.
Prevention starts with concreting around the edge of your home, this prevents them from creating their entry/exit tunnels. You should also get a regular inspection done by a termite expert to ensure you don’t have a termite issue.
If termites are discovered the experts are likely to set termite bait traps. These will kill the termite because they will take the poison in the trap. However, because they live in colonies any termite finding the bait will take it back to the colony to share. One piece of bait can kill a lot of termites!
The professionals will follow through to ensure the termites have all been killed. They can then help to ensure your home is termite-proof, preventing a repeat attack.
Don’t forget that clutter, specifically piles of wood, can make your home more attractive to termites. Ensure that any wood stacked outside is a good distance from the house and don’t hang onto rotten wood, this won’t just attract termites, you’ll have a whole array of pests to deal with.
