Spotting a termite or signs of a termite infestation in your home should never be ignored. This usually means the termites are already in the house, and you must call in the termite control experts to identify their hiding spots and eradicate them for good.
Once this is done, you will need to prioritize some measures to ensure they don't get into your home again. The key to preventing an infestation is to avoid making some common blunders. Here are mistakes you should avoid at all costs.
Keeping Wood Materials Around
Termites like eating cellulose and wood, so when you leave these materials lying around the compound or in the house, you will be inviting these pests into your home. You should also avoid storing wooden materials in the crawl space, attic, or basement because termites can hone in on these food sources and feast on them. Before you know it, you will be dealing with massive structural and property damages.
Heaping Lots of Mulch in the Yard
Termites also like to feast on mulch, so you will attract them when you pile excessive mulch against any structure. The mulch usually holds soil moisture, so it will be an excellent source of food for hungry termites.
Usually, the mulch most people use is softwood, such as pine, so termites will quickly devour it before they find a way to access the house. If you are piling mulch high up on your structure's foundation, you should remove it, so termites don't use it to enter the home.
Digging Around the Foundation
If your termite control expert has provided termite treatment to keep these pests at bay, you should avoid disrupting it. The liquid treatments are applied around the foundation and can only be effective when left undisturbed. Any hole you dig, even if you want to plant a new plant in your garden, can be used by the termites to crawl through, so don't dig around the foundation.
Also, if you notice any cracks around the foundation area, get an expert to seal them right away before termites use the tiny openings to sneak into the house.
Letting Puddles Form in the Yard
Other than wood, termites love water. When you allow puddles of water to form in your yard, particularly near the AC unit or foundation, you will give these pesky pests an ideal environment for their colony to thrive. Therefore, make sure water flows away from your foundation at all times. Also, standing water should be drained immediately.
Contact a local pest control service for more information.
