“How do termites get in your home?” Property owners spend over two billion dollars each year trying to get rid of termites.
Many factors determine whether or not your home will be a good breeding ground for termites.
The best thing you can do to get rid of termites is to be proactive and find out exactly how they are entering your home and take steps to ensure that you stop them from entering.
How Do Termites Get in Your Home?
One of the first things that you need to understand is exactly how termites thrive. Termites cannot reproduce if they do not have moisture and warmth. The best way to prevent them from thriving is to deprive them of these two essential things.
You should also be aware that some places are more prone to termite infestation than others because of the climate. If you live in a humid climate, then you need to be extra vigilant to get rid of termites.
1. They Use Moisture
One of the main things that attract termites is moisture. Whenever they find the smallest amount of moisture around your home especially if it is consistent moisture, they will build huge colonies.
The best way to counter this problem is to repair any pipes as soon as possible. If your home’s drainage system needs to be repaired, do so as well.
If there is standing water around your home, you should get it removed immediately. This is one of the most welcoming environments for termites.
2. Wood and Moist Soil
The fact that termites like to eat wood is common knowledge. However, they will not just attack any wooden structure. They are attracted to wooden structures that are in contact with soil that is moist.
They use the connection between the moisture in the soil and the wooden structure as a way to infiltrate the wood in the environment. Treating the soil around your home with pesticides to prevent termites is wise.
However, this is not enough, you need to do inspections regularly and physically check for termites.
3. Cracks In the Exterior of Your Home
One of the easiest ways for termites to get into your home is to use the cracks in the exterior of your home. If you find cracks in your home's foundation, you need to repair them very quickly. It doesn't matter if the cracks are concrete or wood.
In addition to checking for cracks in the foundation and other exterior surfaces of your home, you should also inspect all the entry doors and windows of your home. If you find areas where you need to reapply caulk that has disintegrated, then you should do this quickly.
Termites also like to infiltrate homes through loose plumbing and electrical lines, so check on those as well.
4. Gutters are Breeding Grounds
It is almost inevitable that after a while, gutters will become clogged, especially if you are not paying close attention to them. When gutters are clogged, they begin to collect a lot of dirt and they may start harboring plants, preventing rainwater from being properly filtered to the ground.
This can cause damage to the structure of your home. When the structure of your home becomes damp, it can lead to moist wood. This creates a perfect environment for termites to thrive.
Be proactive: if you notice any problems with your gutter, it is best to deal with it right away. In fact, any kind of draining problem should be addressed immediately, because they present the perfect opportunity for termites to multiply and infest your home.
5. The Landscape
The landscape around your home is one of the main portals through which termites infiltrate your home. Plants and trees that are hovering over or near your home can also pose a danger.
Termites can easily infest them and then use them as bridges to get into your home. If you have a garden, then you need to ensure that it is well-tended. Otherwise, it could become a breeding ground where termites can enter your home.
If you have overgrown bushes, mulch piles, and tree stumps, then you already have some very attractive breeding ground for termites.
When trees are cut down in your yard, it is best to have the stomp removed as quickly as possible. This is because it can start to collect a lot of water and mold. As soon as termites find this welcoming habitat they will begin to nest and multiply rapidly.
With the tree stump anywhere near your home, sooner or later they will find their way inside and start chomping on the foundation of your home.
Additionally, when you have a lawn, you should consider putting some distance between the walls of your home and the lawn. You can do this by creating pavement that separates the grass from your home.
This simple step is often enough to prevent any termites that want to take root in the grass outside from finding their way into your home.
Get Rid of Termites
If you had been wondering, "How do termites get in your home?" You now know the answer. Knowing the signs of termite damage is the first step in knowing how to get rid of termites.
Once you have identified a breeding ground, you should move swiftly to remove it. If you neglect swift management of the infestation, you run the risk of getting severe damage to your home.
If all you have done is failing to prevent infestation, then you should hire professionals to do the job. If you would like pest control help to get rid of termites, please contact us.
