4 Things That Attract Termites Into Your Home

While it is known that termites are primarily attracted to woods, they can find them in their environment. Other factors can also entice them into entering your home and causing a possible infestation. Read on to learn more about four things that attract termites into your home and when to call termite pest control. 

 

How do you get termites?

 

Geography

Termite infestation could be more common for some people, depending on which state or part of a country they reside in. According to research, inhibitions are more common for homeowners in places with higher termite pressure, such as those in the South and along the Gulf Coast, where it is warmer and drier.

Moisture Level

Moisture is a draw for termites. Leaky pipes and other plumbing problems present a termite infestation risk and must be swiftly resolved. If left unattended, plumbing leaks can cause severe wood rot.

Homeowners need to ensure that the base of their house is adequately ventilated. They must also remove any landscaping that can cause humidity to accumulate in their house’s crawl area or foundation. Crawl spaces are popular with termites because they are damp and uninhabited. Homeowners can lessen moisture in their home’s crawl areas by having their property inspected and analyzed for moisture sources and solutions.

Improper Drainage

A home’s foundation is particularly appealing to termites as a foraging location because of its high moisture levels. Homeowners should regularly examine, clean, and mend their gutters to make their homes less inviting for termites. By fixing any leaky faucets or pipes, they can maintain as much dryness in the soil adjacent to their home’s foundation.

Wood and Wooden Structures

Termites consume cellulose, an essential part of the wood. Termites may have a chance to enter a home’s interior if any wood comes into contact with the exterior of a house. Homeowners must remove any stumps, vines, mulch, trellises, or other outside wood close to a home’s foundation, to help reduce the likelihood that termites will have an easier time invading homes.

 

How do you prevent termite infestation?

 

Make your home less appealing to termites.

Homeowners should use a solid base when building their houses and leave space for ventilation between the dirt and the wood. Surfaces of exposed wood should be sealed or protected with metal.

Practice Termite Prevention Features

• Maintain the soil surrounding your home’s foundation dry using correct grading and drainage (including maintenance of gutters and downspouts).

 

• Reduce the number of gaps termites can use to enter homes (filling cracks in cement foundations and around where utilities pass through the wall with cement, grout, or caulk).

 

• Fix leaks right away.

 

• Keep plants and other obstructions away from vents.

 

• Make sure plants are not placed too close to the building and cannot cling to exposed wood surfaces.

 

• Keep wood waste and firewood away from the residence.

 

• Regularly inspect for a possible termite colony. 

Choose Horne’s Pest Control for Termite Control & Treatment!

Infections from termites are frightening and expensive to treat. However, they are simpler to eradicate with Horne’s Termite Control Service’s three-pronged method of treating termite-infested properties. As an infestation grows, the damage might increase. If you have an infestation, contact us for a free assessment and to learn more about our efficient termite treatment.