Termites cause tremendous amounts of damage to local properties every year. The evidence of their activity is usually hidden until the damage reaches hazardous proportions, making termites one of the most dangerous pests around. Learning how you can prevent them and act quickly to tamp down on their colonies will help keep your property termite-free.

Termites & Their Destruction

Most insects that invade your property won’t cause the kinds of damage that termites and other wood-boring pests can. Termites form mounds or tunnels in loose soil, so many infestations begin outside just like other bug problems. The difference is that termites, like ants, use a social caste system to conquer wide swaths of territory very quickly. Workers build out their highways and gather food, soldiers protect the colony and warn of attacks, and reproductive alates create ever more termites for the endless horde. Their large numbers and industrious ways make termites a pest that’s able to cause vast amounts of damage. But they avoid light like the plague, so the evidence of their damage is hidden behind surface woods until it becomes irreparable and potentially dangerous. That’s why it’s important to curb the factors that attract termites and take proactive steps to prevent colonies from forming in the first place.

Factors That Attract Termites

Because they can grow so quickly, termite problems are ones that you want to take every precaution with before they even begin. Be considerate of these factors around your property, since they can attract termites:

• Soil: Termites look for areas where soil touches wood, providing easy access for their tunnels to grow around and inside of fibrous materials. Keep soil beds away from any structures on your property.
• Wood: As pests that eat wood, it stands to reason that termites will be attracted to any areas where it’s easily accessible. Wood piles or debris should be stored well away from your exterior.
• Moisture: Moist soils act a lot like clay for a termite — easily molded and stuck together for tunnels and mounds. That makes damp soil a target for colonies. Additionally, waterlogged woods are specifically sought by some termites.

Prevention Tips To Get Started On Now

Reducing some of those factors can be a lot harder and more expensive than property owners initially bargain for. Proper moisture control and landscaping requires a lot of time and effort, after all, and they still only account for half of the equation when it comes to keeping termites out. If they can find access to exterior walls, termites will be attracted simply because of the ample wood that human properties provide. Here are ways to reduce potential access points:

• Crack sealing: Even tiny cracks in a foundation or holes in exterior woods can provide termites with an entry point to get inside of walls and floors. Routinely check for these blemishes and make fixes if needed.
• Landscaping: Aside from keeping soil away from your exterior, you also need to beware of encroaching trees and bushes, which termites can use as highways to get closer to wooden structures.
• Treatments: The best form of prevention comes from professional treatments of your lawn and exterior, which ward off termites and other insects. Learn how you can get started by calling Proven Pest Management today.

Go With What’s Proven

Because a termite infestation can be so dire, it’s important to take every precaution instead of leaving yourself vulnerable. Rather than try to keep up on prevention all on your own, let the experts help. At Proven Pest Management, our friendly staff can give you more tips on how to keep your home protected from termites. We can get started quickly on an inspection of your property, to help identify any problem spots and act quickly if any pest populations are found — eliminating them before they can do irreversible harm.

Don’t take chances when it comes to termite control, trust Proven Pest Management.