How to Get Rid of Termites Safely and Effectively
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By following these steps, you can effectively rid your home of winged termite infestations and prevent them from returning. Regular inspections, maintaining proper drainage, sealing cracks and crevices, and keeping wood away from the foundation are all essential steps to deter termites. If you suspect a termite issue or want to ensure your home is termite-free, consulting with a professional pest control expert is a wise decision. Swarmers are the equivalent of adolescent termites — they lose their wings when they reach full maturity.
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This moisture could react with your painted drywall surfaces, causing bubbles, flakes, peeling or cracks. The obvious answer to this question would have to be wood, but it isn’t that simple. Termites consume cellulose, and this is a material that can be found in high concentrations in wood, but it can also be found in paper, grass, livestock manure, leaves, and even cardboard.
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While termites do leave sawdust-like droppings, Webb says the common eastern subterranean termites leave their droppings inside of wood, where you’re unlikely to see them. Termites use their saliva to glue these tunnels together for travel. Homeowners may see the pencil-width mud tubes spreading out like veins on their home’s foundation.
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If not addressed promptly and adequately, termites can cause extensive and often permanent structural damage to a home. Fortunately, there are plenty of termite control methods to choose from. Homeowners can use DIY methods to control small infestations and prevent future ones, but in most cases, hiring an exterminator is the best bet.
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Identifying the source of the swarm can help homeowners find the rest of the colony. Flying termites, also called swarmers, are sometimes confused with carpenter ants because of their dark color. However, a flying termite has a long, uniform body with four equal-sized wings. Flying termites lose these wings when they mate, so discarded wings anywhere in a home are a primary sign of termites.
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Unless you live in Washington State, Oregon, coastal California, or some other areas in the Southwest, it’s unlikely that dampwood termites are going to be the cause of your termite problem. The primary motivator for any pests entering your home is to acquire a stable food source and security from predators. In the case of termites, which are colony insects, they must find a suitable place for the entire colony to make its home. Homeowners should look out for favorable conditions and signs of activity, as termites can cause extremely costly structural damage. By knowing where to look in the home, individuals are able to avoid costly repairs.
Exterminators send high-voltage discharges through the wood and fry any termites present. (The same tool can also be used to find termite-weakened wood.) Effective as long as all the colonies are discovered. Ask for a written inspection report that shows current termite activity and a written plan of treatment that includes the chemical labels, price, and warranty. Don't trust a company that promises a "secret formula" for eliminating termites.
There are several things you should consider when choosing a pest control management company to handle a termite infestation. Find out how long they've been in business and what their credentials are. Make sure the company has at least one certified and licensed pesticide applicator. Termites are underground insects that feed on wood, frequently damaging homes and other buildings.
Are there any natural ways to prevent termites from entering my home?
The presence of termites indoors generally means professional treatment is needed to prevent damage to the home or structure. Using these natural options is a great way to protect your property from these pests without causing harm to pets or items. Just be sure to test a small area of the wood furniture first to ensure the treatment does not cause any damage or discoloration. After the pest removal experts have properly and entirely tackled your flying termite problem, it is important to implement some deterrents around your property to prevent them from returning. For example, you can apply termiticides or natural insecticides around the perimeter of your home and on wood furniture.
That said, it's super important to have a fully loaded emergency fund as a homeowner, because you never know what issue might arise out of the blue. Remember, your home inspection gives you a snapshot of the condition of your home at that moment in time. A cracked foundation is a problem because, well, your foundation anchors your whole house.
Many people will see termite swarmers in homes during the spring and mistake them for flying ants; this can end up being a costly mistake if the rest of the termite colony follows the swarmers. Winged termites have a straight waist, straight antennae and their wings are equal in size. Flying ants on the other hand have waists that are pinched in the middle, bent antennae and two sets of wings, with the top set being larger than the lower. Termites are also most likely to swarm in the spring, while flying ants may swarm at various times of the year. The fastest way to get rid of termites is to call a professional pest control company like Orkin or Terminix.
When you buy a home, needing to make repairs at some point is pretty much inevitable. That's why in the course of buying, it's pretty important to have your home undergo a thorough inspection. And you should attend that inspection so you can ask questions if issues are pointed out.
In fact, Formosan colonies, a subspecies, use mud to create tunnels that lead from their nests to food sources. Subterranean termites are commonly found in yards and houses where soil, moisture, and wood are plentiful. At first glance, it may be difficult for a homeowner to tell the difference between termites versus ants. Before beginning termite treatment, homeowners will need to determine whether they have a termite or an ant infestation.
The most common form of termite in most of the United States is the native subterranean termite. Other, less common, types of termites include the smaller drywood termite and the invasive Formosan termite. There’s no one-size-fits-all when it comes to pinpointing termites in the home. Instead, there are several dead giveaways that your home is dealing with a colony or two.
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