While there are a number of different pests that can cause damage to your property, here in Utah County, one of the most damaging is the termite. Termites are ant-like insects that feed on the organic matter found in wood, which means if they get into your property, they can cause all sorts of costly damage. In fact, termites cause over five billion dollars in damage per year in the United States alone. Therefore, it is important for you to know some helpful termite prevention techniques, as well as the effective termite control solutions that you can rely on should your Utah County property become infested with termites.
Termite Need-To-Knows
Termites have segmented bodies, six legs, antennae, and are usually pale-yellow, light-brown, or black in color. They live in colonies that consist of three castes: workers, soldiers, and reproductives. The job of the workers is to find and collect food for the rest of the colony. The soldiers are tasked with defending the colony. Finally, the reproductives, which have wings, are responsible for setting out and establishing new colonies in a process that is called swarming. Unless it is during a termite swarm, you will not likely ever see any actual termites in your home. That’s because they tend to remain either in their colony or in the wood that they are eating.
Factors That Attract Termites To A Property
There are several factors that might attract termites into a home, the primary being the availability of moisture-damaged or decaying wood and ease of access. However, even though termites prefer to eat wood that has been softened by moisture, they will eat just about any kind of wood they can find. That means structural wood, flooring, window and door frames, siding, baseboards, furniture, and just about all the other wood in your home is at risk should termites get inside.
As for ease of access, most termites do not leave the soil or the wood upon which they are feeding unless it is during a swarm. Therefore, any wood-to-soil contact on the exterior of your home provides termites with a means to access the wood. Additionally, cracks in your foundation are another way that termites might find their way inside.
Termite Prevention Techniques
When it comes to termite prevention, your main goals should be to cut down on any factors that might attract termites inside in the first place. Additionally, you should take the proper steps to seal off any possible entry points. To get started on termite prevention, you should:
- Remove or replace any rotting or moisture-damaged wood in your home.
- Fix any leaky pipes or fixtures that could damage wood.
- Keep gutters free of debris to prevent flooding.
- Use dehumidifiers to lower the moisture levels in your home.
- Fill in any cracks in the foundation of your home.
- Create a concrete or gravel barrier between any exterior wood and soil, including deck posts and porches.
- Keep firewood stored away from the exterior of your home.
- Inspect any wood, including antiques and firewood, for termites before bringing it into your home.
What To Do If Termites Have Invaded Your Property
In the unfortunate circumstance that you do find evidence of termites around your property, be sure to act quickly and contact the professionals here at Pest Pro Pest Control. Our termite control service includes a free termite inspection as well as an initial treatment and follow-up treatment two weeks later to ensure the termites have been effectively eliminated. Don’t get stuck holding the bill for costly repairs caused by termites. Give us a call here at Pest Pro Pest Control today.