10 Tips for Termite Prevention

Why Termite Prevention Matters

Termites are a threat to homeowners throughout the Carolinas. Once you have a problem, it's almost impossible to get rid of them without the help of a professional. Your home is an endless food source for termites. Termites can chew through wood, flooring and even wallpaper, anything with cellulose. The scariest part is that most signs of termites go unnoticed until it's too late and you have a serious issue.

Because they are so difficult to eradicate once you have them, your best bet is to take every effort you can to prevent termites before they become a problem.

Termites are most commonly discovered in the springtime, during mating season, which means you have time to take several measures in order to avoid them.

Wood-boring insect damage is not covered by homeowners' insurance policies, which is why you need a professional service to protect you.

10 Tips for Preventing Termites in Your Home or Business

• ✓Keep firewood, lumber, and other wood materials stored at least 20 feet away from your home and elevated off the ground.
• ✓Eliminate moisture problems by fixing leaking faucets, pipes, and exterior AC units. Termites are attracted to moisture.
• ✓Keep gutters and downspouts clean and direct water away from your foundation.
• ✓Remove dead stumps, fallen trees, and other cellulose debris from your yard.
• ✓Maintain a gap between soil and wood portions of your home. Pull mulch back from the foundation at least 4 inches.
• ✓Seal cracks and openings in your foundation, around utility pipes, and where siding meets the foundation.
• ✓Ensure proper ventilation in crawl spaces to reduce moisture buildup.
• ✓Inspect the patterns in wood material to look for paths where termites may have eaten.
• ✓Look for blistering on your walls, soft areas on floors, kick-out holes on drywall, and mud tunnels around the foundation, up walls, or on other structures, particularly in crawl spaces.
• ✓Schedule annual professional termite inspections. A trained pest control technician will look for places you may not have thought of, take preventative measures, and eliminate any termites that may be making themselves at home.

What to Look For

Although it's difficult to know if you have a termite problem, there are several signs you can look for. Check the patterns in wood material to look for paths where termites may have eaten.

You can also look for blistering on your walls, soft areas on floors, kick-out holes on drywall, and mud tunnels around the foundation, up walls, or on other structures, particularly in crawl spaces. Mud tunnels are the highways termites create while moving from the soil to your home.

The best way to prevent termites is to routinely check these areas that frequently fall victim to termite infestations. It is also highly recommended that you hire a professional pest control technician to look for places you may not have thought of, take preventative measures to control termites, and eliminate any termites that may be making themselves at home.

Professional Termite Protection From Diamond Pest Pro

Diamond Pest Pro provides fast, efficient, and effective pest control and exterminator services in Brunswick, New Hanover, Onslow, and Charleston Counties. Give us a call today and get your free quote!