Termites travel in colonies to escape cold weather once every year. The amount of damage these wood-burrowing insects can inflict on your home is extreme. If left untreated, a colony of termites can damage the structure of your home.
Every colony has between 60, 000 and 1, 000, 000 termites. These pests attack trees, shrubs, and homes causing you serious stress and money. Thankfully, there are Austin pest control measures you can take to protect yourself and your home from these destructive pests. Because termites settle in areas that offer an optimal environment for feeding and breeding, you need to make your property inhospitable to them to prevent an invasion. Here are important steps you can take to avoid a termite infestation:
Keep Your Property Free of Debris
Ensure your yard is free of non-living wood such as fallen branches and old stumps. If you need to stack firewood, do so on a raised metal surface away from your house. Also, keep in mind that termites that feast on cellulose are attracted to landscaping mulch. So, keep mulch away from the foundation of your home by inserting a thick border between the foundation and any flower beds. Keep shrubs, trees, and bushes to keep them away from your house and clear the gutters of any debris.
Reduce Moisture On your Property
Hungry termites are attracted to excessive moisture, so make sure there are no leaky or broken water pipes in your home. Also, ensure the irrigation system is not overwatering the yard and the water sprinkles don’t spray the side of the house. If the air conditioning system is creating excessive moisture, ad dirt so that water will drain away from your home’s foundation. Bugs could also enter through cracks and holes in the foundation, so make sure to repair them.
Take Precautions
Termites can also be attracted to living vegetation, so consider planting shrubs and flowers at least six inches away from your house. Ensure vines don’t creep up the exterior of a structure. Use plastic to line any crawlspaces under your house. If you are installing wood siding or stucco, ensure foam board does not come within six inches of the soil. In addition, you can reduce or avoid excessive humidity in the attic by adding ventilation to it. A lot of pest control experts recommend scheduling yearly inspections for termites. The best pest control professionals are available to address all of your pest control needs.
