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Termites
Home » Home Improvement » Pest Control » TermitesSubterranean termites can cause a tremendous amount of damage to your home because they eat wood. Termites attack any structure that contains cellulose-based materials. These materials include wood, wallpaper, sheetrock, stucco, brick, or stone. Termites destroy more homes each year than fires or floods.
Termites can be a little tricky to identify. They are generally an off-white color with straight antennas. Flying termites have four wings that are all the same length.
Termites swarm once or twice a year especially during the warmer months. You most likely will not notice the termites tunneling through your home. You should completely walk around your house on a monthly basis looking for small mud tunnels on the foundation. Also keep an eye out for wings that have broken off and sandy termite droppings. Subterranean termites nest in the soil and need protection from the elements. Therefore, when they invade your house they build mud tubes over exposed foundations. They then travel through these tubes to wooden structures within your house. If you see these dried mud tubes it is a sign that you may have a termite problem. Inspect all wood in basement and crawl spaces, wood sills and window frames, joists, and support posts. Termites can be found in dead trees, wood stumps, and woodpiles outside your home.
You can treat your own home using a chlorpyrifos insecticide concentrate, but it is a difficult job and it is very important that it be done correctly. For this reason, it is recommended that your hire a professional exterminator to perform the treatment. While it can be quite costly you will normally have a five year protection.
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