What Attracts Termites To Your Home
The value of your property is among your biggest assets as a homeowner. Unfortunately, having a termite problem can significantly impact your home's worth. Immediately after you discover that you have a termite problem, you should figure out the best termite control option for you.
These insects are capable of inflicting tremendous damage to a home's structure within a short time. They're attracted to different things, some of which you might not even be aware of. As soon as termites discover an excellent food source in your house, you can be assured that more of them will come. Preventing termite damage will, therefore, depend on your ability to identify these three infestation warning signs.
Poor Drainage
Humidity is among the main factors that encourage a termite infestation problem. As such, your first course of action should be to solve any drainage issues in your home. It could be that your gutters are faulty or your drainage channels aren't very efficient.
Your gutters can be a hub for termites, especially if you don't clean them as often as you should. The moisture from such faulty drainage sections attracts lots of termites that may end up causing damage to your home's foundation.
Diverting all the drainage water as far as possible from your foundation is a sure way of ensuring that this doesn't happen. Your termite control expert will likely suggest regular maintenance of all your drainage channels.
Stacked Wood Piles
Stacking wood around your compound doesn't seem like much of a risk at first. However, it's one of the major influences when it comes to termite infestation. Wood is food for termites, which is why it will be an easy target.
Sometimes, you might prefer to place chopped wood in a section of your home to use it for your stove or fireplace. The important thing here is to make sure that the wood is at least a few inches above the ground.
You might also want to have it as far away from the walls as possible. This way, termites won't be able to reach it. Your termite control expert will advise that you shake up the wood as often as you can. By doing so, the few termites that might find their way to the wood won't spread easily.
Mulch
Mulch is often placed near a house foundation. Unfortunately, it will eventually be a source of moisture and food for termites. These pests will find their way to the mulch and trigger even more damage to your home's structure.
As your termite control professional will tell you, it's crucial to keep the mulch to a minimum, especially around your home's foundation. You can also check for any termites regularly to make sure that they don't spread as much.
Contact a local pest control service to learn more about termite treatments.