Almost every home is infected by termites. Considered to be as organized in colonies they form as bees or ants, termites have today become a common sight in every place, especially the ones which make use of wood. This is precisely why home pest control services in Phoenix, AZ termite treatment gained immense popularity in Phoenix.
However, before going in for any kind of treatment, some basic information about termites should be known so as to effectively get rid of them.
It must be remembered that for killing termites you don’t just need to kill one or a bunch- you need to treat the entire colony together.
The colonies of termites too are classified as Queens, soldiers, workers, and reproductive’s- each performing their specific function.
While the queen is the one who initiates the formation of a colony, her soldiers defend it. The workers, on one hand, gather food and tend to the eggs while the reproductive’s on the other hand, as their name suggests, perform the task of reproduction and infestation.
Depending upon the type of specie they belong to, they can exist not just in wood but also on trees, below ground, on mounds above the ground or in thin poles.
In fact, termites have the unique capability of building a tunnel into your house even if they don’t exist within it.
Many homes have been destroyed by the infestation of termites that live in colonies and attack your house in colonies too. Termites are of different types such as the flying termite, dry-wood termite, subterranean termites, and Formosan termites.
All these can infest at places that are not easy for you to inspect. It is always advisable to take the help of professionals while dealing with termites.
Steps to Protect Your Home from Termites
- If the soil has the moisture it will attract the termites, so it is required to keep moisture away from your house. The gutters should be clean and must drain at a distance from your house. Leakage of water must be avoided because termites not only use wood to burrow but also the soil in search of moisture.
- All the wooden debris surrounding your place should be removed because it is like food to the termites, and after they are done with the debris they are going to eat away from your house. Things like newspapers, cardboard boxes, firewood, etc should be kept away from your house and its surroundings.
- Your house should be crack free. Cracks are an easy opening for the termites and should be repaired and sealed.
- Structures made up of wood should not touch the ground. There should be a minimum space of half a foot between the wooden object and the ground
- Redwood, cedar, and juniper are termite-resistant woods that should be used as they are less attractive as a food source for the termites, though not termite-proof.
- Using sand as a barrier is pretty effective and useful, especially for those who do not prefer using chemicals.
Termites can move particles of certain sizes using their mouths to burrow. Thus sand particles that can go through a 16-mesh screen can stop termites to tunnel through the sand into your home.
This sand barrier should be done by a professional who will build thick trenches of sand all around your foundation or will pump the sand below your house using a sand pump.
- Regular inspection for termites is a healthy thing to do, which is to remove the colony of termites while it is building up and have not caused much damage to your valuables.
- Never try to fight away or kill the termites all by yourself. People sometimes try using insect sprays to kill them when they find the colony in one of their property or nearby. The spray is not good enough to kill and the termites move away, often moving right into your place.
General Ways to Kill Termites
- Borate Termite Treatment- This is carried out by applying it directly to the wood, like a coat, usually carried out during the construction time.
- Liquid Termite Treatment- Liquid termiticides are sprayed in the surroundings of your house to keep the termites away.
- Termite Baits- Baits are put around your house to kill the termites as they spread pesticides through the workers.
- Fumigation- This method is only used for drywood termites found in the southern parts of the United States.
