Some pests may be small, but they can still do a whole bunch of damage. Termites certainly fit into that category: small insects that chew away at the wood that your home relies on for stability. Since they can often go undetected for weeks or months, it’s important to know how to keep them out in the first place and how to spot the signs of an infestation before it’s too late.
What Are Termites?
Termites are some of the most common pests to invade the home. They can cause serious damage by hollowing out wooden foundations or beams, increasing the risk of structural collapse, and doing harm to your home that is expensive or impossible to reverse. Plus, they can chew through priceless antiques like old furniture or storage chests.
While they are often mistaken for white ants, you can tell termites apart by their straighter bodies and antennae. Like ants or bees, termites utilize a caste system to divide the tasks of survival among a few core groups:
- Workers are soft, white, and the smallest of the termites. They are responsible for creating tunnels and caring for the well-being of the colony.
- Soldiers are slightly larger and darker in color than workers with larger heads and powerful mandibles. They use these large jaws to fulfill their central responsibility: to protect the colony.
- Swarmers or Aeletes are dark brown or black with two sets of evenly sized wings. Once a colony is established, swarmers will leave the nest, mate, and find a place to develop a new colony.
- Kings and Queens are the largest termites and are responsible for reproduction.
- As a result of their diverse roles within the colony, it’s extremely hard to get rid of them fully. The termites you’re most likely to find aren’t the ones responsible for maintaining the population. That means you could kill hundreds of the bugs and not actually accomplish the task of eliminating the infestation.
How Termites Get Inside & Cause Damage
Because they’re so hard to get rid of, the best way to prevent termites is to keep them out. To do that, you need to know how they get in and where they are most active.
- Holes & Cracks: Damaged wall panels, floorboards, windows, and doors are all potential access points for termites.
- Faulty Roofing: Shingles with holes in them or faulty wooden trusses can be easy points of entry for termites.
- Unkempt Landscaping: It’s important to keep soil beds away from the home since termites will burrow up and under floorboards if given the chance. Tree limbs or bushes that run right up to windows, doors, and walls are also highways for termites.
Termite Prevention Tips
It’s nice to know how they might make it inside, but how do you actually keep termites out? Here are some steps you can take to prevent the insects from making it inside your home in the first place:
- Moisture Control: Termites like dark, damp places. Some specifically prefer to chew on damp wood, but all of them need moisture to survive. Leaky plumbing, areas of water build-up, and spills are all factors to eliminate and reduce.
- Seal Up Access Points: If you find holes or cracks, seal them up quickly before the industrious insects make them big enough to enter through.
- Regular Inspections: Not only should you check your home frequently, but professional inspections are good for making sure no stone is left unturned. Getting experts to help address problem areas is cheaper and safer than waiting for an infestation to manifest itself.
Only Professional Help Provides Peace Of Mind
If you do notice the signs of termite damage, act immediately. Turn to the professionals at Neighborly Pest Management right away, so we can help keep the damage that termites cause to a minimum. Not only will we inspect your whole house and tailor solutions to your home and budget, but we’ll take the necessary steps to ensure that termites are never a concern for you again. Don’t wait until termites have turned your Elk Grove home into a danger zone, call Neighborly today.