An Unbiased View of Termite Control Use
There are 3 main types of termites: drywood, dampwood and subterranean. Every kind of termite colony includes workers (who eat your home ), soldiers (who defend others from predators such as ants) and swarmers (flyers that locate new areas to colonize). Though you dont generally see termites unless theyre swarming (flying), its great to know how to identify them, Wilson says.
Drywood termites commonly have a brown body with a red head. Swarmers have absolute, tan wings but there are colour variations. Employees are pale, tan and look like maggots, with no wings.
Dampwood termites are similar to drywood termites, often with a tan or brown body and absolute wings. These workers also resemble maggots.
The Best Strategy To Use For Termite Control Using Borax
Drywood termites are partial to dry, nondecayed wood and often end up in attics, floor boards and window frames.
Dampwood termites such as decaying wood or wood that is rich with moisture. They often strike wood that's making contact with the ground and are found in regions with high rainfall or humidity.
Termite Control Using Borax for Dummies
Drywood and dampwood termites enter your house through small cracks, often around window frames throughout cracks in the caulk. Make sure you check around windows regularly and reapply caulk when it begins to show signs of age and cracking. Swarmers shed their wings and burrow into the wood. Cracks in paint are another simple access point for termites.
Be mindful of maintaining your outside paint. For example, when you hammer Christmas lights then take the nails out, you leave behind little holes and create an open doorway for a termite colony. .
Subterranean termites often burrow into cracks in the homes foundation. In regions like the San Francisco Bay Area, a lot houses have increased foundations, Wilson says. Termites build mud tubes around the bottom floor, often along articles. But even in the absence of posts, Wilson states sand tubes can extend from the ground up through thin atmosphere to connect with the bottom of the home. .
Getting My Termite Control Use To Work
So what do you do if you find a termite in your home If you see one shed wing or one termite flying , it doesnt mean you have an infestation. But if you find a group of wings or any of the other warning signs noted above, its best to get a professional inspection.
Termites are in fact easy to kill, Wilson states, but you need a termiticide to do it. Unfortunately, superior pesticides are not about his available to the public. Most home shops promote termite spray, but these are watered down to meet public security specifications, so theyre not as successful.
If you've got an infestation that's isolated to one part of your house, say the door trimming, you can replace the trim, Wilson says. But in case you have a full-on termite infestation, you need a bigger view website scale treatment.
Our Termite Control Use Diaries
Subterranean termites have to be cut away from the house at the soil. Pacific Coast Termites creates a chemical barrier between any areas of dirt and the house, in addition to around the entire house. It acts as a shield that the termites cant break through.
Drywood and dampwood termites can be killed with a timber treatment product like XT2000 Orange Oil, which is injected under pressure into the wood through ink-pen-sized holes. This product saturates the wood and will prevent future infestations. Treating a moderate infestation this way takes about four to six hours.
Homes that are massively infested (you can see termites everywhere) can require fumigation. Either a huge tent is placed over your home, or all of the doors and windows are sealed, and the residence is gassed with pesticide that can kill all the termites. This process can take anywhere from six hours to one week, depending on the kind of infestation.
10 Simple Techniques For Termite Control Use
Employ a good, quality coating of paint on your house, since termites wont consume through paint. Ensure that all windows, doorframes and foundation gaps are caulked and sealed. Dont basic or nail up Christmas lights then yank them down. The tiny holes create termite homes. Instead, either abandon the nails in the holes year-round or fill out the holes when you remove the nails. .
Quickly solve any plumbing leaks, standing water on your roof or other issues involving decaying wood. Provide proper ventilation under your raised home to keep that region dry. Subterranean termites love wetness.