Just a little under 120 days. That’s how long it takes a mature termite colony to consume one foot of a 2x4 wall stud. If they keep going unchecked, imagine the damage they can inflict upon your home in one year.
Regular termite inspections are an important part of termite control in your home to protect your home from structural damage.
Termites Do Their Work Unseen
The problem with termites is they’re quiet and often unseen. You have to know what to look for, or you could completely miss the signs of a termite infestation. Sometimes the only visible sign of termite damage is a small mud tube going into the home. And sometimes, that small mud tube is hiding behind shrubbery, in an attic, or in a crawl space. You may never see it.
Even exposed wood can have termite damage that you don’t see. That’s because the sneaky creatures often leave the surface of wood intact, doing all their damaging work on the inside of the wood.
That’s right. Termites can be eating away at your home right in front of your face, and you’ll never even know what’s happening. You can make regular termite inspections around your house, but with an untrained eye and with the location of termite mud tubes being so difficult to spot, you simply can’t count on yourself to uncover termite damage on your own.
What an Inspector Does
A professional will look at the most vulnerable areas of your home, looking for signs of termite presence (like weakness in wood, termite droppings, blistering, and termite wings). They’ll focus their trained eye on every crack or other possible entry point into your home. They’ll check window frames, ceilings, walls, and other materials.
If the inspector finds indications of termites in your home, they will determine where the source of the infestation originates. From that knowledge, they will recommend the best termite extermination plan for your home’s situation. Because termites do their damage quickly, it’s important that you also act quickly once you know termites are in your home.
After termite extermination has been completed, you’ll want to set up a termite control plan. You can have a pest control company install a baiting system to catch termites before they re-enter your home, or you can plan for yearly termite inspections.
Termite Control Measures to Take in Your Home
Termite control is something every homeowner should think about. Just because termites do their work silently doesn’t mean you should ignore the potential for damage. And just as you regularly change your smoke detector’s batteries, mow the lawn, and weatherproof your patio at the change of seasons, you should take the time to put these termite control preventative measures in place. Prevention goes a long way in pest control.
Make it a habit to routinely inspect the foundation of your home and fill in any cracks you find.
Trim bushes and hedges so they don’t block vents.
Make sure your downspouts and gutters are working properly to keep moisture away from your home’s foundation.
Keep an 18-inch gap between soil and wooden areas of your home.
Store your firewood at least 20 feet from your home, and carefully inspect it before you bring it inside.
Remove tree stumps and roots near your home so they don’t attract termites to the vicinity of your house.
Make sure your crawl spaces are not too humid.
And finally, know that if you’ve already had termites and have had them exterminated, it’s possible for your home to become infested again. That’s why regular yearly inspections are critical to your home’s termite control plan.
