What You Can Do To Reduce The Risk Of Termite Infestation

Subterranean termites are a billion dollar problem. And they are a problem that isn't going away anytime soon. The best we can do is manage the risk. Here's what you need to know.

There are some things in life that are inevitable. When you bought your home, you knew that it would not stay in the same condition as the day you purchased it. Things wear out. Things break. It is just a matter of time. If you plan for this, you never have to be surprised by a big and unexpected repair bill.

We understand that termite protection is just another expense for the homeowner, but we believe it is an expense worth considering. When you invest in ongoing termite control for your home, you decide how much you're going to allow termites to cost. And you never have to find out that termites have completely destroyed your home.

How Termite Protection Defers Risk

• Termite control isn't a matter of guesswork. Professionals use proven products and well-established methods to protect property from termites.

• Detecting the presence of termites requires experience and education. When you hire a professional, your chances of detecting termites increases immediately, and your risk goes down.

• The products used by pest control professionals have been so successful, they come with termite damage warranties. You're never left holding the bill.

What Homeowners Can Do To Reduce Risk

If you're not ready to take the leap and get termite protection for your property, we encourage you to at least take the following measures to reduce your risk:

• Termites are moisture pests. When you deal with moisture issues on your property it can affect termites in a few ways. The most significant way is by making the wood of your home less interesting to worker termites. While termites can feed on any kind of wood, they prefer moist, rotting wood. If you have a leaky spigot, a broken gutter, areas of excessive shade or compacted dirt, and other conditions that lead to wood rot, you're going to make your home more appealing to termites. Fixing these issues is not only good for the health of your home, it is good for termite management.

• Mulch, leaves, and other organic debris that builds up near your foundation perimeter can lead to moist ground, and moist ground can invite termite swarmers. Swarmers are the queens and kings of new colonies. The last thing you need is a colony right up close to your home.

• Termites tunnel under the ground, sometimes as far as 250 yards, to make a meal out of your home. The only way to reduce the risk of this happening is to perform routine inspections for termite signs. This will require you to go into dark places around your home and crawl into tight spaces. The sign you're most likely to see are mud tubes established on foundation walls. Subterranean termites prefer to create these tubes in dark, secluded, and often moist, locations such as underneath a deck, patio, porch, or inside a crawl space. You may also find them on the inside of your home in your basement, and other humid locations. Be aware that finding these tubes can be difficult or impossible. An inspection is best done by a professional who knows where to look and what to look for.

No homeowner should ever have to hear the words, "Your home has been destroyed by termites," especially when termite damage can be prevented. Reduce the risk by having a certified professional install Sentricon® System with Always Active™ or a termiticide barrier around your home. These products work 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, even while you're sleeping. And that is good news because termites don't sleep.

If you have questions or you'd like to put termite protection in place around your home, find out if you're in our Massachusetts or Connecticut service area. American Pest Solutions has a long track record of protecting properties from these destructive insects. We look forward to helping you protect yours.