How to Build Termite Control and Avoid Termite Damage

Termites are pests that have contributed to more than one billion dollars worth of home damage every year all over the world. They continue to pose a threat to home owners and many spend thousands of dollars every year in endless efforts to exterminate these pests. As a home owner yourself, you might have had your own experience dealing with termites and having to put aside part of your budget every year for the maintenance of your home in termite control efforts.

But instead of spending too much money on pest control maintenance when you could put the money to better use such as loan repayments, why not engage in efforts on your own to reduce or even prevent the existence of any termite problem? There are indeed ways in which you could partake in to ensure your own termite control and these are methods which many, if not most, home owners are capable of doing by themselves.

1. Avoid the existence or growth of heavy foliage or vegetation near your home. While this does not mean that you cannot keep a garden around you, it does mean that you should ensure there is not too much heavy vegetation such as weeds, as these will result in areas of moisture buildup, which will encourage termites to build their nests there.

2. When building your home, ensure that your contractors use treated wood for your home. There are indeed wood materials which are chemically treated with toxic substances to protect against termite damage. While the chemicals used are toxic to termites, they are fortunately, not so against humans.

3. Do not allow scraps of wood lying around or in your home. Termites thrive on moisture and wood, and any areas which have a combination of the two are bound to attract these pests. Avoid your home becoming a termite colony by keeping it and its surroundings clear of wood scraps.

Use the 3 methods above consistently and build them into your home maintenance efforts. They will help to keep your home free of termites by avoiding fostering a conducive place for these insects to breed and thrive.

Getting a home in Sonoma may be one of the best decisions you will ever make. The great weather and the elegant houses for sale simply make it an easy decision. As in any other place however, you would want to know more about termite control.

Termites Everywhere

It’s not hard to imagine a home in Sonoma with termite problems. The truth is that termites are everywhere and can do extensive damage to your property without you knowing about it. Sonoma termite infestations may begin when underground colonies of termites thrive and find their way onto your property.

Termites can easily destroy any Sonoma home from the inside, out. This may mean that you may not immediately see the problem until it’s too late. By that time, the colony near your house may already contain millions of occupants.

Termite Clues – To find out if you have termites infesting your home, check and observe for clues that termites may leave behind. Moist soil, moist wooden areas and moist wood based debris near your home may encourage termites to thrive and find their way to your home.

You would know if some of them are already around if you see termite swarmers around your home and discarded wings on sills. Mud tunnels on the areas of your house touching the ground and hollow wood pieces may also be signs that you have the beginnings of a Sonoma termite problem.

Pre-Construction Protection

Some smart homeowners usually prevent termite infestation even before or while their home is being constructed. Make sure that the soil is treated with tremiticide before the foundations are even built. You can also initiate Sonoma termite control by having your wood pre treated before using it on parts of your house. The problem however is that a lot of home buyers prefer to have pre constructed homes rather than build from scratch. If this is the case, there is no guarantee of pre treatment. You may have to employ a Sonoma termite pest control company for post treatment or prevention.

Sonoma Termite Companies

You might think of performing your own Sonoma termite control methods. Your lack of skill and knowledge however may not ensure the complete extermination of an underground termite colony. Hiring Sonoma termite experts are always a better option. Before termites can be killed, experts would have to carefully assess the condition of your home and the extent of termite infestation. The results of their evaluation will help determine the exact method needed for your termite problem. Expert pest control agencies will also know how to effectively and safely apply treatment options without damage to people or property.

Choosing a Good Company

Scout for termite control companies around Sonoma and select the best one. Make sure that you ask people who have had successful extermination procedures to recommend you a good company. It would also be a good idea to shop around and compare services before deciding to go for a particular company. To give you more peace of mind on your initial pest control experience, you should ask for second opinions. Beware of companies that may pad their prices.

So you want to know the real truth about termite damage? Can you handle the truth? The only reason we ask is because it really is disturbing when you think about these unwelcome guests coming into your home and eating to their heart’s content without even bringing a dinner gift.

Some estimates place the annual damage to homes at over $500,000. Others say it is well over a million dollars. Most of the worst termite damage is located in the Southeast portion of the United States as well as arid savannah regions in places like Africa and Australia.

It doesn’t matter where you’re located, termite damage can be utterly devastating for the homeowner. It is true that the worst damage can take years to cause problems, but still, that damage can cause a home to become unsafe to live in.

One woman tells us that she had no idea about the amount of damage a termite can do. She never even thought about it until she felt a floorboard that was loose. She went outside and saw a swarm of bugs around the foundation of her house, and she began to do some research.

A pest control company was called in and she found out that she did, indeed, have a termite infestation. What surprised the most was when the termite inspector showed her the amount of damage that a termite could do as she looked into the hole the inspector had cut into her wall. She was amazed and shocked.

Not only will termite damage cause a structure to be unstable, it can – and, if left untreated – even cause the structure to collapse around you. It’s frightening when you think about it.

Those worker termites get inside your home and start burrowing through the studs, the door frames, and the drywall of your home.

They gnaw through the material your home is made of and make trails through the wood that can weaken the wood itself causing problems with the integrity of the wood.

The amount of damage a termite can do is multiplied by the fact that there is more than one termite working on the wood. They work together to get food for the colony and thus cause a huge amount of damage to your structure.

That is why it is so important to pay attention to what is going on around your home and always check for signs of termite damage. Many people don’t do this. They just sit around hoping that their home is safe.

Repairing a home that has termite damage is no easy proposition. There are times when just a few beams in the ceiling need to be replaced. Then there are other times when whole walls need to be reconstructed. In extreme situations, the structure must be condemned and torn down.

The first step towards saving your home is to educate yourself. Do a lot of research and know what to look for when you are looking for evidence of termites in your home. Search the internet, read this article over and over again. Do whatever you have to do, but make sure you know that termites can do a huge amount of damage and cause you to lose your home.

Over 2 months ago I came home to a swarm of termites in my apartment. The owner is aware but has yet to treat or survery the paper thin walls in my apartment. Not to mention now I have wood ants coming out of just about every crack in every wall and the drain in my tub/sink. I have told her not once but twice that something needs to be done and nothing yet. How long do I wait?