The Only Guide to Termite Control Products

Mud tubesUnlike ants, termites do not ramble around on the ground surface or outside in the open. They will either tunnel through the soil or into timber (or other stuff ) or else travel inside pencil-size (or bigger )"sand tubes" that they build from dirt, wood particles and other materials. You'll find these tubes on foundation walls, floor joists or different areas of the home.

Break open the tubes to see if termites continue to be busy. An empty tube doesn't necessarily mean that termites are gone; they may have simply abandoned this specific tunnel. Termites often rebuild damaged tubes, which is another indication of current activity. 'Old' tubes are dry and crumble easily, leaving behind"etching" on the surface which could be visible for decades (an indication that a house had termite activity at some time).

Tubes which are found on ceilings or on upper levels of a building may indicate that you have an aboveground ("aerial") infestation, i.e., the termite colony really resides in the building and the termites are traveling up from the soil. Mud tubes constructed through an aboveground colony usually contain materials other than dirt, e.g., wood and sheet rock or whatever the termites are feeding on.

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In such situations, a comprehensive inspection may require removal of siding or interior wallboards, etc.. More importantly for you, these aboveground infestations cannot be controlled using the customary soil treatment (see below) and therefore are generally excluded from a termite contract warranty. In these situations, finding and correcting the moisture problem is the first step to eliminating the termites. .

We tend to think about termites as feeding/injuring timber only. Termites really feed on almost anything that contains cellulose, the main component of wood, including wood paneling, paper products, cardboard boxes, art canvases, the paper covering of sheet rock, carpeting, etc.. While foraging and feeding, they could tunnel through non-cellulosic substances, such as plastic and foamboard.

Termite Control Procedure - The Facts

In reality, the amount of harm that termites cause depends on many aspects. In areas with cold winter temperatures, termite activity (and feeding) often declines, but does not necessarily stop. When the termites are well-protected from colder temperatures (e.g., underneath a slab), then activity might continue year-round. From a practical standpoint, severe termite damage usually takes about 3-8 years. .

There's absolutely no accurate way of determining the age of recently discovered damage. You need some reference point, i.e., some point in time when it was known there was no damage to this particular wood. This is one check reason why annual inspections (and keeping your records of those inspections) are important. .

NOTE: All these inspections are not a guarantee that you do not have termites or damage in areas which are not insured or not easily seen, such as inside walls. On the other hand, the inspections can reveal conditions that may imply that harm does exist and further investigation is needed.

If you've got a termite protection contract, contact the pest control company immediately and arrange for them to check out the issue. Should you not own a termite contract, call 2-3 (or more) companies and have every one inspect your home and offer you the details of their findings and any recommendations for this article a plan of action to correct any termite conditions that they found.

What Does Termite Control Procedure Mean?

Termites do not cause significant damage in a brief period of time, so spending a couple of added days or even a few weeks will not make any actual difference in terms how much damage happens. .

Is there harm that should be repaired or at least examined by a contractor or engineer before control steps are performed

Simply spraying swarmers or the surface of available infested wood may kill the termites which you see now, but it does not stop the infestation nor does it protect your house from future attacks . The most common type of termite treatment involves a"trench and cure" in which a liquid insecticide ("termiticide") is applied to the soil surrounding crucial areas of your house.

The Only Guide to Termite Control Process

The dirt is trenched 6" deep and about 4-6" wide. For houses with crawlspaces, the soil along the interior foundation wall has to be treated at least within 4 feet of identified signs of termite activity. In some circumstances, the soil around supports (for example, piers) underneath the house can also be treated.

When this article applied correctly, this treatment creates a continuous chemical barrier which should prevent termites from reaching the foundation and piers in your house. .

Concrete slabs which attach to the home, as an example, a garage floor, or the slab of an earth-filled porch.