Thousands of homes in Phoenix are infected by termites. These little but dangerous pests are very much organized in colonies. These days, termites have become a part of most residences and commercial establishments even the ones use wood.
This is exactly why home pest control services in Phoenix, AZ termite treatment gained immense popularity in its thousands of homeowners and businesses alike.
However, before going in for any kind of treatment, some basic information about termites should be known so as to effectively get rid of them.
It must be remembered that for killing termites you don’t just need to kill one or a bunch. Treating the entire colony is highly recommended.
The colonies of termites too are classified as Queens, soldiers, workers, and reproductive’s- each performing their specific function.
While the queen is the one who initiates the formation of a colony, her soldiers defend it. The workers, on one hand, gather food and tend to the eggs while the reproductive’s on the other hand, as their name suggests, perform the task of reproduction and infestation.
Depending upon the type of specie they belong to, they can exist not just in wood but also on trees, below ground, on mounds above the ground or in thin poles.
In fact, termites have the unique capability of building a tunnel into your house even if they don’t exist within it.
Many homes have been destroyed by the infestation of termites that live in colonies and attack your house in colonies too. Termites are of different types such as the flying termite, dry-wood termite, subterranean termites, and Formosan termites.
All these can infest at places that are not easy for you to inspect. It is always advisable to take the help of professionals while dealing with termites.
Steps to Protect Your Home from Termites
- If the soil has the moisture it will attract the termites, so it is required to keep moisture away from your house. Ideally, gutters should be maintained for cleanliness on a regular basis with working drains at a considerable distance from your house. Leakage of water must be avoided because termites not only use wood to burrow but also the soil in search of moisture.
- Termites love wood, and so all the wooden debris within your residence should be removed. Once termites have done destroying the debris, you can expect your house is up next. Clear your house and its surroundings by removing cardboard boxes and newspapers, etc so termites won’t be able to feed themselves of these anymore.
- Cracks in houses serve as access to termite and other insects and pests. Make sure these are repaired and fully sealed.
- Structures made up of wood should not touch the ground. There should be a minimum space of half a foot between the wooden object and the ground
- Redwood, cedar, and juniper are termite-resistant woods that should be used as they are less attractive as a food source for the termites, though not termite-proof.
- Using sand as a barrier is pretty effective and useful, especially for those who do not prefer using chemicals.
- Termites can move particles of certain sizes using their mouths to burrow. Thus sand particles that can go through a 16-mesh screen can stop termites to tunnel through the sand into your home.
- This sand barrier should be done by a professional who will build thick trenches of sand all around your foundation or will pump the sand below your house using a sand pump.
- Ideally, a termite inspection is a must for homes that have an infestation. The goal is to assess and eliminate the colony itself while these little pests are at it before it’s too late. The more the colony isn’t removed, the more chances your home is in danger of utter destruction caused by termites.
- Never attempt to eliminate, or kill the termites all by yourself. Some homeowners resort to DIY spray termite treatment directly to the colony, but the results are more often unsatisfactory.
General Ways to Kill Termites
- Borate Termite Treatment – This is used by applying it directly to the wood, like a coat, usually done by professionals during construction time.
- Liquid Termite Treatment – Liquid termiticides are sprayed within your house’s surroundings to keep the termites away.
- Termite Baits – Baits are put around your house to kill the termites as they spread pesticides through the workers.
- Fumigation – This method is only used for drywood termites found in the southern parts of the United States.
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