Termite Control!
Are termites ruling your home? Well, you are not alone. Did you know that termites, which are found in 49 U.S. states, destroy $5 billion of property each year? Your home-sweet-home could be the next breeding ground for these bugs if it isn’t already. Time to wake up and give us a call! We can provide your home with much-needed protection against termites. What are you waiting for?
Here at Tidewater Exterminating we understand that sharing your lovely living space with uninvited guests is not something you want! We design individual treatment plans within a reasonable time frame and budget all while providing 100% compromised, professional services. Do not let these notorious little creatures damage the cosmetic structure of your home. Allow us to inspect your property and develop an effective treatment plan that won’t interrupt your busy routine!
Signs of Termite Infestation in Your Home
Not sure whether your home is termite infested or not? Here is how you can find the signs:
Damaged or hollowed wood
Termites chew through wood from the inside and leave it hollow. Since these destructive beings feed on the cellulose found in wooden material, they leave long grooves behind. Can you spot one around your home? The structure of the wooden material will feel weak, develop cracks, and breakout over time. Use a screwdriver, or even just your hands, to knock on the wooden part which you suspect has been infested. If you hear a hollow sound when you do so, consider it termite infested.
Squishy or soft-wood
Check the parts of your house with wooden flooring, wooden cupboards, and any other type of wood paneling. If the wood feels squishy and soft when you press or knock on it, then it may contain termites.
Formation of blisters in wooden flooring
When termites attack, they can leave wooden flooring looking as if it has been damaged by water. A specific kind of breed, the subterranean termites, leaves this mark. Check for any blisters on the flooring. If you find some, unfortunately, then termites have already damaged the sub-floor.
Mud Tubes
You won’t always find signs of termites inside your living space. Look closely, because they may have invaded your area from the outside! Go check the areas outside of your home, particularly where the ground meets the wall. You may notice pencil-sized mud tubes. If so, you just found trails left behind by a termite.
Hard to open window or cracks in the cornice
Since termites devour wood they could also rest in windows, cornices, or doors. The parts of a house infested by termites will not function in their intended ways. Please don’t ignore the slightest signs indicating the existence of termites. Their excrement creates a protective environment for them and keeps the area warm by trapping moisture. And moisture means that termites will stay forever.
Prevention is better than cure!
There are certain preventive measures that you must take:
Avoid storing wooden debris or firewood immediately next to your house
Run periodic visual inspections to ensure that there are no termite colonies
If there are any leaks in your house, get them fixed immediately
Do not block any vents
Fill in the small cracks around your home with caulk, cement, or grout
Periodically ask a professional pest control team to visit for an inspection
How to treat the problem of termites?
Termites never stop eating on their own; you need to stop them! To provide your house relentless protection, you can do the following:
Do-it-yourself methods
We do not recommend this method at all! After you disturb their area, termites will re-route their activity and attack another area of the house. Often when you try to get rid of them on your own, you are only giving them the chance to spread to other areas.
Professional help
The best route is to hire a pest controller that will get rid of your termite problems completely. Only professionals can thoroughly take care of your property, respect its privacy, and completely eliminate termites. Just show the professionals the infected area and let them take over.
Preventing and controlling termite infestations are complex processes. Roping in professional help remains the best and most convenient option.
Our expert technicians treat houses using an environment sensitive approach, so you don’t need to worry about pets and little ones inhaling or touching anything toxic. We carefully uncover the problem and ensure it never happens again!
How long do termites take to infest an area?
Termites are always on the lookout for food sources. They feed on newspapers, wood, lumber, firewood, and cellulose materials. If termites discover a large volume of wood in your house, then you can expect them to invade your home immediately.
How do termites enter the home?
No matter how controlled an environment may be, termites will find small cracks and holes to use to enter a house. They need high temperatures to nest. Another common way termites enter is through the places where wood contacts ground or moist soil.
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What attracts termites to your house and ways to keep them at bay?
Moist Soil
Termites are attracted to wet or moist soil and can build a whole community around it. The problem is that the entire foundation of your house is built over soil, and you can’t control its texture, whether moist or dry. All you can do is divert excess water from flowing into specific areas around the house. How? Make sure that gutters are functioning correctly to avoid any overflow Splash blocks and downspouts must always function properly Avoid the accumulation of water around your house
Dark and Warm Places
Undisturbed, dark, warm areas are hotspots for termites. You may not be able to reach every dark location of your home, but there are people equipped with technology and equipment who can! Professional expert teams can create ideal conditions in crawl spaces to prevent termite breeding.
Decayed Lumber
Termites attack rotten lumber more often than fresh wood. Always make sure that you get rid of firewood and decayed lumber.
