Guest Post: Handling Termites the Crunchy Way

I bet you don’t even think about termites. After all, you’ve never heard of anyone’s house falling down from termite bites. That only happens in cartoons, right?

If you’re committed to the ‘live and let live’ philosophy, you’re probably hesitant to do anything that might disturb any kind of harmless ecosystem living on your property, including termites.

Which, of course, you don’t have.

Right?

The truth is that termites are designed to eat wood, and the best place to eat wood is in your home’s foundation. They also chew through insulation and other homebuilding materials. Although homes don’t actually fall down from termite infestations, termites cause enough damage to do any of the following:

1. Lower the value of your home due to unsightly chew marks.
2. Compromise the structural integrity of sections of your home, which in time will require extensive (and expensive) repairs.
3. Create holes large enough for additional pests like mice to enter your home.
4. Chew through into the interior of your home and then begin to eat baseboards, wooden fixtures or even paper.

Yes, once termites enter your home, they start looking for some easy-to-chew paper. Think of my poor book tree!

It’s not difficult to identify termites. They create tell-tale dirt trails up the walls of your home, and are often spotted flying outside windows. (Termites love eating chewy windowsills.) If you see the signs of termites, or if the wood on your porch or windows is looking a little more gnawed than usual, it’s time to call a termite service.

Start with www.termitetreatment.com and sign up for a termite inspection and protection plan, which may include liquid termite treatment, a bait and monitoring system, or drywood termite treatment (more popularly known as fumigation). Even if you don’t see termites, if you’re living in an older home or are on a termite-friendly property (farmhouses and homes with large yards or trees are popular termite sites), it’s a good idea to sign up for the inspection service anyway. When it comes to your home, preventative care is the name of the game.

If termites are found, it’s time to talk strategy. Make sure the removal services mentioned above fit in with your core values; if you’re uncomfortable with any of the chemicals used in the termiticides, ask for other options. You can even request to return balance to your ecosystem by introducing nematodes into your environment. These tiny worms are termite predators and will take care of the infestation for you.

Don’t worry if it takes several treatments to fully rid your property of termites; the bugs, like all creatures, just want to live! Expect it to take a few months before the termites start seeking other sources of nutrition. Be prepared to spend a little money refurbishing any structural damage caused by the termites. Whether you leave the non-critical chew marks alone is up to you.

Even if you’re living a crunchy, environmentally-friendly, vegan life, you have to deal with threats to your home and family. Sometimes these threats are as small as termites. Get your home inspected and take care of any termite infestations before they grow from a tiny annoyance to a destructive force.