There’s no doubt about it, termites are the single most destructive pest you could have the misfortune of coming into contact with. A termite colony can potentially threaten the entire foundation of your home; even worse is the fact that where there is one colony there can be others.

The best way of protecting your home against termite damage is to try and stop termites from getting close to it. If you are unlucky enough to fail in your efforts then you can attempt to deal with the problem yourself, or you can call professionals, such as Fox Pest Control to help. We are going to take a look at the issue of termites infesting your home.

How to protect your home against termites

There are three things that termites require to exist happily; soil, wood and water. They make their home in soil, and wood and water are both required for sustenance. The best way to protect your home from termites is to try and restrict access to their ideal living conditions.

You should fix all leaks in and around your home to limit the amount of water that any termites have access to; you should also ensure that there is no pooled water close to your home. Do not store wood close to your home; it should be stored in an outhouse, or at the very least under a protective covering on concrete or brick so that it is not in direct contact with the ground. Make sure that you do not leave any tree stumps, or dead bushes in your garden as once the termites have stopped feeding on these they will be tempted to continue with your home.

Another important method of protection is to fix any cracks or holes in the foundation of your home so that the termites cannot get the access they require.

Methods for ridding your home of termites

There are a few methods of termite control you may want to try for yourself, although it has to be said that they are unlikely to get rid of your termite problem altogether. Termites love to eat wood substances so wetting a couple of sheets of cardboard, and placing them in a termite infested area, can attract thousands of termites which can then be removed from the area. You may also want to try using beneficial nematodes which are a worm like species of creature that are parasitic and will choose termite larvae as hosts, killing them. These can be used in the soil around your home, but are not useful for removing termites from inside the property.

If it is the furniture inside your home that is affected, and not the structure of the building itself, you can try exposing the furniture to sunlight, or placing it in a large freezer. Termites will die in either of these conditions.

The benefits of calling the professionals

At the end of the day you will probably find it necessary to contact the professionals to deal with a termite problem. They have years of experience and they know how to do a thorough job. You don’t even have to wait until you have an infestation, you can have a professional termite check carried out on your home once a year, in order to make infestation less likely.