What is the trick to avoiding termite damage? There are primarily three components to effective termite prevention and control: detecting termites, removing factors that attract them, and eliminating colonies. If you want to prevent termite damage, you need to know a bit about each of these. Join us as we look at how to identify warning signs of termite activity, the unique way termites get into Mooresville homes, and some naturally effective termite prevention tips. If you already know you have termites and you are past the point of preventing a termite problem, jump to our contact page for assistance with termite pest control in Mooresville. We deploy the award-winning Sentricon® System with Always Active™ to eliminate termite colonies and provide continued surveillance and termite damage prevention. You can't get better protection than Sentricon®. With that said, let's look at what you can do about termites on your Mooresville property if you don't have termites in your home yet.
How To Identify Signs Of Termite Activity
Termites are elusive pests. They don't climb on your walls and wear away at the wood of your home where you can see them doing it. Mooresville termites live in the ground, tunnel through the ground, and eat wood from the inside out when they find it. The warning signs they provide are often subtle or hidden.
Swarmers: If you see winged termites in your yard (or in your home), you know you have a problem. Swarmers are easy to see because they have noticeable white wings that are rounded at the tips. But swarms don't last long. Termites mate quickly, shed their wings, and disappear back into the ground.
Wings: If a swarm happens in your yard, you may see the wings left behind by the swarmers. But these wings are light and can get carried away by the wind or dissolve over time as they are eaten by organisms. You may not get a chance to see them. To make matters worse, swarmers often shed their wings in secluded and sheltered locations, such as underneath a deck or a wood pile.
Workers: It is possible to see worker termites, but don't hold your breath waiting. Workers do everything they can to avoid light. Researchers have found that worker termites don't even like to expose themselves to the reflected light from the moon. Therefore, the workers in your yard will hide in the ground or underneath things. If you are fortunate to uncover them, we hope you recognize them. Termites are commonly mistaken for other bugs because they are so small. At only ⅛ of an inch in length, it isn't easy to see all of the details you see in a photo of a termite on the internet.
Tubes: When worker termites come above ground, they create tubes made of soil and saliva. They use this muddy paste to create tubes that are easily seen. But these tubes are not likely to appear on surfaces exposed to light. You'll have to use a flashlight and slide under your deck or get into your crawlspace to find them.
Damage: The worst of all warning signs is termite damage. As with swarmers, wings, workers, and tubes, signs of termite damage are typically hidden from view—if they appear at all. Most termite damage is hidden inside wood timbers. You'll need to tap on wood to see if it is hollow, examine wood for splinters, and watch for bubbling on wood surfaces.
Routine inspections of your property are essential. You'll need to crawl into dark, dirty, and sometimes damp spaces on your property. We recommend performing an inspection as least once a year. If you'd prefer to have someone else do this, contact Lake Norman Pest Control to get started with an annual inspection.
How Termite Infestations Start
Along with routine inspections, you'll need to take steps to prevent termites even if you don't see them. Before we discuss ways to deter termites and guard your property, it helps to know how termite infestations start. Here are a few examples:
- You may have a pile of wood in your yard. When you collect branches and stack them in a pile, termites will thank you for it. While termites feed on branches, they'll quickly grow their numbers in response to the desirable food source. As their numbers grow, your chances of termite damage grow too.
- You may have wood-to-soil contact. When wood sits in the soil, it is in an ideal location for termite workers to find it. If termites enter the wood, they can go up into your home without creating mud tubes for you to detect.
- You may have a termite-infested tree. Termites prefer wood that is softening and decaying. As a tree dies, it becomes a food source for termites. As the workers feed on the tree, they can also feed on your home at the same time.
- You may have a crack in your foundation. Termites live in the ground and move between cracks in rocks and other solid objects in the ground. They may follow a crack all the way to a sole plate sitting on your foundation. Direct access like this can lead to significant termite damage.
Using what we've discussed, let's consider how you may prevent termites from making a meal out of your home. In some cases, all it takes is a small change to have a big impact.
Naturally Effective Termite Prevention Tips For Your Property
Termites are looking for wood sources in your yard. If they find a source and enter it secretly, you won't know you have a problem. When termites find a source of food, only a portion of the workers will consume that source. Many of the other workers continue to look for food. One colony can feed on several food sources on your property. Here are some tips to help you prevent this from happening.
- When you collect branches in your yard, remove them or put them inside a bin or container, rather than in a brush pile.
- If you have a wood pile, get the wood up off the ground. Use a bin or simply store the wood on a mat. If termites attempt to get to the wood, they'll create tubes for you to detect.
- If you have a wood fence, consider replacing it. As wood decays, it is more and more appetizing to termites. It is best to use materials termites don't eat, such as metal or vinyl.
- If your home has a wood skirt, make sure it doesn't touch the soil.
- If you have wooden borders around plants, consider replacing them with some other material.
- If your deck has wooden posts that go into the ground, consider removing the ground wood and installing concrete foundations. Doing this will force termites to create tubes up and over the concrete, so you can detect them.
- If you have a junk pile, keep in mind that termites don't just eat wood. They eat paper, cardboard, and fabrics. Store junk in a bin as you would dead branches.
When you combine prevention with ongoing surveillance, you can guard your property. While these don't provide the best protection, it is better to have some protection rather than none. These tips are also preferable to DIY termite treatments as they have no impact on the environment, your kids, or your pets. They also don't provide the unreal expectations that come with installing termite control products without training. There are a surprising number of ways termite treatments can fail. If yours fail, you may allow sneaky termites to feed on your property right under your nose.
Contact The Pros For Total Termite Control For Your Home
It is best to contact a termite expert near you when you need termite control installed. It is tricky to detect evidence of termite damage or other warning signs of termite activity. If you're in Mooresville, consider Lake Norman Pest Control. When our certified professionals install the Sentricon® System with Always Active™, we get results. Here are a few reasons to choose our team and this amazing termite control solution.
- The Sentricon® System is placed in the ground where termites can find it.
- Worker termites are always looking for food, so they are guaranteed to find the bait.
- The bait inside the Sentricon® bait stations is scientifically proven to be more desirable to termites than wood.
- Sentricon® bait becomes even more appetizing to termites as it ages.
- When termites take the bait, you'll know it. The stations are checked periodically for activity.
- The Sentricon® System is always actively protecting your property. It works 24 hours a day all year long.
- Sentricon® attacks the problem at its source. It doesn't eliminate termites on contact. The bait is collected by the workers and shared with the colony.
- Sentricon® is a targeted solution. It is desirable to termites, shared directly from termite to termite, and requires no use of termiticides.
- With the Sentricon® System, there is no need for drilling and trenching, and no bad odor.
Are you ready to get pest control in Mooresville? Navigate to our contact page and connect with our team. We look forward to helping you guard your equity against sneaky termites.
