Termite Control Use Fundamentals Explained
There are 3 main forms of termites: drywood, dampwood and subterranean. Every kind of termite colony includes employees (who eat your house), soldiers (who defend others from predators such as ants) and swarmers (flyers that locate new places to colonize). Though you dont generally see termites unless theyre swarming (flying), its good to know how to identify them, Wilson states.
Drywood termites commonly have a brown body with a reddish head. Swarmers have sheer, tan wings but there are color variations. Workers are light, tan and look like maggots, with no wings.
Dampwood termites are much like drywood termites, often with a tan or brown body and absolute wings. These employees also resemble maggots.
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Drywood termites are partial to dry, nondecayed timber and often end up in attics, flooring boards and window frames.
Dampwood termites like decaying wood or wood that is rich with moisture. They often strike wood that's making contact with the ground and are found in regions with high rainfall or humidity.
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Drywood and dampwood termites enter your home through small cracks, often around window frames through cracks in the home. Be sure to check around windows regularly and reapply caulk when it begins to show signs of age and cracking. Swarmers lose their wings and float into the timber. Cracks in paint are another easy access point for termites.
Be mindful of maintaining your outside paint. For example, when you hammer Christmas lights then take the nails out, you leave behind little holes and create an open doorway for a termite colony. .
Subterranean termites often burrow into cracks in the homes foundation. In regions like the San Francisco Bay Area, many houses have raised foundations, Wilson states. Termites build mud tubes up to the bottom floor, often along articles. But even in the absence of posts, Wilson says, mud tubes can stretch from the ground up through thin air to connect with the bottom of the home. .
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So what do you do if you find a termite in your home when you see one shed wing or one termite flying , it doesnt check this mean you have an infestation. But if you find a group of shed wings or any of the other warning signs noted above, its best to find a professional inspection.
Termites are actually simple to kill,'' Wilson says, but you need a termiticide to perform it. Unfortunately, superior pesticides are not readily available to the public. Most home shops promote termite spray, but those are watered down to meet public safety specifications, so theyre not as effective.
If you've got an infestation that's isolated to one portion of your house, say the door trimming, you can substitute the trim, Wilson states. But in case you've got a full-on termite infestation, you need a bigger scale treatment.
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Subterranean termites have to get cut away from the home at the soil. Pacific Coast Termites creates a chemical barrier between any areas of grime and the house, in addition to around the entire home. It acts as a shield the termites cant break through.
Drywood and dampwood termites can be killed with a wood treatment product such as XT2000 Orange Oil, which can be injected under pressure into the wood through ink-pen-sized holes. This product saturates the wood and will prevent future infestations. Treating a moderate infestation this way takes about four to six hours.
Homes which are massively infested (you can site here see termites everywhere) can require fumigation. Either a massive tent is put over your home, or all the doors and windows are sealed, and the residence is gassed with pesticide that can kill each of the termites. This process can take anywhere from six hours to one week, depending on the kind of infestation.
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Apply an excellent, quality coat of paint on your property, since termites wont consume through paint. Ensure that all windows, doorframes and foundation gaps are caulked and sealed. Dont basic or nail up Christmas lights then yank them down. The tiny holes create termite homes. Instead, either abandon the nails in the pockets year-round or fill out the holes when you eliminate the nails. .
Quickly solve any plumbing leaks, standing water on your roof or other difficulties involving decaying wood. Provide proper ventilation under your raised home to maintain that area dry. Subterranean termites love wetness.