The Best Way To Protect Your Virginia Beach Home From Termites
3/15/2023
Imagine discovering that termites have damaged your home’s structure, and you need to spend around $8,000 renovating and repairing it. This situation has been the reality for some American homeowners. Termites are common in Virginia Beach, so it is prudent to always look for signs of termites in your home and take action immediately.
Termites eat wood voraciously since their diet is mainly cellulose. This is a substance present in cardboard, paper, and wood. In the wild, termites are helpful because they speed up the decay of dead and rotten wood, but in your home, they will only cause you extensive and costly damage.
Fortunately, there is pest control in Virginia Beach that can help you eliminate these destructive insects. PESTOUT is your ideal partner in eliminating termites at your Virginia Beach Home. We have specialized equipment for detecting termites and effective solutions.
Signs Of Termites You Should Know
Termites in Virginia Beach can cause colossal damage in a home because they eat through wood aggressively. Therefore, it is essential to detect their presence early and eliminate them. These are some of the telltale signs to watch out for:
- Blisters or buckling in wood flooring
- Shed wings and live swarmers or alates flying around
- Windows and doors that cannot open easily
- Termite droppings that look like chipped wood
- Loose tiles and squeaky floors
- Finding termites when renovating your home
- Bubbling under wallpaper or paint, destroyed drywall
- Mud tubes help termites survive in the new environment by shielding them from dry air
- Hollow sound when you tap or knock on timber
- Tunnel in wood or damaged and hollow wood
- Termites look like white ants but have wider waists than ants
The first sign you might see is flying termites around your property. If you see any of these signs of termites and you are certain there are termites in your home, the best action to take will be to bring professionals on board.
Why Termites Infest Virginia Beach Homes
Like most pests, termites will also come to your home if there are favorable factors. These include:
- Cracks in the building structure: If your home’s siding or foundation has fissures or cracks, termites will get in through these openings. They will construct mud tubes and enter through the cracks. Swarmers will enter through cracks in doors and windows.
- Moisture: If there is moisture in your home due to poor ventilation, poor drainage, and leaking pipes, termites will find the place conducive for survival and set camp. All termites need moisture to survive, whether dry wood or damp wood termites.
- Mulch, gardens: Wood mulch stores moisture, so termites eat it and use it as shelter. Ensure the mulch is about 15 inches far from the foundation.
- Trees near your home: Termites can use the branches to access your home. Ensure you trim them regularly. Leave can
- Stumps and dead trees: Termites could attack them and later go into your home. Remove them before termites target them.
- Wood and firewood piles: You might be tempted to store firewood near your home so you can retrieve it quickly. However, you would be making a big mistake because termites will be attracted to the wood. You should store it some distance away, like 20 feet, and place it in a raised place, not on the ground.
- Blocked gutters: Your gutter could be clogged due to leaves and tree branches. With time, these plant materials will start to rot and attract damp wood termites.
Termite Prevention Tactics For Your Property
There are several ways in which you can keep termites out for good and protect your property from destruction;
- Keep your lawn clean and mowed always
- Treat the wood near your home
- Organize frequent termite treatments
- Store cardboard and woodpiles correctly
- Cover all cracks and crevices where termites may enter
- Regulate the amount of moisture in your property and use dehumidifiers to remove excess moisture
- Hire professionals to inspect your home for termite infestation at least once a year
- Repair leaking plumbing components such as water pipes and faucets and fix the exterior HVAC unit
- Inspect the skirting board, door frames, windows, and exterior wood for any identifiable alterations
- Regularly check the foundation and exterior wall for mud tubes
- Declutter your home
- Place the wood or furniture affected by termites in the sun, especially during summer, because they cannot withstand intense heat
If you follow these measures, your home will be free of termites for years. This means you will also save significant money on repairs. PESTOUT pest control can help you get rid of all types of termites in Virginia Beach, including drywood, dampwood, and subterranean termites.
The Best Protection From Termites In Virginia Beach
Termites can be such a nuisance and destructive. Understandably, no homeowner wants to deal with them. They can create many problems in a home, especially if they go undetected for a long time. The cost of building a house and buying furniture is high, so it is usually devastating to realize that these tiny insects have devoured them, rendering your home unsafe and furniture unusable. PESTOUT is here to prevent this from happening with our termite control services. We will conduct a regular termite inspection, catch the infestation early and eliminate these destroyers before they have had time to cause too much damage. We use the best technology to detect them when there are no visible signs and effective termite treatments. Don’t stress yourself wondering how you will handle the problem when we are just a phone call away.
