Virginia Beach's Complete Termite Prevention Guide
11/13/2020
If you’re a Virginia Beach homeowner, there’s not a whole lot worse than the idea of pests living inside your home and eating it from the inside out. Well, if you have a termite infestation, that could quite literally be happening. Termites are destructive wood-eating pests that cause over five-billion dollars’ worth of damage a year in the United States alone. Therefore, as a Virginia Beach homeowner, you need to know the steps you can take to keep your home safe from these destructive pests.
Termite Basics
Termites are ant-like insects with segmented bodies, six legs, and antennae. They are generally pale yellow, brown, or black in color. Termites live in colonies that consist of three castes—workers, soldiers, and winged reproductives. Workers and soldiers are respectively charged with finding food and protecting the colony. Reproductives, on the other hand, are responsible for setting out and creating new colonies. This process is what’s known as a termite swarm. Unless you spot termites during a swarm, it is unlikely that you will ever see them in your home.
Once inside, termites can cause all sorts of damage. While they prefer decaying or water-damaged wood, they will eat any wood inside of a home if it is available to them. This includes structural wood, flooring, siding, baseboards, and even wooden furniture and antiques. The longer a termite infestation is allowed to remain, the more damage they will cause. Therefore, if you have termites in your home, it is best to act quickly to remove them.
What Attracts Termites To A Property
The two biggest factors that attract termites into homes are the availability of food and easy access to it. Additionally, if there are moisture issues in a home this could also attract termites inside as it makes wood easier for them to eat. As for accessibility, things like cracks in your foundation or wood-to-soil contact on the outside of your home could both provide termites with an easy way inside.
Termite Prevention Tips
With those factors in mind, the best ways to prevent termites from infesting your home include removing any possible food sources, lowering moisture levels, and sealing up any possible entry points. Tips for preventing termites include:
- Removing or replacing any decaying or water-damaged wood in your home.
- Using dehumidifiers to lower moisture levels.
- Fixing any leaky pipes or fixtures that could lead to water damage.
- Keeping gutters free of debris to prevent flooding that can lead to water damage.
- Sealing any cracks in the foundation of your home.
- Keeping a gravel barrier between any wooden structures and the soil i.e. porches and decks.
- Keeping gravel or concrete barrier between the exterior of your home and the soil.
- Inspecting all wooden objects such as firewood, building wood, wooden furniture, and antiques for signs of termites before bringing them into your home.
If you can accomplish these simple steps, you should be able to lessen your odds of having a termite infestation.
The Best Method For Termite Prevention & Control
If you require any assistance with preventing termites, or if you are currently dealing with a termite infestation in your home, don’t worry, the professionals at PESTOUT are here to help. Our trained pest technicians are fully equipped with both the requisite experience and expertise to effectively eliminate any termite infestation with which you are dealing. In addition to this, we will work with you to take the proper steps to better protect your home from any future infestations. Nobody wants to be stuck holding the bill for damage caused by termites. Give us a call today.
