Termites are every Kansas City homeowner’s worst nightmare. They wreak havoc on your home, resulting in dangerous damage and extremely expensive repairs. As a homeowner, you want to do everything possible to prevent termites. But what can you do yourself, and what is best left to the professionals? While most termite prevention should be left to the experts, there are some things you can do to help prevent these pesky insects from invading your home.
Can You Prevent Termites Yourself?
The internet is full of DIY hacks and over-the-counter termite treatments, but these will ultimately prove ineffective at thoroughly protecting your home from a termite infestation. They may also give you a false sense of security, assuming your home is protected from termites and thus missing the signs of an infestation.
The best way to prevent termites is by getting a professional termite treatment from a reputable termite company. The Advantage Termite & Pest Control team can provide non-invasive solutions to keep your household termite-free without harsh chemicals or foundation drilling.
Kansas City has subterranean termites, which means they come from the ground up. So by the time most homeowners notice they have termites, you already have an infestation. Regular inspections by a termite company will also ensure that no brave termite soldiers are attempting to invade your home.
Although the actual treatment for preventing termites should be left to professionals, you can take some simple steps to make your home less appealing to termites.
Five Termite Prevention Steps to Reduce the Risk of an Infestation
Preventing termite damage, especially in areas where subterranean termites are known to be active, like Kansas City, is a group effort. Once you have established a reliable termite control team, it’s up to you to make sure you aren’t creating a hospitable environment for termites. Take a look at your home and follow this five-step strategy for making your home as appealing as a dry desert for your wood-munching adversaries.
1. Assess Your Drainage Systems
Termites love a moist environment. The best way to invite termites to approach the exterior of your home in search of wood to chew is by keeping the soil wet and ready for them to create mud tubes with ease.
To keep your landscaping from collecting excess water, especially around the base of your home, make sure your drainage systems are functioning properly and cleared of clogs or debris. Your gutter systems should be set up to direct water out and away from your home. If you notice your gutters filling up and overflowing on rainy days, it’s time to get them cleaned, as this can cause water to pool in the wrong places!
2. Clear the Exterior of Appealing Debris
If you’re a handyman or project-oriented homeowner, you may be prone to collecting half-finished projects on the side of your home, such as wood planks. You may also have a firewood pile for your wood-burning stove or backyard fire pit, or just some piles of wood shavings or debris from a recent remodel.
If this sounds like your situation, finding somewhere farther away from your home to store this collected wood and debris is crucial! Exposed wood set against the walls of your house can invite termites to start burrowing there and then work harder to get through your siding and into your walls.
3. Declutter Your Crawl Space
Your crawl space is another area where wood debris can create a friendly set-up for termites. Keep your crawl space neat and tidy so termites won’t find it an interesting environment to explore.
4. Seal and Protect Easy Access Points
To go the extra mile and be certain your home’s structure is safe from termites, do your own mini-inspection of your home to search out any gapping and easy access points where wood may be exposed. Common exposure points include a wooden deck, cracks in the siding, gapping around pipes and behind gutters, downspouts, and drip strips.
5. Resist the Rot
Rotting wood is even more appealing than healthy wood to termites because it is softer and more malleable, so any instances of wood rot in your home should be addressed immediately. If clogged gutters have caused water damage to your siding, patio, or other exterior wood, this should be inspected by a professional immediately to make sure there is no rot. Your windows and doors may also be prone to rot if not treated properly and inspected regularly.
Don’t Forget Step 6: Professional Pest Control
These five steps to termite prevention will only prove effective if paired with support from professional pest control! Our experts at Advantage Termite & Pest Control are trained to know the signs of a termite infestation and assess potential areas of risk to treat and protect your home from future termite damage properly. To make sure your home in Kansas City stays termite-free, give us a call at Advantage Termite & Pest Control today
