While some pests bite and spread germs, termites pose a far greater threat. They can silently destroy entire buildings, causing thousands of dollars in damage. If you’re not protecting your wooden structures, you could be facing a costly disaster. The good news? With the right precautions, you can safeguard your home, shed, and other wooden structures from these destructive invaders.
What Makes a Wooden Structure Vulnerable to Termites
While termites can be found burrowing through all manner of wooden structures, the most common termites in Kansas City (subterranean termites) are attracted to the path of least resistance. This means moist, damaged, or untreated wood is more likely to have a nasty encounter with these little wood destroyers.
Exposed wood is at greater risk of a termite infestation when it sits close to the ground since many species of termites burrow underground to get around and find new wood to munch on. Subterranean termites create “mud tubes” traveling from their nest to vulnerable wood. Unfortunately, these tubes are only about as wide as a pencil, making them tricky to identify without professional help.
Six Tips for Protecting Wood from Termites
Whether you’re trying to keep a new construction safe, keeping a long-term outdoor project unharmed, or ensuring your home remains termite-free, here are six things you should do to keep all your wooden structures safe and sound.
1. Fix Leaks and Limit Humidity
Remember what we said about termites preferring the path of least resistance? Termites love damp wood for this reason, because it’s softer and easier to chew through. To reduce the appeal of your wooden structures to termites, keep your home as dry as possible, especially around any exposed wood! Here are a few things to do to protect your home from moisture:
- Fix any leaks that may be dripping water on wooden beams or floorboards
- Inspect all of your pipes for possible leaks or damage
- Install a dehumidifier, especially in highly damp spaces like basements and bathrooms
- Seal any gaps in doors and windows that may be letting in moisture
2. Treat and Seal Wood
When possible, avoid exposed, untreated wood. Most homes in Kansas City should be properly treated and sealed or built with non-wood materials like vinyl, but if your home or structure is an exception, consider rectifying this as soon as possible!
If you’re building something new out of wood, spray it with borate before painting. Borate makes wood nearly inedible to both termites and fellow wood-destroying insects, such as carpenter ants. This is why treating wood with borate spray on new construction is standard.
3. Use Old-Growth Wood
Choosing the right wood can reduce your risk of termite infestation. When repairing wooden beams and supports or building a new structure, old-growth wood is stronger and more durable than wood from young, undeveloped trees, making it more resistant to termites. Avoid soft woods, opting for hardwood species or pressure-treated wood.
4. Keep Wood Elevated
Because many termites live underground, keeping wood elevated and not in direct contact with soil will make it more difficult for termites to reach it. Wooden structures should be elevated off the ground with concrete or another sturdy material that termites can’t burrow through to reach the wood.
5. Keep Up with Exterior Maintenance
Maintaining the exterior of your home or structure goes beyond maintaining the wood itself. You need to keep up with all exterior maintenance to reduce moisture and eliminate possible entry points for termites. Here are a few examples:
- Keep gutters clean and in good repair so they can effectively divert water away from your home
- Trim foliage back from the perimeter of your home
- Store firewood elevated from the ground and keep it covered and dry
- Tidy up fallen tree limbs and other loose wood around your yard after a storm
- Repair cracks and gaps in siding, foundation, and around windows and doors that can act as entry points for termites
6. Have Regular Termite Inspections
Even with all of these preventative measures, termites are experts at finding that one entry point you missed. If allowed to breed and burrow for too long, you can very quickly have a dangerous termite infestation on your hands. This is why regular pest inspections are so important! At Advantage Termite & Pest Control, we provide termite control programs where our experts regularly inspect your home to nip any home invasions in the bud before they become major infestations. If we do find signs of termites, we’ll use the latest termite control technology to eliminate the problem at its source quickly and thoroughly.
Advantage Termite and Pest Control Can Help!
If you’re not careful, termites can eat your house apart. Don’t wait for them to come to you—take a stand now and defend your home against these pests! For more information or to receive quality pest control services, call us at first sight—we do it right!
