If you aren’t actively working to prevent termites at home, you are putting your house at risk. You can save thousands of dollars in potential termite damage by taking these steps to keep these pests away.
How to Prevent Termites at Home
Any home can be at risk for termite damage, especially if you don’t know what attracts these pests. Follow these tips to prevent termites in your home:
1. Remove Termite Access to Your House
One of the most significant ways to prevent termite infestations is to remove their access to your home. Seal gaps around gas and water lines to make it more difficult for termites to enter. You may not think twice about having a stack of firewood stored up against your house, but it attracts termites. Wood piles near the house become access points for termites, so store your firewood somewhere else.
2. Reduce Food Sources
Termites don’t just feed on piles of wood and lumber. They consume cellulose materials like landscaping mulch. To eliminate these food sources, replace your cellulose landscaping materials with cellulose-free products, like rubber mulch or gravel. Wooden siding should be at least 6 inches from the ground, so keep this in mind during construction.
3. Limit Excess Moisture to Prevent Termites at Home
Just as termites like to feed on the wood and cellulose material around the house, they also thrive off of moisture. Keep termites away by keeping water away from your home’s foundation. Address any moisture issues around the crawlspace and basement. Take care of faulty or clogged gutters and leaking pipes to prevent termites at home.
4. Trim Overhanging Tree Limbs
Another effective way to prevent termites at home is to trim overhanging tree limbs. Trimming tree limbs is a good idea for a few reasons. These limbs can act as a bridge for termites to come into your home. Trees also drop leaves into gutters which causes them to overflow with water that threatens the siding and the foundation.
5. Invest in Professional Termite Inspection
Even if you are taking precautionary measures to prevent termites, it is still important to schedule a professional termite inspection. A termite inspector will determine if you have a problem, if any damage has been done, and what you should do next. An inspection is your best chance to catch an infestation early.
Without food sources or access points to your home, termites are less likely to infest your property. With the help of a termite inspector and these key tips, you can prevent a costly termite infestation.
Quality Check Home Inspections serves Eugene, Oregon and the coast with WDO/termite inspections and other home inspection services. Contact us to schedule an inspection.