Protect Your Home From Termites With These Tips

Since 1961, All-American Pest Control has been protecting Middle Tennessee homes from termites. These wood-eating creatures cost United States home and business owners $5 billion annually. That means they're not a pest to be taken lightly. But there is good news. There are actually some things you can do to prevent them. Here are 7 of the top ways you can resist these little wood-eaters.

1. When you are done with a building project, do not leave any scrap wood in your crawl spaces. If pieces were dropped, make sure they are all removed. Any source of wood is an attractant for termites.

2. Keep firewood at least 10 to 15 feet away from your house. It might be more convenient for you to stack your wood right against the house but it will also be more convenient for termites to reach your home if they decide to infest that wood pile.

3. Inspect flashing around doors and windows. Look for water leaks. If water is getting in, that is an area that needs to be taken care of. Water leaks not only cause damage, they make it easier for termites to get into the wood of your home and start feeding.

4. Remove standing water from your property. Search areas in crawlspaces and around the outside of your home for moist areas. Once wood becomes moist and soft, this is a magnet for termites.

5. Address roof and gutter leaks. If you have any kind of leak, no matter how small, have it repaired right away. As soon as water gets inside roof areas or walls, it will give termites the opportunity to get in and start eating away at your home. When a leak is found, repairing it quickly can save you a lot of headache, frustration, and cost down the road.

6. Take care of general moisture damage. Not only will this deter termites, but it will discourage other pests from invading as well. Carpenter ants, earwigs, silverfish, are only a few of the many bugs that love moist wood. And, if you are going to hire someone to do the repairs, make sure they take out the old wood and replace it with new wood. Simply covering up moisture damage will only prolong the problem.

7. Schedule complete annual termite inspections. At All-American, we utilize the Sentricon® System with Always Active™, which is designed to eliminate termites from around the exterior of your home before they can infest. Yearly inspections include checking crawl spaces, basements or, if you are on a slab, checking around the interior of your slab. We take finding moisture damaged areas, and these insects, very seriously. We understand how they can affect your equity.

If you have questions, or you would like to schedule service, reach out to us here at All-American today. We will be happy to help you get on the road to becoming, or staying, termite-free.