What invaders are you protecting your home from? While most homeowners take precautions to keep their homes safe from burglars, they sometimes overlook another dangerous invader - termites. Find out the key to protecting your home from termites in Dallas.
Why Protection Matters
Before you even think about how you can protect your home from termites, it’s crucial to understand why termite prevention is key. In North Dallas and across the country, termites cause significant damage to homeowners.
They eat wood and leave behind an entire trail of destruction as they make their way through your home. In addition to chewing on your furniture and floors, termites could destroy the wood frames in your walls. Structural damage is nothing to take lightly.
Unlike many other North Dallas pests, termites don’t announce their presence. You may not even realize that you have termites until long after they’ve chewed through your walls. Because of this, most homeowners don’t do anything about their termite problem until they need to make costly repairs.
Knowing What Attracts Termites In North Dallas
To best comprehend how to keep termites out, you need to know what attracts them in the first place. There are two main factors, besides wood, that attract termites. First, there’s the element of moisture. Moist wood is easy to chew through, which makes it highly appealing to termites.
Second, there’s accessibility. All homes have some type of wood elements. However, only some homes have easily accessible wood elements. If your wood is easy to get to, you’re likely to have a termite infestation.
Tips For Termite Prevention
All of these steps can help keep your home safe from termites and their damage:
Seal Gaps
Your home has more gaps than you might realize. Check your gas lines and plumbing lines for small openings. If you have any gaps, seal them up.
Remove Wood-To-Ground Contact
Subterranean termites enter homes by traveling through tunnels in the ground. To make your property less appealing, limit wood to soil contact. Keep your siding at least six inches above the ground, and use concrete as a barrier when necessary. While this is difficult to do on existing homes, it’s very feasible for new builds.
Limit Their Food
Termites eat cellulose, which could be abundant around your home. Make cellulose less available by replacing your mulch with cellulose-free materials. If that’s not possible, keep your mulch away from the foundation of your home.
Reduce Moisture
By keeping your property free from excess moisture, you decrease your chances of encountering termites. To accomplish this goal, make sure you don’t have any drainage issues with your roof. Adjust your gutters as necessary to keep water from pooling near your foundation or on your roof. Additionally, check your crawlspace for moisture issues.
If you have any plumbing leaks, repair them right away. The longer it leaks, the longer moisture will affect your wood. If necessary, hire a plumber.
Get Regular Inspections
One effective way to prevent termites is to receive regular pest inspections. While you might not know the signs of termites, an experienced pest control professional does. They can identify an issue before the damage is severe.
Working With Us
The best termite prevention and control comes with professional assistance. Unfortunately, you can’t be sure that your DIY efforts of termite prevention will work. Even dry wood is appealing to termites, and you can’t have a home with no wood whatsoever.
For the best results, call DANCAN, The Pest Control Experts. Our team is ready to help you prevent or eliminate termites. You can count on us to keep your home safe from termite damage.