If you live in a dry state like Montana or North Dakota, there’s a good chance that you won’t ever have to deal with a termite infestation in your home. If you live in a cold state like Alaska, you might also be off the hook when it comes to termites.
But for those people living in most other parts of the country, termite prevention is something that needs to be a way of life. Termites cause more than $5 billion worth of damage to U.S. homes every year – and your home could be next if you’re not careful.
There’s no way to guarantee that you won’t ever have to deal with termites in your home. But there are some steps you can take to limit the chances of termites setting up somewhere inside of your house.
Here are seven tips that will help you keep termites away.
1. Move Firewood Away From Your Home
Do you keep a pile of firewood in your backyard for the wintertime?
It might be convenient to keep it close to your home so that it’s easy to access it once you start using it in the winter. But if you have firewood too close to your home, you may inadvertently invite termites to come and gather on your property.
A pile of firewood will look like a pile of food to a swarm of termites. They won’t be shy at all about making themselves right at home in your firewood.
If you’re going to keep a pile of firewood on hand for the winter, you should make every effort to cover it up so that termites can’t work their way inside of it. You should also move it away from your home so that termites aren’t positioned too close to your house if they happen to get into it.
2. Position Bug Zappers Outside Your Home
Just like a lot of the other flying insects that are out there, most termites are attracted to light. You’ll often see them swarming around your home’s exterior lighting if you live in an area with termite activity.
Use this to your advantage by setting up bug zappers around the perimeter of your home. You can use bug zappers to get rid of mosquitos, flies, and, yes, even termites.
3. Place Screens Over Your Home’s Vents
Termites find all kinds of ways to gain access to homes. In some cases, they’ll break into homes through tiny holes and gaps found on the exterior of them.
But more often than not, termites get into homes through vents. Many homeowners leave their vents uncovered, which makes it all too easy for termites to fly right down them.
If you don’t have them on your home’s vents already, it’s a good idea to invest in screens that will keep termites out. You can find small screen mesh that will cover your vents and stop termites in their tracks.
4. Set Up Termite Bait Stations Around Your Home
Do termites seem to be honing in on your home despite your best efforts to protect from termites? It might be time for you to take termite prevention to the next level.
If you spot termites congregating near your home on a regular basis, there are bait stations you can set up that are designed to kill them. These bait stations contain chemicals that will do away with termites that come near them.
You may need to keep these bait stations in place for several months if not longer, to kill off the termite population near your home completely. It’s better to be safe than sorry when it comes to dealing with termites.
5. Treat the Wood in Your Home for Termites
In addition to putting out termite bait stations around your home, you may also want to consider treating any wood located inside your house. There are lots of different insecticides, like Timbor, that can be applied to wooden surfaces to make a termite problem a thing of the past.
Termites won’t be able to digest wood when it’s been treated with the right insecticides. It’ll make your home less attractive to them.
6. Use Orange Oil to Kill Termites in and Around Your Home
While insecticides are useful as far as getting rid of termites is concerned, there are many homeowners who don’t feel comfortable using them. They can be toxic to some degree and can put your family’s health at risk in certain instances.
Orange oil is a good natural alternative to the insecticides that are on the market today. It contains a compound in it that is known to kill off termites when they come into contact with it.
Spray orange oil in any areas where you suspect termites might be. You can also wipe down wooden furniture and other wooden surfaces with orange oil to limit termite activity.
7. Call on the Professionals to Keep Your Home Termite-Free
Does it feel like you’re spending way too much time trying to keep termites away from your home? Get your life back by calling on the professionals to come out and treat your home for termites.
The pros can identify the source of your termite problem. They can also treat your home for termites and show you some of the ways that you can stop termites from getting into your home in the future.
Protect Your Home with These Termite Prevention Tips
If termites find a way into your home and stay there for an extended period of time, they can eventually do tens of thousands of dollars worth of damage to it. They might even make it structurally unsound over time.
Use these termite prevention tips to stop this from happening. By taking a few simple precautions, you can prevent termites from wreaking havoc on your home. It’ll be well worth the time and money that you put into it.
Want to find out some ways to prevent other insects and pests from causing issues in your home? Keep browsing our blog to get tips for keeping them out of your house.
