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How to get rid of termites
Some household pests are simply annoying, but others can do some serious damage. Termites are among those that can damage your home. They eat away at wood and can ruin your homes framing structure. One of the biggest ways to fight termites is to stop them before they come, but once they are in your home there are some steps you can take to get rid of them and save your home.
Prevent - How to get rid of termites
Once you get rid of termites you do not want them to return. So here are some suggestions that people have used that worked for them:
- Avoid using mulch around your home.
- Clean with orange based cleaners around baseboards and the areas that were previously infested.
- Repair the areas that were damaged and paint or apply a finish.
General Ways to Kill - How to get rid of termites
- Liquid Termite Treatment: Liquid termiticides are sprayed around your house to kill or repel any termites coming into contact with them.
- Termite Baits: The other major way to kill termites, baits are placed around your home and gradually kill off a colony by spreading small amounts of pesticides through the workers.
- Fumigation: A method that only works on a specific species, the dry wood termite that is common in the southernmost parts of the United States.
Control - How to get rid of termites
- Eliminate moisture to eliminate termites: Termites, like other pests, thrive in moist environments, so minimize water accumulation and humidity in and around your building. Stop water build-up around foundations with drains and landscaping; decrease humidity levels by keeping vents clear, clean, and screened; and maintain pipes and faucets to avoid leaking.
- Look for cracks and openings in the foundation and exterior of the building, leaky outside faucets and drains, and any standing water around the foundation. You can identify termites by mud tubes accessing the foundation or wooden structures, small red-brown and black droppings, structural damage to wood (look and listen for tell-tale hollowing of wood, usually along the grain), and, of course, visible swarms of termites. If you are unsure whether you or not you have a termite problem, call in a professional for termite identification.
The best defense against termites
- Keep rain gutters clean.
- Avoid direct wood-to-ground contact when building porches or decks.
- Keep mulch and landscaping at least 6 inches from the foundation.
- Stack firewood at a distance from the structure.
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