Termites are one of the biggest issues that you can deal with in the household. They are more common than any other types of insect problem in the household, with Entomology teams across the globe receiving more calls about this than anything else. They are very difficult to deal with, and are perhaps best left to deal with the professionals who do this for a living. However, the other horrible thing about termites is that they can appear at different times and have different appearances depending on where you are based – you should talk to your local termite control team if you have one for more specific information on your region – but these are general questions and fears about termites.
Termites cause so much damage yearly it is into the billions. They tend to feed on wood – especially decking, they love your decking! – But they will eat anything including your books, your insulation, even filtration systems – they are horrible. It can seriously have an impact on trying to move house too, it can be a real expense to fix up, which can put your house in a slippery slope when trying to sell it as it will really put people off buying your home.
You should be looking for termites every year around about March to May. This is when swarms of termites arrive inside homes; where as in the wild, they move on to find new supplements. When heavy rainfall comes down, they will fly off to a new colony and start again. Houses offer protection from such issues, so they can dig in and chew away on your home until dealt with.
If you come across the winged type of termite inside your house, it is usually an indication that you do in fact have termites and it will need to be looked at. They can be easily confused with an ant, as they both have similar times of year when they come out and swarm. Termites have wings the size of their waist, where as they have two different types of wings – forewings and hind wings.
They are regularly found around the windows and the doors of your home, however, termites that come out from trees and piles of wood in the yard or lawn are not something to worry about. However, if your termites have wings and are seen to be coming from the foundations or your porch/patio door – your house is infested!
You should have a check for mud tubes which comes over the walls of your houses foundation – and the mud tubes are roughly the width of a pencil, and they use these tunnels for moving further through the foundations of the home.
People make a common mistake of checking these foundations, and finding the tube vacant. They then think that there is no infestation, which is not true – they often abandon and change the tubing they stay in while looking through the rest of the building. So be sure to be vigilant!
Getting rid of termites in your home is very difficult, and requires a special team to deal with it. It can be incredibly difficult to do so yourself – so it is important that you have this checked actively. However, you can protect yourself from termites attacking your deck. If you can stop them getting in, you can save yourself a massive expense in the future.
Replace the foundations your deck is upon with pressure-treated wood, and use metal beams to support the decking in the ground. You need to fortify this area as this is where it should be most powerfully protected. Apply a sealant on the entire surface of the deck too, and do it once a year. This stops the termites from attacking your precious deck in the future.
Hire a specialist to come out and spray the deck on a monthly basis, they know the areas that they will be able to get to easiest, so they will be able to deal with it efficiently – every deck is different. Remove any item that is next to the deck and is made of wood, like wooden garden equipment or boxes – this lets the termites bridge themselves between this wooden item and your decking.
You should place cedar mulch near the decking too, it makes the termites move away from the area, but it has to be replaced fairly consistently. Do not connect it to the deck, either.
There is one product out there that gives you a chance to deal with termites yourself. Termidor SC Liquid Treatment gives you a ready-to-go and easy to use termite treatment tool. Clean a five gallon bucket out to complete cleanliness, before using it. These is what all of the professionals use – but please, read into further how to best use Termidor, it does give you instructions on how to use it though – but if you are unsure of what to do, do not risk it, and speak to a professional.