There are many reasons that we have a hate relationship with termites, the biggest being when they invade our homes and cause billions of dollars in damage and treatments annually in America. These little creatures can't see, and prefer to avoid light, so it begs the question how and why they invade our homes. It is not known if these guys are random in selecting our homes, or if deliberate, but scientists believe early signs point to a very deliberate termite.
The number one reason that they invade our homes is moisture, these little guys send out special workers just to find moisture, the number one thing, they need to survive. And when they find it, they bring their entire family to make full use of that moisture. Termites will exploit that leaky spigot or hose and even an a/c drip line. When a termite breaks the surface or the soil or wood that they are eating, they always seal up the break with a mud tunnel. Mud tunnels are made of saliva, termite fecal matter and soil, it prevents moisture loss and protects the termites from losing that precious liquid giving them full access to what they need.
This is why when a search party of termites find a ready made source of water they make full use of it and that area may be searched out far more than say an area of dryer soils. As homeowners we unwittingly supply termites with oasis's just like this and give them every reason to find a way into our home. Leaky gutters, dripping spigots or hoses are very obvious and easy fixes but often go unchecked. Sprinklers improperly aimed or over watering of shrubs or poor landscaping and drainage can all contribute but the #1 supplier of moisture I find is the a/c drip line. While the items listed above don't help they are usually not an everyday thing because sprinklers might be set for 3 times per week and gutters need rain to leak. Leaky spigots can be constant and that's not good but not every home has this. All homes have air conditioners and during the summer the a/c kicks on many times a day. Each time it does it creates water in the air handling unit and that h2o is funneled outside via pvc pipe. The flow is sometimes substantial but more importantly constant. Same place, close to the same amount and like I said many times per day. This area of discharge is almost always wet and doesn't have time to dry in between the units down time. Once termites find this moisture source it is sure to be explored fully and this is why this area is one of the three most conducive conditions for termite invasion.
The second thing to eliminate or repair to prevent termites is removing any wood to ground contact. You might have to contact a professional handyman to do this but spending a couple hundred dollars now, can possibly prevent thousands of dollars later. Wood soaks up moisture and thus you just gave the termite food and water and he's going to make full use of that and take up residence eating you out of your home.
Moving your siding to above grade and wood piles and debris away from the home will also help prevent them, when left alone these things can give termite free reign and an all you can eat buffet. You may want to move the wood to a place where it's off the ground, for added security and peace of mind.
To prevent termites from finding your home tasty and appetizing there are some quick and simple ways to prevent them. First you may need to contact a handyman to remove/repair the wood that touches the ground and take away that entry area for the termite. Second you will need to repair that leaky faucet or move the a/c drip line away from your home. This will make your home less appealing to any termites, but by no means is it foolproof to stop termites from striking your home, just makes it a little less appealing.
The number one reason that they invade our homes is moisture, these little guys send out special workers just to find moisture, the number one thing, they need to survive. And when they find it, they bring their entire family to make full use of that moisture. Termites will exploit that leaky spigot or hose and even an a/c drip line. When a termite breaks the surface or the soil or wood that they are eating, they always seal up the break with a mud tunnel. Mud tunnels are made of saliva, termite fecal matter and soil, it prevents moisture loss and protects the termites from losing that precious liquid giving them full access to what they need.
This is why when a search party of termites find a ready made source of water they make full use of it and that area may be searched out far more than say an area of dryer soils. As homeowners we unwittingly supply termites with oasis's just like this and give them every reason to find a way into our home. Leaky gutters, dripping spigots or hoses are very obvious and easy fixes but often go unchecked. Sprinklers improperly aimed or over watering of shrubs or poor landscaping and drainage can all contribute but the #1 supplier of moisture I find is the a/c drip line. While the items listed above don't help they are usually not an everyday thing because sprinklers might be set for 3 times per week and gutters need rain to leak. Leaky spigots can be constant and that's not good but not every home has this. All homes have air conditioners and during the summer the a/c kicks on many times a day. Each time it does it creates water in the air handling unit and that h2o is funneled outside via pvc pipe. The flow is sometimes substantial but more importantly constant. Same place, close to the same amount and like I said many times per day. This area of discharge is almost always wet and doesn't have time to dry in between the units down time. Once termites find this moisture source it is sure to be explored fully and this is why this area is one of the three most conducive conditions for termite invasion.
The second thing to eliminate or repair to prevent termites is removing any wood to ground contact. You might have to contact a professional handyman to do this but spending a couple hundred dollars now, can possibly prevent thousands of dollars later. Wood soaks up moisture and thus you just gave the termite food and water and he's going to make full use of that and take up residence eating you out of your home.
Moving your siding to above grade and wood piles and debris away from the home will also help prevent them, when left alone these things can give termite free reign and an all you can eat buffet. You may want to move the wood to a place where it's off the ground, for added security and peace of mind.
To prevent termites from finding your home tasty and appetizing there are some quick and simple ways to prevent them. First you may need to contact a handyman to remove/repair the wood that touches the ground and take away that entry area for the termite. Second you will need to repair that leaky faucet or move the a/c drip line away from your home. This will make your home less appealing to any termites, but by no means is it foolproof to stop termites from striking your home, just makes it a little less appealing.
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