For many people in New Jersey, spring is the best season of the year. It’s a time of flowers, warm weather, and beautiful sunsets. However, there are a few drawbacks to springtime, and one of the worst is that termites often come out of hiding after winter.
Any sign of a termite infestation should immediately cause panic sirens to go off in the minds of homeowners. If they aren’t dealt with immediately, they can cause irreparable property damage – especially to wooden base houses.
Unfortunately, to add to your woes, termites are not easy to detect. However, the following six tips and tricks can help you to detect and prevent a termite infestation this spring.
Stack Firewood a Good Distance from Your Home
You don’t have to be an expert on termites to know they are attracted to wood. The reason that termites like wood is because they need to consume it to survive.
One of the most helpful prevention tips after a long cold winter is to store any wood you might have been using to build fires as far away from the house as possible. Keeping firewood adjacent to your home will increase the risk of infestation.
Never let a pile of firewood touch your home, as termites will burrow through the wood into the house’s walls.
Manage your Crawl Spaces
Termites like to burrow and nest in moist and dark areas of a house. For example, a crawl space on the roof is the perfect nesting area for termites. Thus, to prevent termite nesting and breeding, you must keep your crawl spaces moisture-free.
It would also be beneficial to allow good ventilation into the space. A damp and dark area might attract more than just termites, so adhering to this tip is a good pest control practice.
Keep your Shrubbery in Check
As mentioned above, termites consume wood of any type to survive. Therefore, it makes sense that if your garden is overgrown, it’s more likely that termites will choose your garden as their next food source.
You will greatly reduce your chances of not being infested by consistently maintaining your shrubs and trees, and cutting them back every now and then. In addition, if you’re worried about termites in your home, having neat shrubbery in your yard will make the pests easier to detect and subsequently get rid of.
Get Rid of Mulch
Mulch is a very useful addition to any landscaping or gardening project. However, you need to manage how much mulch you lay down in your backyard. You should never lay down too much mulch in warm weather, especially in spring in New Jersey, as the weather is perfect for the nesting and breeding of termites.
Mulch increases the moisture levels around your property, and as we saw above, this could lead to an infestation. You should avoid laying mulch within half a foot of the foundation of your home and try to keep it away from windows, doors, and other entrance points. You do not have to cut it out completely but using it in manageable amounts is advised.
Fix any Leaks on the Property
This is not a tip only for those trying to prevent a pest infestation, it's also good practice for any homeowners looking to keep their property in good condition. Moisture attracts termites and other pests, and one of the biggest causes of moisture on any property is leaking taps or pipes.
It’s a good idea to always keep a close eye on the pipes in and around your home and to hire a plumber to deal with any leaks you find. Not only will this increase the long-term value and condition of your property, but it will also greatly decrease the risk of any pests infesting your house.
Moisture, Moisture, Moisture
A common thread throughout each of the tips is the fact that all homeowners need to keep moisture around the property under control. This cannot be emphasized enough when it comes to dealing with pests like termites.
Moisture is essential for termites to reproduce and survive. They are attracted to water sources, as water, along with wood, is their lifeblood. It’s crucial that you do regular property inspections and get rid of any unneeded moisture pockets that you might come across. From damp to children's toys that have been left outside and filled up with water, any moisture is an instant attraction for termites.
Call In The Pros
If these tips still aren’t helping you to prevent or get rid of termites in your home you need to call in the experts without delay. Pest control companies like Twin-Boro can detect an infestation, rid your home of them, and ensure that you follow a regular maintenance schedule to stop these nasty little critters from coming back for more.
