Termite Infestation Control in Phoenix

Termites can cause considerable damage before a homeowner even knows about them. Unfortunately they tend to turn up during inspection or construction, which is really the last thing a homeowner needs at that point. There are actions steps you can take on your own though. Performing regular checks for hollowed out wood is a good way to catch the major warning signs that you have an infestation. Fortunately, there are other ways to control and eliminate the population too.

Pre-treating

General upkeep of your home comes with the territory when trying to keep termites out of your house, so make sure wood stays away from your house and leaks are fixed. You should be sealing as many entrances to your home, and always keeping up with cleaning out your drains and gutters. Any crawl spaces should get some sort of ventilation or else the humidity will attract the bugs, and the soil in them should be covered with plastic. When it comes to controlling termites, pretreatment is another recommended course of action for homeowners. You can put chemicals in your soil several yards away from your home which can keep termites away for a considerable length of time. Catching them where they’re most likely to enter your home can make for better control of the population.

Bait and Switch

You can also use bait stations which can be set out underground in your yard or within any of the termite’s feeding sites or traveling tubes. The baits contain poison, and they can attract termites outside of your home where they can feed on the chemicals. The chemicals may work slowly because dead termites may cause the live ones to avoid the area.

When It’s Not Enough

Pretreatment works the best during construction periods before the home’s foundation is even laid, but even that’s not a guarantee. Once you get termites, the next steps can be difficult. It’s impossible to get every nook and cranny when it comes to termites because they’re a very industrious species. Even for professional exterminators, completely ridding a home of a colony can be difficult, so the best course of action is to work as many angles as possible, as often as possible. Termites have a variety of food sources, so the baits and pretreatment just may not be enough. If you do need professional help, then give Preventive Pest Control a call today!