The termites we battle in Raleigh are subterranean termites. These termites live in the ground and secretly attack structures from the ground. There are many ways to address a subterranean termite infestation. Let's look at them from least effective to most effective.
Remove Food Sources
Wood is the primary food source for termites. If you get rid of the food, termites will go away, right? This is partly true. Termites will go where food is most abundant. When they find food sources, they will grow their populations faster. If you remove wood sources from your yard, you could deter or even stop termites from coming in close to your home and discovering that your house has wood in it.
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Pick dead branches up and remove them or burn them. Don't stack them in a pile. Termites can travel as far as the length of a football field in search of food sources. While they're feeding on a brush pile, they can also be feeding on your home.
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Remove stumps, logs, trees with heart rot, and other dead wood. This includes wood piles that sit on the ground. If you have fire wood that needs to be in your yard, consider elevating the wood to get it off the ground.
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Remove any trash piles. A pile of trash can not only have wood in it, but there can be other ideal food sources there, such as cardboard and fabrics. Termites eat these.
Remove Wood-To-Soil Contact
This is somewhat the same as removing food sources. Termites feed on wood. But this deserves its own category. When termites begin to feed on a fence that is attached to your home (or a deck, patio, porch, etc.) they can go from these structures to the wood inside your home. This makes wood-to-soil contact slightly more important than simply removing wood as a food source. As you consider wood-to-soil contact, keep in mind that termites are particularly attracted to rotting wood.
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Replace areas where wood is rotting.
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Put deck posts on concrete blocks.
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Consider replacing wood fencing with vinyl fencing.
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Address areas where the wood of your home directly touches the ground.
Inspections
Your secret weapon against subterranean termites is early detection. Termites aren't going to destroy your Raleigh property in a night, or even a month. It takes years. Here are a few ways you may be able to detect them.
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Inspect dead branches and look under wood sources in your yard. If you find ⅛ inch-long insects that look like tiny white ants, those are subterranean termites.
Inspect your foundation walls for shelter tubes. These tubes will be about the width of a pencil and made of mud. They might look like one wiggly line or there could be several branches as the tunnels run from the ground to the wood of your home. If several tunnels are created on top of each other, you might find a mass of mud that looks like a column. You may also find mud spots on wood. Termite workers use soil and saliva to seal breaches in tunnel walls.
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Inspect the wood of your home for changes. If there is wood damage, it might be termite damage. Keep in mind that subterranean termites rarely cause damage that you can see. If you find termite damage, it is likely to be in a dark, damp location.
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Inspect spider webs on your property. When termites swarm and mate, they shed their wings. These can get caught in spider webs. If you find white wings that are all the same size, you've found termite swarmer wings.
It isn't easy to detect these signs. Therefore, inspections alone won't guarantee that your property is protected. But they will definitely provide a lot of protection, particularly if you have a licensed professional performing the inspections.
Termiticide
It is possible to inject termiticide into the soil to prevent termite damage around your Raleigh home. This is the cheapest termite control solution used by pest professionals. It is also the less effective of the two control solutions pest professionals rely on to protect property from termite damage. Why? Because there is no easy way to detect termite activity with this method. If termites find a way past the treated soil, they can feed on your home for years without being detected. Granted, the chances of this happening are low, especially if Termidor is used. But it can happen.
Termite Bait
This is the best way to protect your property from damage. The most trusted termite bait product used by professionals is the Sentricon® System with Always Active™. This termite control solution makes termite detection a breeze. When termites take the bait, your technician will inform you that termites have been discovered. When termites are no longer active, your technician will let you know that your termite control has protected your property and that the termite colony has been eliminated.
Raleigh Termite Control
If you live in Raleigh, you're in our service area. Reach out to Go-Forth Pest Control to request assistance with termite control. We'll help you find the right solution for your specific needs and budget.
