Termite control in Charlotte shouldn’t be a mystery. Despite being a significant issue for homeowners, homeowners rarely get the information they need to fully understand how termites operate and why they’re such a problem.
We’d like to do our part by offering key termite information from a pest control perspective. We’ve filled this article with the essentials of residential termite prevention and control, including a breakdown of termite behavior that helps to explain how colonies develop and why they damage homes.
Join us for a straightforward and useful introduction to termite control: Termite Control 101, so to speak. By the end, you’ll know why these pests are a problem and what you should do if you notice them in your home.
How To Identify Termites: Types, Behaviors, And Warning Signs
Beginning with basic termite identification, you should know that termites in Charlotte are quite small, around ½ inch in total length. They have six legs, like an ant, but their bodies are more uniform than those of ants.
What color are termites? You should expect termites to be some shade of brown. Because many termites live underground or inside structures, they’re often pale or translucent. Also, at certain times of the year, termites can become “swarmers,” growing wings and crawling out of their hiding places; this is how they start new colonies elsewhere.
Termite behavior is defined by a dedication to survival. They don’t like to be out in the open. These are tunneling pests, and they’re good at creating tunnels in wood. Termites also eat wood, so homes provide shelter and sustenance for years unless you remove them.
You’re less likely to see the termites themselves and more likely to see the warning signs instead. These warning signs include bubbling walls, blistered flooring, zig-zagging patterns in wood objects, and wood that sounds hollow.
Devastating Effects: Understanding The Potential Damage Of Termites
As we touched on above, the signs of termite damage are numerous, but these signs are really just the tip of the iceberg. If you start to notice termite warning signs, it doesn’t mean all is lost; it just means you should move quickly.
Why? Because termites can tunnel their way through much of your home over prolonged periods of time, left to their own devices. More importantly, they will tunnel through crucial structural elements of your home that literally hold the building together.
It’s only right to warn homeowners that termite damage on a large scale can amount to substantial structural damage, and repairing this damage can potentially be very costly. Repairs can cost tens of thousands of dollars depending on the home and the extent of the damage.
Identifying and addressing termite problems in your home isn’t just the responsible thing to do; it’s also the most cost-effective thing to do, potentially saving thousands down the line.
Preventing Termite Invasions: Key Strategies
Moving on to how to prevent termites from sticking around and causing the kind of damage we just talked about, try to keep this list of tips in mind:
Reduce moisture in the home, especially near foundations.
Don’t keep firewood near your home.
Trim shrubs and trees near the outer walls of your home so that they’re not making direct contact with the walls.
Make sure that all gutters are draining properly.
Close off small openings in the outer walls of your home, such as those around pipes or electrical conduits.
If you don’t give termites the opportunity to enter your home, they won’t be able to make a meal out of your home’s key support materials.
Professional Termite Control: Long-Term Termite Control And Protection
Professional termite inspections and termite control are the winning combination that can keep your home protected from termites for the long term.
While it’s possible to identify a termite infestation on your own, termite control itself is best left to the home pest control professionals in Charlotte, who are equipped with the equipment, knowledge, and experience that allows them to treat the problem at its source and keep an eye out for signs of a future problem.
You should also consider pest control providers as support for ongoing pest prevention. These are experts, after all, and they’ve seen many, many termite infestations before. They can answer your questions and give you great advice for preventing termite issues.
For termite control near you, get in touch with us here at ProForce Pest Control at your earliest convenience. We’ll happily answer your questions and offer any help you require.