Pests of any type can provide significant inconvenience to your home. Termites are especially annoying as they can build nests in and eat away at wooden surfaces in your home. They can truly cause extreme destruction in your home. Continue reading below to learn seven tips to avoid a termite infestation in your home.
1. Avoid Purchasing Wooden Furniture
As mentioned, termites love wood. They eat wood, live in wood through burrowing into it and build nests in wood. Try to use metal or plastic furniture as much as possible in order to avoid termites.
Test your own wooden furniture with a hammer to determine if it sounds hollow. If so, there may already be termites there that need to be removed. You may also hear creaking sounds when utilizing the furniture if there are termites.
2. Keep Water Away from Wood in Your Home
Termites are attracted to wood due to moisture that collects in it. For this reason, try to keep moisture away from wood. Keeping any wooden furniture at least six inches off of the ground will prevent moisture from seeping into the wood.
Not everything in your home can be lifted, however. For this reason, try to simply keep water away from the wooden surfaces. This will help prevent further termite infestations where there is water.
3. Have Regular Termite Inspections
Have professionals come in to perform termite inspections at least once a year. This is especially true if you have wooden furniture, significant wooden features or live in a moisture-prone environment. Inspections can prevent damage by catching the termites before too much damage is done.
Professionals will assist you in learning methods that you can utilize at home to prevent infestations in between inspections. This will help your home be free of these pests as much as possible. Be sure to follow their tips as closely as possible.
4. Have Effective Storage Solutions for Wooden Items
Store wooden items away from cracks that may be on the wall. This includes shoeboxes and other cardboard items. Termites can easily come through these cracks.
Try to store items in cabinets that are made of metal or plastic. Keep them in cemented areas such as the garage to avoid infestations. Have a select space for these items to prevent termites from getting in and destroying these small items.
5. Repair Any Wall Cracks
As mentioned above, termites can easily come through wall cracks. They can actually come through an area where there is open space in your home. For this reason, it is important to repair these open areas and cracks as soon as possible.
Utilize sealant and caulk on open cracks and areas in your home. This is a quick solution that should fix the problem quickly. If not, be ready to replace drywall where necessary.
6. Treat Your Garden and Yard
Be sure to treat your garden and yard, especially if it has just been landscaped. Termites can thrive and live in your yard or garden, waiting to invade your home. It is important to protect your yard from the infestation of termites so they do not get into your home.
Be sure to treat your lawn with the appropriate chemicals to rid it of termites but not harm anyone. This treatment is inexpensive compared to the costs of ridding your home of a termite infestation. Be sure to do this as soon as possible after landscaping.
7. Clean Regularly
Termites are attracted to dirt and dust in your home. This creates an easy opportunity for them to build a nest. The more dirt there is, the more termites are possible.
Try to clean regularly to keep your home safe from future infestations. Perform deep cleaning weekly or bi-weekly, and do routine cleaning tasks daily. Be sure to keep your wooden surfaces as clean and moisture-free as possible when cleaning as well.
Final Thoughts
When you are ready for a termite barrier Brisbane, contact Bennetts Services Brisbane. They can help to prepare your home to avoid a termite infestation, and they can restore your home to good standing after a termite infestation. They are the experts in ridding your home of termites.
Author Bio:
Jim Pulman has extensive knowledge and experience in Home Building, Construction, and Design. He writes articles in his free time and partners with content creators to share his expertise with the online community.