If termites are blind and shun light just how do they find their way into your home? I mean they live under ground and can’t follow already made pathways but actually have to make tunnels in which to move. Soil particle by soil particle they span out and as if by random and they still find wood to eat. Wood has no odor that attracts them (termites don’t have a nose either) but still homes across America get infested with termites every year to the tune of billions of dollars in treatment and repair costs. There is some research going on right now that suggests termite foraging is not so random and is in fact quite deliberate. While that has yet to come to a full conclusion I can tell you that there are three main reasons that termites will latch onto a structure and blindly or not they’ll search out and eat every fiber of wood they can get their teeth into.

A lot of research is being done right now to find out how they find our homes, the research so far suggests that termite foraging is not random and very purposely. While scientists find the answers, I can give you a breakdown on the three things that cause this.

This is why when a search party of termites find a ready made source of water they make full use of it and that area may be searched out far more than say an area of dryer soils. As homeowners we unwittingly supply termites with oasis’s just like this and give them every reason to find a way into our home. Leaky gutters, dripping spigots or hoses are very obvious and easy fixes but often go unchecked. Sprinklers improperly aimed or over watering of shrubs or poor landscaping and drainage can all contribute but the #1 supplier of moisture I find is the a/c drip line. While the items listed above don’t help they are usually not an everyday thing because sprinklers might be set for 3 times per week and gutters need rain to leak. Leaky spigots can be constant and that’s not good but not every home has this. All homes have air conditioners and during the summer the a/c kicks on many times a day. Each time it does it creates water in the air handling unit and that h2o is funneled outside via pvc pipe. The flow is sometimes substantial but more importantly constant. Same place, close to the same amount and like I said many times per day. This area of discharge is almost always wet and doesn’t have time to dry in between the units down time. Once termites find this moisture source it is sure to be explored fully and this is why this area is one of the three most conducive conditions for termite invasion.

The way to a termites heart is through its belly. Give him food and he’ll LOVE your home. For the same reasons termites search out moisture they’ll also exploit any wood to ground contact. The reason is that wood soaks up moisture and since they need that and get a free meal what’s not to like? It’s also easy to bridge the gap from their subterranean world to above ground as it provides a ready made defense for them as they move, eat and search right there in the protection of the wood. Wood to ground can take all sorts of forms. Deck posts buried in the soil, wood strips that separate expansion joints in sidewalks or patios, siding below grade or wood piles stored right next to and even touching the home. The most common thing I see that encourages termite invasion is siding at or below grade and wood piles or debris on or near the home. Both give the cover the termites need, hold the moisture and quite often go undisturbed for years letting the termites have free reign. Siding at or below grade and wood piles near the home are the 2nd and 3rd most conducive conditions to termite invasion.

Moving your siding to above grade and wood piles and debris away from the home will also help prevent them, when left alone these things can give termite free reign and an all you can eat buffet. You may want to move the wood to a place where it’s off the ground, for added security and peace of mind.

These very easy and simple steps can prevent a world of headaches, but is not a 100 percent guarantee that you will not get termites. Just taking the time to remove and/or fix these conducive attractants can eliminate the 3 most efficient ways these little buggers invade our homes.

Termite Swarmers and Termite Swarm Castles

A home is never in a good place if termite damage is found. You will also find out as an unpleasant surprise that if it is discovered during a home inspection for possible sell that it can have a disastrous affect on the selling price and/or transaction. This is true even if the seller agrees to take care of the issue.

Of course it’s good that the seller can pay to have the termite problem treated, which can usually cost round $1,000 or so. Regardless the termites will be gone, it’s important to wonder about the damage to the structure. In the more severe instances, harm to the foundation can cost up to 50 times the cost of the treatment. The very last thing you want is to move into a house that you understand has been handled for termites, only to discover the foundation to be in very bad shape.

If any kind of harm was done to the wood structure of the home, chances are you’ll must get fast repairs. Whereas some damage could also be seen, there are other varieties of injury which will seem invisible to the bare eye. To search out just how bad the harm is, carpets and rugs will have to be lifted, furniture and home equipment moved, partitions and ceilings will must be opened, and even some forms of excavation could also be needed. This is the one strategy to inform the extent of the damages, particularly in instances of termites. If you do not examine each area of the home, you possibly can be moving into a house that has extreme structural injury – which may cost you 1000′s to repair.

There may be latent damage present as well. To find out this, you”ll must have invasive and destructive testing carried out on your house, which will be performed by certified contractors and specialists. This may help to find out the extent of the damage and the price of any wanted repairs. This can be very expensive nonetheless, though it is the one strategy to discover and repair any latent damage.

Destructive and invasive testing can cost you an arm and a leg, although you”ll need to have it completed if you happen to suspect termites or know for a proven fact that the home was handled for them. To protect yourself, it is best to at all times get a treatment and repair history before you purchase the home. In case you are renting the house, you”ll want get written documentation from the specialist that details the injury to the house and price of repairs.

Before you buy a home, you must at all times have it checked for termites. There are a whole lot of termite inspection corporations on the market, many of which go above and beyond to check the home for any type of termite damage. You do not wish to purchase a home solely to find out that it has been infested with termites. You probably have the proper inspections performed prior to you making the purchase, you”ll know for a incontrovertible fact that you do not have to fret about termites or termite damage.

If your house does have an inspection done and no termite damage is found then make sure this is documented. It can prove handy later on if termite damage is found.If you do decide to purchase a home that had prior termite damage then make sure it has been remedied properly and that the structure is ok.

Next, being that you are more informed concerning termite treatment proceed to Gets Rids Of Termite. Most people resist this simply because they don’t know the facts. Surf to Sign Of Termite page for even more information.

Owning a home puts a big responsibility on your shoulders and one such responsibility that has to be shouldered has to do with using the right termite treatment. Fortunately, there are many good options that you can pick and choose from. Unfortunately, unless you know which options are good for your home, you could easily end up using an option that can spell disaster for your home. It therefore makes sense to take some time to identify suitable alternatives and then after researching the facts, you will be in a stronger position to make a more informed decision.

Every home is different and unique and so requires a special and even customized termite treatment solution. To know how you should treat your home, it is important to consult a specialist with whom you can work together and create a suitable plan. It is also important for you to ask for a termite activity report which is also referred to as wood destroying organisms inspections report.

Applying liquids is one alternative that is worth considering. Liquid applications with bait and monitoring systems can provide good results. All that is required is to apply the liquid at strategic places and then it is just a matter of waiting for the problem to be solved.

When it concerns applying liquid solutions, you must know how to choose the best and also how to pick from several different options. Prior to 2002, there was just one single technique that was widely applied but in the recent past repellants is being made use of as too are the more modern non repellants. So, it pays to know how to use these two different options and how they differ from each other.

If you want to stick to conventional termite treatment then there are many options available as well, with some of these options being those that have been used for over fifty years. Such treatments will succeed in removing all subterranean termites from a home.

Wood treatment is another solution and is particularly effective and also odorless and will prevent further infestations in the woodwork in a home.

You may also want to check out solutions for entire structures and if there is colony present, then you will want to try out fumigation which requires using a tent that has to envelop your home. Next, some gas is pumped into the home that will spread out and reach into crevices and cracks and there will help rid any colonies.

Next, are you ready to do something about your issue? Go to an online Get Rid Of Flying Termites resource. You can also find good data on Termites And Ants there.

Many times termite problems are caused by poor decisions. There are things that are done that actually can invite termites into your home to cause the damage that they do. Avoid doing these things and you can help prevent potential termite problems.

One of the many mistakes made with termites is removing the stump or tree that the termites are currently infecting. It seems logical enough that removing the tree would get rid of the termites. What happens in reality is that the termites will find their food source gone and move to the next location which very likely is your home or deck. It’s best to kill them first before removing the stump or tree.

A common mistake is stacking wood next to the home. In wintry months it’s nice to have wood easy accessible outside the back or side door. This wood against the house is an easy food source for termites. As they feast on the wood pile, then will eventually move to your home.

Don’t let any wood structures like your deck or stairs leading up to the house touch the ground. Your home is on a foundation so it avoids this problem. Many times people put the wooden deck, sheds, or stairs on the ground making it an easy target for termites. Once they get into your deck they will ruin it and have easy access to damaging your home. Using a sand barrier or even concrete will help protect your wooden structures.

If you think you have a termite problem, you need to take action right now. The better option is to get a real termite inspection from a good pest control company. You will find out if you really have a problem or not. Another option is to use termite stakes. These can be placed around the yard. If termites come in contact with these stakes they will pop up letting you know that there is a termite problem in your yard.

If you want extra termite protection consider using spectracide termite stakes. For mice problems use the Victor Electronic Mouse Trap.