Are You Struggling To Combat The Termites In Houston?

Whether you have recently moved into a new construction in Houston or treasure living in an older home, you must be aware of termite pests. Depending on the construction materials used for your home and how you maintain your property, you may have termites hiding behind walls or entering your foundation.

Learning a few helpful tips to make your home less inviting to termites is essential to prevent invasion. However, take advantage of the opportunity to obtain professional pest control technicians to provide solutions and termite control.

Can you treat for termites yourself? Due to the nature and small size of termites, it’s easy to miss out on signs that termite are on your Houston property. Because these pests are attracted to moist areas, try to limit overwatering your yard and promptly remove piles of debris like leaves and branches. 

Be careful about keeping plants too close to your home’s foundation and walls, as this could provide cover for termites. When outside, inspect the perimeter of your home for mud tubes. Termites can more easily enter your home if the foundation touches the soil and lacks a natural barrier like gravel or concrete.

This post will discuss common termites in Houston, their behavior, and how to prevent them from damaging your property. Remember, termites are one pest you will not want to struggle to eradicate alone. You’ll find that the most effective termite control solution is by obtaining effective pest control services in Houston.

How Do I Know If My Home Has Termites?

Because termites are small and operate quietly hidden within wood structures, it may be hard to know if you have an infestation. If you know the signs of termites, you can act quickly to treat this pest problem. Your property might have more than one termite colony, which may be newer or older. 

You can expect to experience a termite infestation at some point in Houston. You may encounter the Eastern, drywood, or Formosan subterranean termites on your property. Depending on the termites invading, you may need specific pest control solutions to eliminate them effectively.

Typically, termite swarming season will occur after a colony has established itself, after two or more years. When a swarm of this insect pest is on your property, new mature termite alates will emerge and seek mates. A new king and queen termite will rise and build a new colony of workers, soldiers, and secondary reproductive members.

When there are active swarming termites, it may be easier to determine that you have a potential termite problem. You will likely run into discarded wings, see termite bodies, and discover piles of termite frass. New termite members may congregate around your home's foundation, windows, doors, and areas with damaged wood. Termites typically seek out an easy target, namely wood with water damage or fungi.

If you suspect termites, look for flying termites on your property. When termite season arrives, you will notice swarmers looking to create a new colony. Investigate around doors and windows, especially where there may be outdoor lighting. You may detect termites with wings on your property or discarded wings on windowsills, near screens, or by doorways.

How to tell if you have termites in your walls? You may mistake termite damage for water damage. You may notice small holes the size of a pin in drywall, peeling paint, or bubbling and buckling. Walls may also look discolored and sound hollow when you tap them. Wood flooring may become increasingly noisy or loose: The flooring may also begin to buckle. Look for piles of termite frass, holes in wood, and windows or doors that become harder to open.

It's common for homeowners to miss these signs as termites silently destroy your home's wood structures. It often takes more than a few years for cosmetic damage related to termites to become visible. However, don’t delay contacting Modern Pest Control once you suspect termites. You’ll need a professional termite pest control solution to eliminate termites from your Houston home. 

How can you identify different termites? There are three types of this insect in Houston: 

• Dampwood termites: These are usually considerably larger than other termites. They have a long, oval-shaped body with six legs and are creamy white or brown. These insects are between 1/2 to 5/ 8 inches in length. When they infest wood, the surrounding excavated areas look smooth and sanded. 

• Formosan termites: This is one of the most aggressive and voracious types, as they chow down on the wood and other sources of cellulose, creating chaos. Look for an insect that is about 1/2 inch long, brown or creamy white, and has a narrow body that is oval-shaped and elongated. Be careful, as this termite is often confused for a flying ant.

• Subterranean termites: This species is responsible for creating distinctive mud tubes to protect against exposure to the elements and reach food. They are highly destructive and can quietly make work of a structure, eventually leading to a collapse if left untreated for many years. These pests may be dark brown, creamy white, or black and saw-toothed jaws.

Over time, termite damage can transform from cosmetic to challenging the structural integrity of your home. For the best termite control near you, call Modern Pest Control to apply a safe, eco-friendly product to treat termites on your property.

What Attracts Termite Swarmers To My Home?

Through no fault of yours, termites in Houston will naturally go to select areas of your home for food, moisture, and a safe place to establish a colony. Once an older termite colony has reached its maximum size to support members, new mature termites or alates will emerge to start a new colony.

Areas of your home, like wood decks, staircases, window frames, walls, and structural elements, are all vulnerable to a termite invasion. It helps to have treated construction materials in your home resistant to termites. It's also beneficial to have a pest technician apply termite foam spray and other treatments to exclude this pest.

What attracts termites? There are more than a few reasons why termite swarmers are attracted to your home. First, moisture is appealing to these insect pests. If your home has areas where there is poor drainage, insufficient ventilation, or leaky plumbing, termites will find it more attractive. Subterranean and dampwood termites love humid environments where there is ample moisture. Dampwood termites mainly prefer wood that already has water moisture damage.

To add to problems with this insect pest, termites don't sleep and are not nocturnal. Watch and listen for these attractant signs, such as clicking sounds from walls where there is a termite colony and noticing damaged wood with carved-out areas.

Be cautious about how much and how often you water your yard, putting down mulch and clogged gutters. If you leave piles of damp leaves, twigs, or clippings from landscaping, it might attract a termite colony. Lights on the exterior will draw termites, set motion sensors, or turn the lights down at night. It’s not unusual to see wings from termite swarmers around windows and doors, especially near lighting. Evaluate porch lights, lights on the edges of your lawn or driveway, and any visible light from inside your home’s windows.

Last but not least, termite swarmers love to devour cellulose, which is why they find wood so delectable. However, these pesky bugs will also find alternatives and dine on paper, drywall, and other sources of cellulose to survive. Be careful with keeping cluttered closets, basements, or crawl spaces filled with sources of cellulose. Store cellulose items in airtight containers, keep rooms dry and in good repair, and reduce humidity.

Do what you can to reduce elements in your home and surrounding property that attract termites. Don’t neglect to have your home treated regularly for termites to prevent future infestations. Our Modern Pest Control technicians will treat crevices, cracks, and gaps around fixtures, plumbing, or holes in walls where termites might hide.

Naturally Effective Termite Prevention Tips For Your Property

Knock out troublesome termite pests using simple termite prevention tips to exclude them from your home. Although using prevention methods won’t be enough to eradicate termites or keep them out 100% completely, it will strengthen the effectiveness of a regularly scheduled termite treatment from Modern Pest Control.

Are there any ways to naturally prevent termites around your property? Does vinegar or boric acid work? Try using these three tips to discourage termites from invading your home:

1. Consider using sunlight or UV light to chase out termites: Because these insect pests avoid the sun, hiding within wood structures, they won’t like the exposure. Try placing furniture or other infested items in a place where they will get exposure to direct sunlight. You can try shining UV lights near sites where there are termite colonies. However, because these pests may burrow deeper into structures, the light might not reach them.

2. Borax is a handy solution that may repel termites: Sprinkle the powder in areas where termites are present or spray a diluted solution on termite-infested places. You may also want to apply a bit of diluted borax to wood furniture or any items you build in your home that termites might eat.

3. Try spraying orange essential oil around your home in areas where termites may congregate: Target crawl spaces and attics and apply them to wood structures. Because orange oil contains D-limonene, it is an element that destroys termites on contact. However, the effectiveness of this solution is light to modest at best, but it can help repel the pests.

Many natural solutions only work for a short time and will most likely need to be reapplied more often than a professional termite pest control treatment. Frustration may occur if natural methods don’t eradicate termites or if you must use more significant amounts each time you reapply a solution.

How to get rid of termites? Using natural prevention tips will temporarily relieve a termite problem. Still, the best way to eliminate termites and prevent them from your home and yard is to contact Modern Pest Control. Professional pest control solutions and termite products offer the best protection for your home and family and are the most effective and long-lasting.

Choose from our suggested prevention tips to help reduce the attractiveness of your property to termites. However, the best way to ensure an optimal result is to combine prevention methods and work with our professionals at Modern Pest Control for the ultimate termite control in Houston.

The Stress-Free Way To Total Termite Protection For Your Home

Unfortunately, no over-the-counter products or solutions on the market or DIY solutions effectively eliminate and control termites. They are hard to detect and treat without the help of knowledgeable pest control technicians because of the way they function and build colonies.

Termites could be hiding anywhere and devouring your home’s drywall, damaging flooring, ceilings, and other structures without you noticing for years. Our technicians at Modern Pest Control know what to look for to determine termites on your property and can treat your home with a customized approach. A professional termite baiting system for your home is one of the best options.

How to keep termites away? When you have termite pests and want the most effective termite pest control solution available, contact Modern Pest Control. Since 1952, we have been in the pest control business and are experts at the exclusion and prevention of termites for residential and commercial properties. 

Protect your home and family in Houston, and trust our technicians to administer dependable, long-lasting termite control solutions. We use the Sentricon System to eliminate and deliver continuous protection against termite pests. Reach out today to schedule a free inspection and to learn more about our residential and commercial pest control services in Houston.