The Best Termite Control For Houston, TX Properties
Owning a home comes with its fair share of challenges. One challenge many homeowners face is termites. These intrusive wood-eating bugs regularly establish nests around properties and cause extensive damage to structures. They are also incredibly difficult to identify. Thankfully, with a little bit of knowledge, you can effectively protect your Houston, TX home from these pests.
Why Termites Invade Properties
There are a few reasons why termites might decide to build their nest on a property. The main thing that draws these pests in is available sources of cellulose. If you didn’t know, cellulose is found in organic materials like wood and leaves. Subterranean termites, the most common and destructive species in Houston, consume water-damaged, rotting, and decaying wood. Some things that will draw these pests to your property, fast, are wet cardboard, fallen trees, decaying stumps, leaf piles, untreated lumber, and other forms of organic debris. From here, termites will look to your home for edible sources in its foundation. This is typically where problems begin.
The Destructive Nature Of Termites
Termites are incredibly destructive insects. One thing that makes them more destructive than other wood-destroying insects is that they never sleep. Termites work their entire lives gathering wood, reproducing, and expanding their colonies. To make things worse, termites do not crawl through living areas. This might seem like a good thing, but it makes identifying these pests difficult. Most often, termites are not discovered inside homes until the damage they cause becomes noticeable. If your home has an active infestation, you might notice structural problems like overly squeaky floors and stairs, tight-fitting doors and windows, and water damage along walls, floors, and ceilings.
How Termites Get Into Homes
Invading homes without being seen is what termites are best at. Invasion usually starts with these pests digging tunnels up to the exterior of structures. From here, these pests look for gaps and cracks in foundational blocks that will allow them a safe passage upwards. If no cracks or gaps are available, termites build mud tubes. Once they reach structural wood, these pests chew their way inside.
Once or twice a year, fully mature colonies of termites create what are called swarmers. These winged reproductive members fly around properties and look for good places to build nests. Finding these pests on the outside of your home is a good indication that your property is at risk. Finding them inside your home is even worse as it probably means your home is already infested with termites.
Some DIY Prevention Tips For Termites
To keep termites from damaging your Houston home, put prevention in place, now. If you have some time on your hands, here are some great DIY exclusion tips that may help.
Seal holes, gaps, and cracks in your home’s exterior foundation using a caulking gun or some liquid cement.
Repair damage to window/door screens, weatherstripping, and door sweeps.
Remove untreated lumber, cardboard, newspapers, leaf piles, sticks, and other cellulose-rich items from your property.
Eliminate sources of water build-up in and around your home.
Use a dehumidifier indoors to keep humidity levels down.
Fix leaky piping and fixtures inside your home.
The Only Way To Effectively Control Termites
DIY is a great way to deter termites, but it is not a guaranteed solution. The only way to make sure these pests stay away from your Houston property is to invest in high-quality pest control. At Modern Pest Control, we offer thorough inspections and advanced treatments to deal with destructive termites. Do not hesitate to invite one of our licensed technicians over to your property. They will check things over, assess your risk, and give you a clear path to a termite-free property.