Do you have a pet or pets that occasionally damage your home? Some pets can damage carpets, scratch walls, or even tear apart furniture with their teeth. Of course, because we love them, we forgive our pets for these things and do our best to train them to be less destructive. Having termites in your home is a lot like having pets you don’t love, and rarely see. The only difference between termites and your beloved pets is that you can’t train them to stop destroying your home. With termite season here, you need some tips and tricks to keep your home termite-free. Here is our Boca Raton homeowners' guide to termite season.
Termite Swarmers
One thing that marks the start of termite season, is swarmers. These small-winged reproductive termites are produced from fully mature colonies and given the job of flying out and establishing new nests to call home. Most often new termite colonies are started near a suitable source of food. For termites, this is any piece or structure of wood that has been softened by water damage, rot, or decay. If your home or any outbuildings have been affected in this way, they could be at risk of a termite infestation this termite season.
One thing you should know about termite swarmers is that they drop their wings after swarming, as these big extremities make digging and tunneling difficult.
What Seeing Termite Swarmers Means For Your Home
There are two places you are likely to see termite swarmers, inside your home and around your home. One of these is a much worse sign than the other. Spotting swarmers outside your home is only an indicator that there is a fully mature colony somewhere nearby. This colony could be 30 feet away from your home or a mile away. Spotting termite swarmers or their discarded wings inside, on the other hand, is usually a clear indication of a present infestation within your home. Sometimes swarmers produced from nearby colonies will crawl through holes chewed through the walls of homes to get inside.
The Extent Of Termite Damage
Termites do not damage homes fast, but they can be extremely destructive given enough time. Unfortunately, termites are silent destroyers and often go undetected for years before being discovered. Swarmers found within a home are sometimes the first sign of a problem. With enough time, other clear indications of a termite infestation can present themselves such as bubbling wallpaper, overly squeaky floorboards, dipping ceilings, buckling walls, and other damage related to termites hollowing out the structural wood of a home.
Prevention Tips For A Termite-Free Home
If you have not seen any swarmers inside your home, and suspect that you do not currently have an active termite infestation, the following tips are for you.
Seal up gaps and cracks in your home’s exterior foundation.
Do not use wood-based mulch anywhere near your home’s exterior.
Keep your yard clear of leaf piles, wood debris, and other paper/wood-based products such as cardboard.
Repair leaks and eliminate sources of water build-up in and around your home.
Fix broken gutters.
Use dehumidifiers to keep your home dry.
Make sure there is a non-wood barrier between the exterior soil and the wood of your home.
The Best Form Of Termite Prevention
Whether you are looking for a way to get termites out of your home or for a way to keep them out, we have solutions here at Pest-Aside. Our termite control is designed to eliminate current termite infestations and also create a lasting barrier to effectively deter future termite problems.
Reach out to us today to find out more about our services or to schedule a quality inspection for your Boca Raton property.