The Best Guide To Termite Control Using Borax

There are three main forms of termites: drywood, dampwood and subterranean. Each kind of termite colony includes workers (who consume your house), soldiers (who defend other people from predators such as ants) and swarmers (flyers who locate new areas to colonize). Although you dont generally see termites unless theyre swarming (flying), its great to know how to identify them, Wilson states.

Drywood termites commonly have a brown body with a red head. Swarmers have absolute, tan wings but there are color variations. Workers are light, tan and look like maggots, with no wings.

Dampwood termites are similar to drywood termites, often with a tan or brown body and absolute wings. These workers also resemble maggots.

Subterranean termites are somewhat smaller than their above-ground brethren with black bodies and utter wings for the flyers. The workers are smaller, white and maggot-like.

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Drywood termites are partial to dry, nondecayed wood and often end up in attics, flooring boards and window frames.

Dampwood termites like decaying wood or timber that's rich with moisture. They often attack wood that's making contact with the ground and are found in regions with high rainfall or humidity.

Subterranean termites will consume soft (moisture-rich) wood and drywood, however they initially make contact with your home through the ground.

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Drywood and dampwood termites enter your home through small cracks, often around window frames through cracks in the home. Be sure to check around windows regularly and reapply caulk when it begins to show signs of age and cracking. Swarmers shed their wings and float into the wood. Cracks in paint are another easy access point for termites.

Be mindful of maintaining your outside paint. As an example, when you hammer up Christmas lights then take the nails out, you leave behind small holes and produce an open doorway for a termite colony. .

Subterranean termites often burrow into cracks in the homes foundation. In regions such as the San Francisco Bay Area, many homes have increased foundations, Wilson says. Termites build mud tubes up to the bottom floor, often along articles. But even in the absence of articles, Wilson says, mud tubes can extend from the ground up through thin air to connect with the bottom of the home. .

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So what do you do if Homepage you find a termite in your home If you see one shed wing or one termite flying by, it doesnt mean you have an infestation. But if you find a group of wings or any of the other warning signs noted above, its best to find a professional inspection.

Termites are in fact easy to kill, Wilson says, but you need a termiticide to perform it. Unfortunately, superior pesticides are not available to the public. Most home stores sell termite spray, but these are watered down to meet public security specifications, so theyre not as successful.

In case you have an infestation that is isolated to one part of your home, say the door trim, you can substitute the trimming, Wilson states. But if you've got a full-on termite infestation, you need a larger scale treatment.

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Subterranean termites have to be cut off from the house at the ground. Pacific Coast Termites creates a chemical barrier between any regions of grime and the home, as well as around the entire house. It acts as over at this website a shield the termites cant break through.

Drywood and dampwood termites can be killed with a wood treatment product like XT2000 Orange Oil, which can be injected under pressure into the timber through ink-pen-sized holes. This product saturates the wood and will prevent future infestations. Treating a moderate infestation this way takes approximately four to six hours.

Homes which are exceptionally infested (you can see termites everywhere) can require fumigation. Either a huge tent is placed over your house, or all the doors and windows are sealed, and the home is gassed with pesticide that can kill each of the termites. This process can take anywhere from six hours to one week, depending on the type of infestation.

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Apply a good, quality coating of exterior paint on your house, since termites wont consume through paint. Ensure that all windows, doorframes and foundation openings are caulked and sealed. Dont staple or nail up Christmas lights then yank them down. The tiny holes create termite homes. Instead, either leave the nails in the pockets year-round or fill out the holes when you eliminate the nails. .

Quickly solve any plumbing leaks, standing water on your roof or other issues involving decaying wood. Provide appropriate ventilation under your raised home to maintain that region dry. Subterranean termites love wetness.