About Termite Control Procedure

Mud tubesUnlike ants, termites do not ramble around on the ground surface or outside in the open. They'll either tunnel through the soil or into timber (or other material) or else traveling inside pencil-size (or larger)"mud tubes" that they assemble from dirt, wood contaminants and other materials. You'll find these tubes on foundation walls, floor joists or different areas of the home.

Break open the tubes to see if termites are still busy. An empty tube doesn't necessarily mean that termites are gone; they may have just abandoned this specific tunnel. Termites often rebuild damaged tubes, and it is another indication of current activity. 'Old' tubes are sterile and crumble easily, leaving behind"etching" on the surface which may be observable for decades (an indication that a home had termite activity at any time).

Tubes that are found on ceilings or on upper levels of a building may indicate that you have an aboveground ("airborne") infestation, i.e., the termite colony really resides in the building and the termites are traveling up from the soil. Mud tubes built by an aboveground colony normally contain substances other than dirt, e.g., wood and sheet rock or whatever the termites are feeding on.

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In such situations, a thorough inspection may necessitate removal of siding or interior wallboards, etc.. More importantly for you, these aboveground infestations cannot be controlled using the usual soil treatment (see below) and are generally excluded by a termite contract warranty. In such situations, finding and correcting the moisture problem is the very first step to eliminating the termites. .

We tend to think about termites as feeding/injuring wood only. Termites really feed on almost anything which contains cellulose, the main component of wood, including wood paneling, paper products, cardboard boxes, art canvases, the newspaper covering of sheet rock, carpeting, etc.. While foraging and feeding, they could tunnel website link through non-cellulosic materials, such as plastic and foamboard.

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In reality, the amount of harm that termites cause depends on many factors. In areas with cold winter temperatures, termite activity (and feeding) often declines, but does not necessarily cease. If the termites are well-protected from colder temperatures (e.g., underneath a slab), then action might continue year-round. From a practical perspective, serious termite damage usually takes about 3-8 years. .

There's absolutely no accurate method for determining the age of recently discovered damage. You need some reference point, i.e., some point in time when it was known there was no harm to this particular wood. That is one reason why annual inspections (and keeping your records of those inspections) are important. .

NOTE: These inspections are not a guarantee that you do not have termites or harm in areas that http://www.innovativepestcontrol.com.au/ are not covered or not easily seen, such as inside walls. On the other hand, the inspections can reveal conditions that may imply that harm does exist and further investigation is needed.

In case you have a termite protection contract, contact the pest control company immediately and arrange for them to check out the issue. If you do not own a termite contract, call 2-3 (or more) companies and have every one inspect your home and provide you with the specifics of their findings and any recommendations for a plan of action to correct any termite problems they found.

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Termites do not cause significant harm in a brief period of time, so spending a couple of added days or even a couple weeks will not make any real difference in terms just how much damage happens. .

Is there harm that should be repaired or examined by visit this page a contractor or engineer before control measures are performed

Simply spraying swarmers or the surface of available infested wood may kill the termites that you see now, but it does not block the infestation nor does it protect your home from future attacks . The most common type of termite treatment involves a"trench and cure" where a liquid insecticide ("termiticide") is applied to the soil surrounding critical areas of your house.

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The soil is trenched 6" deep and about 4-6" wide. For houses with crawlspaces, the soil along the interior foundation wall must be treated at least within 4 ft of identified signs of termite activity. In some circumstances, the soil around supports (such as piers) underneath the home are also treated.

When implemented correctly, this treatment forms a continuous chemical barrier that should prevent termites from reaching the foundation and piers in your residence. .

Concrete slabs which attach to the house, as an instance, a garage floor, or the slab of an earth-filled porch.