Termite Control

How do they get in?

The most serious threat your home may face.

Once termites have discovered your home, they will search it for food --- wood fiber. They will squeeze through cracks as narrow as the thickness of a sheet of paper. Expansion joints, foundation cracks, tiny gaps around plumbing and electrical service entries are all opportunities for termites to enter your home. In homes with basements, they can enter where the floors and walls meet, and through small openings in the walls themselves.

The first thing to do is to make your home a poor candidate for infestation. In general, the goal is to reduce moisture and organic matter around your home, and to prevent wood fiber from making contact with the ground.

• Don't affix wooden trellises to exterior walls.
• Keep mulch, wood debris, scrap lumber, sawdust, and firewood away from buildings.
• Don't bury wood debris near your home.
• Remove infested trees and stumps.
• Repair leaking faucets and water lines, both indoor and outdoors.
• Fix leaky roofs and gutters.
• Don't allow leaves to accumulate in gutters or drains.
• Grade soil so that water (including air condensate) runds away from foundations.
• Ventilate crawl spaces and attics to reduce humidity.
• Cover at least 90% of the soil in crawl spaces with plastic sheeting
• Make sure wood siding, stucco, and foam board are at least six inches away from the ground.