When you own your own home or business, there are many factors to consider if you hope to protect your equity. You may purchase flood insurance if you're in a flood zone. You may purchase fire insurance, though you may never have a fire break out. You meticulously care for your property so that it doesn't get run down from age or weather. These are prudent measures.
While we can't say that Eastern subterranean termites will ever damage your home, we know for sure that they can, and that it is prudent to maintain your property in a way that deters termites and prevents damage. Let's take a moment to consider termite pest control in Manchester and how pest maintenance, inspections, and control methods can keep termites out of your home.
Signs Of Subterranean Termites On Your Manchester Property
The first, and easiest, step you can take to guard your property is to know the termite warning signs. Subterranean termites don't total a structure overnight. It takes time. Routine termite inspections can catch problems early and allow you to react early. Here are some things to keep watch for and some challenges of which you should be aware:
- Swarmers - These are winged termites. They are dark in color and have long wings. When they appear in your yard, they are a sign of a nearby nest. When they appear in your home, they are a sign of a severe infestation. It is definitely not good to have a termite swarm in your house. Swarms only last for a few minutes and are easy to miss. This makes exterior swarms difficult to detect.
- Shelter tubes - Worker termites may build mud structures to go from the ground to the wood in your home. These are often hidden from view because workers prefer to create them in dark, damp areas.
- Worker termites - You may see tiny worker termites in your yard. They could be under a dead branch or some other wood source. These termites are only ⅛ of an inch long and they disappear from view quickly.
- Damage - If you inspect your home, you may find termite damage near soil, or in dark spaces. Most of the damage termites do is hidden inside the wood they feed on.
If you're diligent, you may be able to detect these termites early but, as you can see, this can be difficult. Subterranean termites are sneaky insects by nature. This is why many property owners have annual inspections performed by a licensed pest management professional. A professional is trained to find the slightest clues and is equipped with tools to make it much easier to find these clues.
Why It Is So Hard To Get Rid Of Subterranean Termites
Another factor to consider is what response you should have to termites on your property. When active termites are discovered, there are many ways you might deal with the problem. But you should know that these pests will make your job difficult. They have behavior patterns that guard them against threats.
- Subterranean termites hide in wood and soil. This prevents topical treatments, such as insect sprays, from working.
- Termites groom each other. This allows workers to detect dangerous chemicals as they meet up with each other. When they do, they avoid the area where these chemicals are found. Termite products need to be undetectable to termites in order to work.
- Workers go where abundant food is easily found. Some property owners put a source of termite food on their property to draw termites away from structures, but this only works to increase the termite colony population.
Pest management professionals use products that have a track record of success, and they deploy these products according to strict manufacturer's standards. Once these products are in place, a professional will monitor your property to make sure these products are getting the job done.
How Do Subterranean Termites Get Into Homes?
This is an important question. If you know the answer, there are things you can do to protect your property.
- Subterranean termites can come up through wood that enters the soil. Put wooden deck posts on concrete to prevent direct access.
- Subterranean termites create shelter tubes up foundation walls and other surfaces. Remove these tubes when you find them and monitor the areas to see if new tubes are created.
- Subterranean termites love crawlspaces. A crawlspace encapsulation can keep termites out and reduce moisture problems that attract termites.
When you roll your sleeves up and make alterations, you can achieve a level of termite control. If you also support this effort with routine inspections, you lower your chances of having termite damage. But this alone may not be enough, and doing your own termite prevention does not come with a termite damage warranty, such as what is provided by a professional.
Who To Call About Subterranean Termites
If you own property in Manchester, we hope you'll consider EcoChoice Termite & Pest Control, LLC for your termite pest control. We use the most trusted termite control products to treat structures and guard structures from damage. These products work 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, day and night to eliminate termites that come to attack your property. Reach out to us today to find out what termite control strategy will work best for you. This is the best way to get rid of termites in Manchester.