You can do several things as a home owner to help prevent termite infestations including:

  • Stack all firewood, lumber or other wooden items several feet away from your building.
  • Keep all wood supports of porches, patios, decks, or separate buildings more than one foot from contact with your home’s foundations; and use only pressure-treated wood for all construction which contacts the ground. Even treated wood has a limited protection period.
  • Move all wood-containing mulch (even cedar or redwood) and decorative wood chips at least one foot away from your foundation. Sand and stones can be just as attractive an alternative and they discourage pest (including termite) harborage next to your building.
  • Repair any leaking water lines or fixtures, especially if they wet any wooden part(s) of your house. Repair any eaves, downspouts, gables or shingles which allow wooden parts of your house to get wet even occasionally.
  • Monitor moisture levels and take steps to reduce moisture build-up in any crawl spaces.
  • Relocate frequently-watered gardens or flower beds as far away from your home’s perimeter as you can.
  • Change your outdoor lights from “white” bulbs to some yellow or pale amber, especially during the Spring, to reduce attraction of any night-swarming termites near your house.

To learn more about how we can develop a termite management plan best suited to your situation, contact BPC Pest Control today.