Making Your Home Termite-Free with These Great Tips

The joy of being a homeowner can be disrupted by a lot of things that would be your responsibility to fix. True, you finally get your own place, without having to deal with the annoying landlord or pay the rent every month. But you also have to take care of every little problem, from leaking pipes to broken windows. It is your place, and you’re the one that has to fix any malfunction. Yet, that’s not the worst part; the most annoying challenge you’ll face is having termites. Those pesky little creatures can really make your life miserable, but the good news is you can take care of the problem and be termite-free by following some simple tips.

Fix leaking water 

Pests in general really like moisture, and they love hanging around damp places. Termites are no exception to that rule, and they always go for places where there is a constant water flow. This is why you need to fix any leaks you have around the place as soon as possible. Whether it’s a leaking pipe under the sink or a dripping shower/tap, take care of it before you end up having legions of termites. 

Drainage issues 

Speaking of water, you also need to ensure that your drainage is really working well. Having clogged or leaking drainage can cause some serious problems because, as mentioned earlier, termites gather around water sources. So, ensure that your bathroom, kitchen, and any other location with a drain in your place is working properly. 

Get less wooden furniture

Probably the only thing termites love more than water is wood. This is why you should get as few wooden furniture pieces as possible. What termites do is burrow inside those pieces, and they even sometimes create nests on the inside. They generally lurk around wooden structures and feed on them, costing people billions of dollars around the world. So, if you can, get plastic and metal chairs as well as tables to leave little room for termites to infest your place. 

Regularly check any wooden items in your place

As mentioned earlier, termites love wood, so you need to regularly check any wooden items you have in your house to be sure you are termite-free. This will help you find out if you have a termite problem or not, and in turn, fix it as soon as possible instead of letting it fester. You also need to properly store wooden items and cardboard boxes. You can’t just leave them hanging around next to walls, which probably have cracks. They should be stored in dedicated compartments, plastic or metal ones, in your garage –– away from any potential termites. 

Take preventive measures 

Most people will wait around until the damage is already done before calling pest control. By then, the termites will have wreaked havoc around your place, and you will end up losing a lot of money, which could’ve been easily avoided. You can call professionals offering a service for termites where they can provide you with preventive measures to stop any possible infestation of termites, now and in the future. There are treatment methods out there that ensure that any possible infestation can be eradicated, or even stopped before it begins, and you need that kind of measure. 

Take care of your plants

Termites are also attracted to plants and outdoor bush, which does make sense since these usually contain a lot of water and are often moist. You need to take care of those plants and regularly check them for pests. If you found out that your plants are causing a termite infestation, it might be a good idea to consider getting rid of some of them. 

Fix walls and any possible entry points 

Speaking of cracks, you should regularly fix any cracks or holes around your place, because this is where termites can find their way in. This starts by identifying those possible entry points and then getting the best contractors out there to permanently seal those holes and cracks for you, which will make life much more complicated for termites who want to invade your house. 

Keep a clean termite-free space 

Pests in general love unclean locations where there’s a lot of dirt and dampness. You should maintain a clean place as much as possible to avoid having to deal with that problem and make sure there isn’t any clutter lying around as insects look for warm and dark places as well.

Making your home termite-free is a lot of effort, but it is definitely worth it. Having an infestation not only costs you a lot of money but also makes your life miserable and wastes a lot of time. So, make sure to follow those preventive measures so you could live in a pest-free environment.