Ways You Are Attracting Termites To Your Home
If you or a friend or neighbor has ever had a termite infestation, you know the devastation that a single colony of termites can cause. You want to do everything you can to ensure termites do not wreak havoc on your home or property. Unfortunately, there are things you might be doing that you might not realize are making your home and lawn very attractive to termites.
Here are a few ways you might be unknowingly making your home more attractive to termites.
Improper Drainage Throughout Your Property
Termites are attracted to and thrive in damp environments. Your damp soil, basement, and gutters filled with damp leaves and debris are the ideal spots for termites to set up their colony. Eliminate damp soil and avoid overwatering and changing the grade of your lawn. Fill in any low spots with soil as well.
Clean the gutters on a regular basis, and divert water that is traveling through the gutters away from your home. This will help prevent a damp basement. Determine the cause of your damp basement and make any necessary changes. For example, you may have a leak in the foundation.
Unkempt Wood Piles and Mulch
Depending upon the type of termite on your property, the termite might derive nutrients in the form of cellulose from wood, or the termite might use a wooden log or the wood rafters of your home as a shelter. Whatever type of termite that is on your property, having damp, rotting wood in or around your home can attract termites.
Replace all the wood mulch on your property every spring. Consider switching to an artificial mulch or rocks if there is a termite problem in your area. Store any wood on your property off the ground. Cover the wood with a tarp, or place it inside a shed to keep the wood dry.
Overgrown Trees and Shrubs
Finally, any overgrown trees or shrubs on your property will not only provide an easily accessible meal for termites, but the tree cover will also provide protection. Contact a professional arborist to have your shrubs and trees trimmed on a regular basis. Remove any rotten logs or stumps from your property as well. Termites are naturally drawn to rotten wood and will start a colony inside a rotten log or stump.
From improving the drainage around your home to cleaning your gutters and eliminating rotten wood from your property, there are several things you can do to make your home less attractive to termites. Pest control services can further advise you if you need more information.