How Often Should You Inspect and Spray for Termites?
There are endless parasites, insects, and rodents that plague homeowners. But among all of them, termites just might be the most harmful.
Termites feed on cellulose and dead plant material, including wood. In the span of a few years, they can destroy a whole house.
What they do is eat at the wooden bearing designs of your home. They hide in walls, especially drywall, and wooden constructions.
The worst of all? If you don’t spray for termites, these silent destroyers will irreparably damage your house before you even know they’re there. By the time you notice what they’ve done, it’ll already be too late.
This is why it’s particularly important to watch out for signs of termite infestation. You must discover and get rid of them early on before they can cause too much destruction.
This article’s here to let you know how often you should have your home inspected and spray for termites. Read on!
Table of Contents
Signs of Termite Infestation
It’s important to be able to recognize when you might have a termite infestation on your hands.
Unfortunately, the little destructive insects can be hard to detect. This is because they will gnaw at the inside of the wood but leave no visible trace on its surface.
What’s more, if they settle in your place, they won’t stop at eating wood, but will also chew through paper materials such as books.
First of all, termites don’t like light. So if they live somewhere, it’ll be in dark corners of your house.
Pay attention to your wooden furniture and constructions. Do you notice tiny holes in them?
You should also watch out for piles of sawdust around your wooden furniture, as it might indicate termite activity.
Get a flashlight, and use it to inspect your wooden structures. Since damage might not be visible outside, you can tap the wood to check if it sounds hollow.
Finally, learn about different types of termites to see which ones might have infested your place.
How Often to Inspect for Termites
Doing regular termite inspections might prove essential in protecting your home. Especially if you’re thinking of purchasing a house, you should have it checked for termites beforehand.
Termite inspections should generally be done once per year by a termite expert.
The good news is, once termite control is performed, you should be rid of them for 6-13 years. Then, stick to the yearly routine inspection to make sure everything’s alright.
How to Spray for Termites
Depending on the source of contamination, different methods might be required. If you have no prior experience with termites, your best bet is to hire experts to do it for you. This will guarantee results and could save your house and furniture.
There are a handful of available methods, using natural and chemical remedies.
One common method involves using termite baits to kill the colonies. Use damp cardboard as bait, and put boric acid on it. Boric acid is a poison to termites.
Place cardboard baits close to possible termite nests, and renew them regularly as you notice the termites eating them.
Get Rid of Termites for Good
While you might want to avoid incurring costs, termites are just too big of a pest to take chances with. As a layman, you risk missing out on crucial details if you try to spray for termites yourself.
Check out our interior section for more tips on how to keep your home pest-free, and to get some great ideas for your decor.