Tips To Avoid Termites In Colorado

Termites cost United States home and business owners billions of dollars each year. And they do it silently, under the radar, usually without anyone having a clue that they are literally being eaten out of house and home. Let's take a look at some of the damage termites cause, examine some steps you can take to prevent a termite infestation, and explore the best ways to protect your home from termites.

Early Signs Of Termites

While the signs of termite damage are obvious after many years of termites eating away at a structure, early signs are not quite so obvious. Here's what you should look for:

• Swarms of winged reproductives: Termite colonies, once they are established, will send out reproductives, or termite swarmers, to start new colonies. These swarms only last a brief half an hour or so before disappearing again into another spot. If a swarm has come and gone, you may see their transparent, shed wings in places such as windowsills or a back deck.
• Mud tubes: Unless they are swarmers, termites can't fly to reach your home. They have to crawl. Since they live in the soil and can't be exposed to the elements, they build mud tubes from the soil to the wood of the structure. You may find these tubes on basement or foundation walls.
• Damage in a moist shady spot: You may be able to spot termite damage on the outside of your home in a spot that never sees the sun and remains moist. The damage will look like your home was attacked by a number of carving knives.
• Termite evidence outside your home: Finding this first may allow you to prevent termites from actually reaching your home. If you see winged reproductives walking around on a log, tree, or outbuilding, or if you see termite damage to wood in your yard, then termites are close, if not already in your home.

Damages Caused By Termites Can Be Severe

If termites are allowed to do their silent destruction year after year, then their presence will become more apparent.

• Ceilings, floors and walls: If termite damage is extensive, it can make a structure look like it was damaged by water. The surface of ceilings, floors, and walls may look swollen or bumpy. Ceilings may sag and floors may develop a noticeable slope. This occurs when structural supports are weakened.
• Doors and windows: Because of the weakening of the support of the structure, and the subsequent sagging, doors may begin to stick or not close properly. The same can be said for windows. A window may refuse to open or, once opened, refuse to close.
• Mazes inside walls: If a wall is torn out, it may become abundantly clear that termites have been eating away for years. If the wood should be solid but is porous and has troughs and channels, termites have been there.

Tips To Avoiding Termite Destruction 

• Keep mulch at least 2 feet from the perimeter of your home, or replace it with crushed rock.
• Keep firewood up off the ground and well away from your exterior walls.
• Trim back bushes and other vegetation so that there is a space between them and your outside walls.
• Keep yardsticks and other yard waste picked up.
• Make sure all gutters are clear of obstructions as water damaged wood is attractive to termites.
• Repair any leaks in roofs, including deck roofs.
• Check for leaky spigots and fix as needed.
• Make sure there is no water collecting near your basement walls.
• Sign up for termite control with EnviroPest!

EnviroPest Offers Effective Termite Control In Colorado Springs, Denver, Boulder & NoCo

If you are seeing the signs of termites, EnviroPest can help with:

• A liquid treatment: A liquid termiticide is applied in an underground curtain around your property. When termites walk through this curtain and they unknowingly take the liquid back to the rest of their colony, with the potential to kill the colony.
• Monitoring and bait system: The Trelona® ATBS  is a network of bait stations, which are placed around a home or business to actively combat termites. When worker termites feed on bait from a station, they take it back to the colony. Since it is a slow-acting poison, it gets all the way to the queen. When the queen dies, the colony dies.

Don't take chances with your equity. Reach out to EnviroPest today for prompt, friendly assistance.

View Termite Protection

Related Termite Articles