Termites may be small, but there’s strength in numbers – a single subterranean termite colony can contain millions of workers and span multiple properties. Because subterranean termites spend most of their time underground, many homeowners are blissfully unaware until swarming termites appear inside, which means the damage may already be done. Prevention is key to avoiding termite infestation and the costly aftermath. Here’s how you might be unwittingly inviting termites to your Massachusetts home.
Wood piles: Wood is a termite’s primary food source. If wood is kept close to your home, termites can quickly move from the piles outside to happily chewing away inside. Keep woodpiles away from the home and preferably off the ground.
Dead trees and stumps: Damp, rotting, or dead trees and stumps are ideal meals for termites. Be sure to clear these from your yard.
Moisture: Gutters clogged with leaves and twigs can help termites gain access to your home. Leaky plumbing, inside or out, provides critical water sources to sustain termites.
Tree limbs and leaves: Foliage that touches your home, particularly around the roof line, act as a highway from the ground to the indoors.
Direct access: Cracks and crevices in foundation, openings around doors and windows, and gaps around pipes and utility chases provide easy access for termites. They don’t need much – an opening of about 1/32nd of an inch is enough.
Although these items may seem simple enough to fix, termite control is not a do-it-yourself project. By using over-the-counter products or destroying mud tubes, you can make it harder to eliminate the colony, even for professionals. Combine your own efforts with that of an experienced termite control company like Burgess Pest. An estimate is always free, so forget the guess work (and the stress) and leave it to our termite experts.
