The Many Benefits Of Preventing Termites In Lexington, SC

In South Carolina, we have the most destructive termites in the United States. They're called subterranean termites. They come up from the ground and feed on the inside of the wood in our homes, and they do it without making a detectable sound. When you take steps to prevent these termites from making a meal of your Lexington home, there are many benefits. All of these benefits are connected to your proactive control of termite costs. When termite damage takes you by surprise, it can eat into your equity and eat away at your savings. This can cause a big hit when you get ready to retire. If you don't have savings, termite damage can put an immediate strain on your finances and force you to take out a loan to cover the costs. If you aren't able to take out a loan, it could cause you to have to live in an unsafe home or move out because home insurance rarely covers termite damage. When you're proactive about stopping termites from damaging your home, the benefits are that you don't have all of the difficulties that come from a large and unexpected infestation of wood-destroying insects. Here's how you can keep them out.

Removing Termite Attractants

There are two things that subterranean termites love. If you know what they are, you can make your yard less attractive to termites.

Moisture — Subterranean termites are drawn to moisture. If you have conditions around or inside your home that are causing high amounts of moisture or humidity, worker termites will take notice. Some examples of conditions that cause moisture are:

• Clogged or obstructed gutters
• Damaged downspouts
• Plumbing leaks
• Weeping pipes
• Leaking spigots
• Dense tree canopy
• Leaf piles

Decaying Wood — Subterranean termites feed on wood and they have a preference for decaying wood. If you have any decaying wood in your yard, you could lure these insects in to feed on your home. Some examples of decaying wood are:

• Logs
• Trees
• Brush piles
• Wooden borders around landscaping
• Old fencing
• An old deck

Preventing Access

There are two ways termites will get into your home. Workers will come up from the ground to feed on your home or termite swarmers will look for entry points to get in. You can keep them out by addressing these.

Worker Termite Access

If there are any areas of your home that directly touch the soil, clear the soil away to prevent direct access.
If you have a wood pile next to your home, move it away from your exterior walls.

If you have a pile of cardboard, clothing, or some other material that has cellulose stacked next to your exterior walls, store them inside or away from your home.

Swarmer Termite Access

• Seal holes, gaps and cracks around window and door frames.
• Make sure all your screens are in good working order.
• Seal gaps around pipes and wire conduit.

Detecting Termites

There are several castes in a termite colony. Workers are pale insects that look like worms with legs. Soldiers have large orange heads with black pincers. These two castes stay hidden because they prefer darkness. You're not going to see them unless you're renovating your home or digging up soil. Male and female winged reproductives are black with long white wings. This caste of termites loves the light and can be seen near lights at night or out in the open during the day. Swarms happen in the springtime and they last less than 30 minutes, so they are easy to miss. If you see swarmers, it is likely that you have a mature nest on your property because swarmers don't travel far.

Worker termites rarely expose themselves to the air or to the light. For this reason, they create mud tubes on hard surfaces to get from the soil to the wood of man-made structures. These shelter tubes can be a warning sign of an infestation.

Get Some Help

For more assistance with termite-proofing your home or if you fear you may already have termites, contact the professionals here at The Original Bugman Pest Elimination Inc. Our certified termite control specialists use Termidor®, the number-one termite defense product in the United States to eliminate termites and prevent termite infestations. There is no better way to safeguard your equity. Termidor® is undetectable to termites, so they don't know it when they pass through it. When the product gets on termites, it is transferred from termite to termite as they groom. Bit by bit, it works its way through the entire colony and eventually works to eliminate it. No more colony. No more damage. It's that simple. Reach out to us today to schedule service for your Lexington home and start reaping the benefits.