What You Need to Know About Pest Control and Termites at Home

To maintain the value of your property, you know you need to perform regular maintenance. This could include giving your house a fresh coat of paint every couple of years and checking the roof shingles regularly for storm damage. Home maintenance should also include checking for any structural damages caused by mould, damp and harsh UV rays.

However, one area many homeowners neglect is pest control. Infestations by pests not only pose a health risk for you and your family living in the home. For many Australian homeowners, termites are also a serious threat to wooden structures on homeowners’ property. This is the type of pest control Albury Wodonga homeowners seriously need to consider when doing regular maintenance on their homes.  

Why Are Termites a Threat to Homeowners?

Termites are insects often confused with ants. These little creatures feed on dead plant matter such as leaves and wood. Termites play a vital role in the ecology of our natural world, but they can also become a serious problem for homeowners.

While termites are found in most natural environments, they can become a threat for homeowners living close to plantations or forests. Termites thrive in timber areas and will devour anything made of wood. This includes wooden structural components of your home such as walls, doors, window frames, cornices and wall skirtings. 

A termite infestation of your home could lead to costly structural damage if not controlled quickly and efficiently. While there are DIY options to managing termites in the home, they’re not suitable for keeping an infestation of these pesky creatures at bay. 

If you notice a colony of termites taking up residence on your property, you’re advised to contact your local pest control company. 

How Can a Pest Control Company Manage a Termite Infestation at Your Home?

A professional pest control company will be well-equipped with the right tools, chemicals and trained technicians to handle a termite infestation of your home. Some of the ways of ridding termites from your home include:

• Chemicals: Commercial-graded chemicals will be applied to both the exterior and interior parts of your home to kill any termites in the area. Boric acid could also be used by being sprayed on the floors and walls of your house.
• Termite baits: These wooden structures are lined with insecticides which will eventually kill the termites feeding on them. Termite baits are placed near homes to attract them and destroy them.

While you could apply chemicals or place termite baits yourself at home, you’re dealing with highly toxic products that kill termites. Hiring a pest control company to manage the process often saves you money and time while keeping your family safe.

A pest control company will perform an inspection of your home and surrounding property to determine the extent of the pest infestation. A technician will carry out this task and write a full report on their findings. Based on the level and location of the termite infestation, the company will develop a treatment plan. A prevention plan should be developed and implemented to prevent further infestations of termites.

Pest control companies can also schedule regular monitoring to ensure that your home is not under threat of termite invasion at any time. This type of inspection determines if any existing or new termite colonies need to be destroyed before threatening the structure of your home. 

Signs of a Termite Infestation

While you may see the occasional termite scurrying around in your garden or even inside your home, this doesn’t necessarily mean you have an infestation. However, the following signs will give you an idea of whether you should be calling in a pest control company or not:

• Hollow sounds: When you tap on any wooden structure in your home and there’s a hollow sound, this could be a sign termites are eating through your wood. You can further confirm this by gently prodding the area with a screwdriver. If the wood gives away this is a clear sign of a termite infestation.
• Soil mounds: If you start to notice soil mounds piling up along the bottom of your walls, particularly along the floor skirtings, then you know you have termites living in the foundation of your home. Mud tubes, made of wood and soil, are also signs of termite activity. These look like straws the size of a pencil.
• Clicking sounds: Soldier termites living inside your walls will often make clicking sounds when they detect any danger to their colony. This clicking sound is caused by them banging their heads on the inside of the wall or shaking their bodies vigorously.

If you have any doubt, it’s always a good idea to call your local pest company to do an inspection. 

Final Thoughts

Safeguarding your home from termite infestation is vital and using a professional pest control company is the best solution. This way you know the problem is being managed effectively and efficiently. Ensure you include pest control inspections as part of your home maintenance plan and have peace of mind your property is safe from termites throughout the year.