Termite Awareness Week: What Evansville Property Owners Need To Know

The only way to avoid termite damage is to be on the lookout for early signs of their activity. This week is Termite Awareness Week, the key time of year to educate yourself on termite behavior and how you can prevent it on your property.

What To Know About Termite Awareness

Termite Awareness Week falls on the first full week before spring, just before termites become more active as the weather warms. The termite activity to really watch out for is the swarmers, or alates, the reproductive members of termite colonies that emerge during the spring to form new colonies. These flying insects are the only kind of termites that have wings, and they use them to fly far and wide in search of areas where a new population will thrive. Human properties provide easy targets because they can form their colonies in the soil outside and then build toward the wooden exteriors that provide termites with all the sustenance they require. That’s why now is the time to make sure you know all you can about termite activity, so you can avoid the worst damage they can cause.

The Extent Of Termite Damage

As wood-boring insects, termites are far more hazardous than some of the other common insects that invade our yards and homes. They cause millions of dollars of damage per year, in the U.S. alone. Aside from the termite swarmers, you’re unlikely to see termites directly. They spend their entire lives burrowing through dirt or chewing through wood, avoiding the light that would blind their sensitive eyes. That means you can have termites inside your walls for weeks, months, or even years without even knowing. Termites don’t even sleep, meaning they can do a lot of damage in a short amount of time, increasing your risk of structural collapse. Bulging wood panels on your floors or walls and suddenly loose or tight-fitting windows and doors are both signs that termite damage has already taken hold inside your structural woods.

Early Prevention Is Key

Termite damage can be fast and pervasive, meaning you need to take steps right away to reduce your likelihood of termites invading your property. That means both reducing the factors that attract termite swarmers and preventing access for termites colonies that might form out in the ground:

• Soil contact: Anywhere that wood touches soil is a prime target for swarmers looking to start a new colony near a food source. Keep soil beds away from your exterior.
• Wood storage: Just like you have to be mindful of soil that’s too close to structures, you should also keep in mind that wood and other debris should be stored at a good distance.
• Moisture control: Many termites target damp woods specifically, and water damage can provide termites with easy access to rotting woods.
• Crack sealing: You should regularly check your exterior walls and foundation for cracks or holes and make repairs. Termites can easily squeeze through these spaces to access interior walls.

Let Us Get Started Right Away

While knowing what to watch for and how to improve your chances of termite prevention are smart, the best way to keep termites out is with help from professionals. At Action Pest Control, we can help you with all the steps that are necessary to prevent termite colonies from forming, starting with a routine and thorough inspection of your property. We’ll check for signs of termites or the things that attract them, making sure that you’re prepared for termite season. If termites are already there, only experts can root all of them out and eliminate them safely.

To get started on termite control today, contact Action Pest Control.