Termites are troublesome pests that eat their way through wood and can cause structural damage to your home. Signs of a termite infestation include discovering damaged sections of wood, which may be completely hollowed out or have a honeycomb appearance, and blistering on wooden flooring, which can occur when termites are eating their way through your floor from below. Termite droppings around wooden structures are another common sign to watch out for. The droppings are dark brown or black and look like very fine ground coffee.
If you think you have a termite problem, your next step is to have a termite inspection carried out by a local pest control company. Here's an overview of how you can prepare for an inspection and what will happen during the inspection:
1. Preparing for an Inspection
Before your termite inspection takes place, there are some steps you should take to get the most out of the inspection. Firstly, you should ensure the pest control specialist has easy access to any areas that could be attractive to termites. Ensure the crawl space is clear, move everything out from under kitchen and bathroom sinks and move stored items away from attic or basement walls. If you have ground cover plants around the exterior walls of your property, these will need to be trimmed back to allow the pest control specialist to check exterior walls for entrance points or signs of a nearby nest.
2. What the Inspection Involves
The pest control specialist will ask you to point out any signs of an infestation you have found and they will check all interior and exteriors walls, baseboards, doors, windows, cabinets, cupboards and crawl spaces for signs of termite damage. The foundation of your home will also be inspected and the pest control specialist will then check your garden for signs of a nest, as termites often build nests in the garden of a property they are entering and causing damage to.
You'll then get a report of their findings and they will discuss a treatment plan with you. They will also provide advice on steps you can take to prevent a recurrence of a termite infestation in the future, such as keeping garden debris away from the exterior surfaces of your home, dealing with any sources of excess moisture in your home and avoiding the use of cardboard boxes in your attic or basement, as cardboard can be food source for termites.
If you think you have termites in your home, schedule a termite inspection as soon as possible, as the more established they are, the more difficult they can be to eradicate.
Termites are a pest which does millions of dollars of damage each year throughout Australia. However, by knowing more about termites, their movements, and signs of infestation, then you can organise pest control treatment early to minimise the amount of damage done.
If you are interested in finding out more about termites and the methods used to get rid of them, then you have picked the right website for information. When you suspect you have termites on your property, then you need advice on how to confirm that suspicion before treatment starts. Use the information provided here to stop termites in their tracks.