Stay Ahead Of Termite Infestations In Orange County

Is There A Way To Prevent Termites In Orange County?

Unfortunately, termites aren’t the easiest pest to prevent. These critters feast on cellulose materials, and there are a variety of ways for them to get inside your home. However, there are still a couple of tips you can use to reduce the risk of having termites, such as:

• Don’t leave cellulose-based materials near your foundation. Cellulose-based materials, like wood, lumber, mulch, cardboard, and even paper, can all draw termites in – especially if they’re placed near your foundation. Make sure you keep these items off your property or at least several feet away from your home. 
• Create a barrier between mulch and your foundation. While it’s common to keep gardens and mulch near the side of your home, this makes an easy pathway for termites. Using gravel or a similar material, create a barrier of at least four inches between your mulch and foundation. 
• Keep firewood away from the house. Stack any firewood or other wood products at least twenty feet away from your home. 
• Don’t let wooden siding touch the soil. Wood-to-soil contact is another easy path for termites, so try to keep any wooden siding at least six inches above the ground. 
• Regularly check for damaged or rotting wood. Termites love wood, but they especially like moist, rotting wood. Don’t forget to check for damaged wood around your home or fences regularly.

How Should Orange County Homeowners Check For Termites?

Along with the prevention tips above, it’s always a good idea for homeowners to be on the lookout for signs of termites. These infestations often go unnoticed because the signs are subtle, but if you know what you’re looking for, you can find them early and prevent more significant damage.

Some of the signs of termites include:

• Termite droppings, also called frass, that looks like sawdust and may be piled around areas where there’s high termite activity. 
• Swarms of termites around your property or discarded termite wings piled near entrances.
• Walls and flooring sound hollow when you tap or step on them.
• Doors and windows suddenly seem too tight or ill-fitting on their frames.
• Drywall begins to droop or looks discolored.
• Loose tiles in the floor due to the excess moisture produced by termites.

Although it’s a good idea to look for the signs above, another important way to check for a termite infestation is by having annual inspections done by a professional pest management company. An experienced inspector will not only be able to spot the earliest signs of an infestation, but they can also point out potential attractions or problem areas where termites may come inside.

How To Handle A Termite Infestation In Your Orange County Home

After discovering a termite problem, some homeowners look for ways to handle the infestation on their own. While DIY methods, like traps, bait stations, or OTC sprays, may look promising, these techniques are rarely effective. They may eliminate some of the infestation, but it’s almost impossible for them to kill every single termite, egg, and larvae.

As destructive as termites can be for Orange County homeowners, there’s only one foolproof method for getting rid of them: using professional help from HomeShield Pest Control.