Termites aren’t just crawling insects that live in the dirt. Termite swarmers are the first real threat to local property owners, which is why it’s important to know what to look out for and how to curb the factors that make your yard attractive to termites.
Termite Season: What To Know
Most people know that termites live underground and eat wood, but most don’t pay attention to how colonies form in the first place. This not only leaves you vulnerable to an infestation, but it also increases the likelihood that you won’t even notice termites until the damage they’ve caused is extensive. Understanding termite season is important because it’s the time of year when termite swarmers emerge to find new places to start their own colonies. Swarmers, or “alates,” are the only winged type of termite and the only reproductive members of a colony. They emerge in early spring, as the weather warms up, looking for soils that provide them with easy access to wood for their new populations to thrive. Of course, our yards make premium targets for them, since colonies can form outside and be a short dig away from interior wooden structures. From there, it’s just a matter of time before the problem grows to costly proportions.
Swarming Factors
To prevent termite swarmers from selecting your yard, you need to understand the things that attract them to a specific area in the first place. All of the following are factors that attract termite swarmers:
- Soil: Termites form tunnels or mounds in loose soils, meaning yards with lots of access to bare ground will be even more attractive to termites.
- Wood: It stands to reason that anywhere wood touches soil would be a good spot for a termite colony to form.
- Moisture: Some termites only eat damp wood and all of them need water to survive. Moist soils or water-damaged woods are prime targets for swarmers.
Termite Prevention To Get Started On
If you wait until a colony has already formed to start addressing the factors that attract termites, it will almost certainly be too late to truly eliminate the colony or prevent the larger damage that termites can cause. That’s why you need to be taking the following steps well before termite season even starts, and maintain them throughout the year.
- Landscaping: Overgrown trees and bushes are also some things that termites look for since structural woods aren’t the only thing they can eat. Often, colonies will form near plants first, growing larger from the food found in the yard, then they expand their tunnels towards exterior walls.
- Wood storage: Piles of wood or other debris in your yard, especially those that are too close to your structures, are a big no-no when it comes to termite prevention.
- Crack sealing: Termites can’t chew through concrete foundations or walls, but they can squeeze through the cracks to gain access to interior woods. That’s why you should regularly check for and fix any exterior problems you find.
Seek Professional Assistance
Termites are some of the most dangerous pests around because they can cause hazardous structural damage. They are also nightmares to prevent or get rid of on your own. Instead, turn to the assistance of the experts at Havard Pest Control. Our friendly staff can give you more pointers for how you can be prepared for termite season, and our effective prevention treatments can ward them from your yard entirely. If termite colonies are already a concern, act fast to protect your property by contacting us today. Only professional solutions can get rid of an entire termite colony, preventing reproductive members of their populations from growing more termites and allowing the problem to resurface.
For ultimate protection from termites and termite swarmers, trust Havard Pest Control.