How can I prevent termites from entering my house? Remove any conducive conditions where soil meets wood to increase your termite prevention. No matter how hard we try as consumers and homeowners, insects...
No matter how hard we try as consumers and homeowners, insects and pest will eventually find their way into the home. As gross as it sounds to some, some insects are not entirely bad. As a matter of fact, keeping a few spiders around the outside of the house can help limit the insect problem naturally.
But not all insect problems can be resolved with a spider's web. There are infestations that can be very serious to consumers and homeowners. One of the biggest and most frightful thoughts for any homeowner is termites. For years termites have had the reputation as house demolishing bugs. But, as we find out through experts such as Janis Reed, having termites is not as big as a problem as we once thought it could be.
Janis Reed has been the training director at ABC Pest and Lawn Service in Austin, Texas, for five years. ABC Pest and Lawn has been in the pest control business since 1949. Reed said that the first stepthat should be taken by a homeowner that believes to have termites involves the termite living situation.
"My advice would be to eliminate what we call conducive conditions for termites around your home," she said. "These can be moisture problems. Make sure that wood and soil are not touching each other. Move the firewood stacked up against your house. Check the soil that is up above your foundation line. Any kind of conducive condition needs to be eliminated."
As consumers and homeowners who care a great deal about saving the almighty dollar, a lot of times, our final decisions will be based on the financial aspect of things. Reed, as well as other pest control experts, agrees that having a termite infestation treated is not a problem that you want to solve just by choosing the lowest price available. Reed said that with your home being your biggest investment, homeowners should treat any potential or current problems with the urgency that it deserves.
One detail that Reed also insists upon in this situation is a professional. A lot of times, consumers look to save money by not calling in the proper professionals. But for something as serious as termites, Reed said that not calling a professional is a huge mistake.
"If you have termites, I recommend you call a professional," she said. "I don't recommend people do anything themselves for termites. I would recommend a professional every time."
"Frankly, I just don't think a lot of the things that are on the market really work all that well," she added. "You'd need the expertise of someone who does this for a living, to walk you through what to do and what not to do."
Once the consumer decides to use a professional, deciding who to use is also a very difficult task. The best advice that Reed can give anyone looking to have termite work done is to make sure you ask a lot of questions. Be as precise and thorough as possible. Also, be sure that the one you choose is someone who is licensed in your state to handle pesticides.
