Contrary to popular belief, you shouldn’t wait to see pests before receiving remediation. A great number of insects and creatures operate in such a way that it’s best to take preemptive measures. Usually in these cases, the critters in question can get indoors with ease and procreate speedily. Many are able to enter your Fort Worth home and get settled before you even notice. This means by the time you realize what’s going on, detrimental damage has already been done. Termites are a classic example of this kind of situation.
Termites are wood-shredding insects that hide inside of walls. They can cost Americans a combined $5 billion in deterrence and recovery expenses. To make matters worse, insurance companies rarely come to the rescue. Find out how you can avoid this distress in time for termite season with Lonestar Safe Pest.
What Are the Signs of a Termite Infestation? What Are the Risks?
It may make things easier if there was just one peak season for termite activity, but there isn’t. These pests are engaged over the whole year, with each subspecies essentially taking turns tormenting homeowners. During the spring, common populations start mating and building new colonies. This process is completed by termite swarmers; winged bugs that are ½ of an inch long. They come in black, brown, and yellow. While their worker and soldier counterparts dive behind foundations, they fly around lights and potential nesting locations. Workers are white or grayish white and a tiny 0.12 of an inch long. Soldiers are about the same length and yellow-brown. You can tell the two apart because the latter has pronounced jaws and a rectangular head. Seeing swarmers is the first sign of an infestation. Other hints are:
- Coming across the discarded wings of swarmers
- Finding swells of fecal frass near the holes, mud tubes, and maze patterns of termites
- Having foundations that are hollow
- Hearing sounds, like clicking, behind walls
- Noticing that the paint is starting to bubble and chip
- Seeing drywall lose color and sag
- Deteriorating floorboards and defective tiles
- Window frames and doors that are becoming stiff
The major concern with termites is that they make walls and bases shaky. If they give way or tumble, you or one of your loved ones could get hurt. As if that weren’t unsettling enough, things could become so dire that you’ll have to find a new place to live. Another thing you’ll need to look out for is allergies. Termites can cultivate reactions. They don’t spread disease though.
What Are Ways to Prevent Termites?
If you begin putting energy into thorough building and lawn maintenance, you can reduce the chances of being victimized by termites. It won’t necessarily be simple or enjoyable, but performing these tasks are worth it to protect your home:
- Renovate or get rid of messed up or rotting wood
- Repair leaky or faulty fixtures, those dampening wood should be first
- Patch up gaps in caulk, foundations, and utility lines
- Put screens on all vents that face the outside
- Regularly filter gutters and vents
- Avoid letting free wood, like carpentry panels, touch the soil
- Sit wood piles and greenery two feet or more away from the property
- Keep your plants and grass trimmed
How Will Lonestar Safe Pest Handle Termites?
Don’t attempt to use “do it yourself” ( DIY) home methods to eliminate termites. These avenues are too pricey for the low effectiveness they offer. Further, they are sometimes dangerous and can exacerbate the matter. Contact us at Lonestar Safe Pest instead. Our skilled technicians will use potent, but safe, treatments designed to ruin colonies and guard your home against intrusions going forward. Our services are affordable too. Call us today at Lonestar Safe Pest to get started!