Termites, those little but powerful animals, play an important role in the natural balance of our planet. However, what causes termites and when they invade our houses and structures, they become hated pests, causing extensive damage and financial hardship. Knowing the real reasons of their existence and proliferation is critical in developing effective preventative and control techniques.
Termites are primarily motivated by their biological need for survival and reproduction, but their presence and abundance are influenced by a wide range of environmental and human influences.
What Attracts Termites?
Moisture is a major draw for termites, who thrive in damp areas and feed on wood. Storing firewood near your home or leaving stumps in your yard can attract these discreet invaders, as can stacks of mulch.
Avoid using wood-based mulch, as it is a major attractant for these pests. Instead, choose inorganic options that don’t retain moisture.
Moisture
Moisture is one of the most common things that attracts termites. It creates ideal conditions for them to forage termites desiccate very quickly, and they seek out areas that are moist and close to their food source.
Leaking plumbing, especially under homes and in crawl spaces, can provide moisture for a termite infestation. Also, water leaking from AC units and gutters can cause moist environments around the foundation of a home.
The soil near a home’s foundation should be dry. This can be accomplished by limiting leaks, diverting water away with downspouts and splash blocks and keeping firewood and mulch well away from the house. It is also advisable to install ventilation in crawl spaces, and avoid using lawn sprinklers that direct water into contact with the walls of your home.
Wood
Termites in nature decompose and recycle organic materials that contain cellulose, including wood and other plant matter. While they are a necessary part of the ecosystem, they can destroy homes and businesses.
In your home, termites are drawn to any cellulose source, whether it is in furniture, books or the wood mulch you use for landscaping. However, the subterranean termite, the most common infester, is particularly attracted to any wood in direct contact with soil.
Damp woods are especially appealing, and this is why you need to regularly check and repair your home’s plumbing for leaks. Excess moisture near your foundation can also be a big attractant for the pests, so make sure you have gutters that work well and divert water away from your home’s foundation.
Mulch
Wood mulches are attractive to termites because they contain cellulose, the main ingredient in wood that termites feed on. Using the wrong type of mulch, storing wood piles close to your home or failing to keep rain gutters clean can create a hospitable environment for these pests.
A good alternative to wood-based mulches is melaleuca, which contains resins that repel termites. Also try cypress heartwood mulch which is effective in repelling these insects due to its anti-fungal properties and natural resistance to water.
Be sure to regularly inspect your mulched areas and look for signs of termite activity, such as mud tubes or discarded wings you can also contact a professional for termite inspections. They can help you determine the best course of action to take for controlling termite infestations and damage.
Leaks
Leaky pipes and air conditioning systems can leave behind moisture that attracts termites. Termites are drawn to wood and materials that contain cellulose, such as paper and cardboard boxes.
Wood piles, stacks of firewood, old stumps and other miscellaneous wood near a home are also magnets for these pests. Likewise, mulch made from wood chips can also draw termites to your home.
Damp crawl spaces and basements can also attract termites, so make sure to waterproof them and control humidity. Standing water can also attract these pests, so avoid it by regularly cleaning gutters, directing downspouts away from your home’s foundation and properly grading your yard to prevent rainwater accumulation.
Termites also love moist, dark areas and holes in a home’s foundation or walls so patching cracks is important.
Structural Damage
Depending on the species, termites will either seek out dry or damp wood. However, moisture is a big draw, and leaks and structural damage are major triggers for termite infestation.
Structural damage can be caused by water that leaks through the roof or around the foundation or when shrubbery and turf come into direct contact with the building’s exterior. Stumps and buried debris can also provide easy access for termites to gain entry.
Keeping shrubbery and trees well-trimmed is a good way to limit their ability to touch the building’s walls and offer an easy pathway to the interior. In addition, removing tree stumps, trellises, stacks of firewood and other types of miscellaneous wood in proximity to the building can help reduce the risk.
What to do Preventing and Treating Termite Infestations
By the time homeowners discover the telltale signs of termites its usually too late. Infestations often go unnoticed for years allowing the pests to chew through critical support structures and threaten the integrity of the structure. In the end, the damage can cost thousands of dollars to repair.
The best way to prevent and treat termites is to hire a professional and receive regular, typically annual, inspections. The inspector will check all load-bearing supports such as beams and joists as well as frame components around doors and windows the inspector will also examine outdoor wooden structures like decks for damage.
Termites are most active in the soil and its easy for them to get into houses through cracks in foundations or through water lines to help keep them away make sure the soil is graded to drain properly, remove tree stumps and other wood debris and fill in any cracks in concrete foundations. If your home is still under construction, a preventative termite barrier can be put in during the building process by injecting the foundation with a liquid chemical treatment.
After your house is built, you can use soil treatments to control subterranean termites and protect against drywood termite infestations (a different method is used to treat dry wood than for subterranean). If you want a less invasive approach, try Sentricon, which is placed into the ground around homes to create a barrier that’s invisible and can’t be washed away by rain or inclement weather.
