PROTECTING YOUR HOME SWEET HOME: TERMITE PREVENTION AND CONTROL TIPS IN AIKen

Your home is your haven. It is where you relax after a long, stressful day. It is where you spend quality time with the ones you love. Home is a sweet place that is all your own; the last thing you want to do is share with termites. But, the problem is, you can share your home with these tiny, secretive insects and not realize it. Termites in Aiken are super sneaky.

Fortunately, there are ways to catch termites red-handed and prevent them from being homewreckers. It begins with knowing how to spot termites in your yard. We'll tell you how to uncover the evidence and what to do if you see termite activity. Stick with us to the end, and we'll share with you the science-based methods termite control professionals use to protect structures from these elusive, wood-destroying insects. And, of course, you can always call Aiken Pest Control for help.

Your Aiken Pest Control service team can answer your questions about professional termite control in Aiken. You don't have to read an article about termite control to protect your property. We can take care of all the details for you. But if you're inquisitive and want to know more about sneaky termites, read on. We have some great facts and tips to share with you today.

Signs Of Termite Infestations: How To Spot And Address Them

Do you know what a termite looks like? Would it surprise you if we told you they might appear pale white, orangish-red, or entirely black? It's true. All termites in a colony do not share the same appearance. That is a helpful fact to understand. So, the first step in detecting a termite infestation is to recognize termites in Aiken in their different forms:

• Workers: A worker termite is about 1/8 of an inch and is entirely pale. You might mistake it for a fat, white ant or a maggot with legs. If you pick up a stick in your yard and see bugs that look like maggots, don't throw that stick away and immediately start wiping your hands. Take a few quick moments to examine them. Maggots don't have legs, and they don't eat wood.
• Soldiers: A soldier termite is orange and has a darker orange head with black pincers. It is larger than a worker and easier to see and recognize. But some people see termite soldiers and mistake them for earwigs. The key difference (apart from the fact that earwigs are quite a bit larger) is that earwigs have pincers on the tip of the abdomen, not the head.
• Swarmers: A termite swarmer is entirely black and has white wings. It is the only kind of termite in the colony with wings. It is three times the size of a worker termite if you count the length of its wings, but at 3/8 of an inch, it is still incredibly small. If you see one tiny swarmer by itself, it is easy to pay it no attention at all. 

When you search for workers, soldiers, or swarmers on your property, search in shaded locations or underneath objects on the ground. Your chances of finding termites will increase if you look under things made of wood, cardboard, paper, or cloth.

In addition to finding and identifying termites, you'll need to look for evidence of termite activity. What sort of evidence do termites leave behind?

• The termites in our region of the country are subterranean, and these insects create structures called mud or shelter tubes. A shelter tube is made of soil and saliva and is typically about the width of a pencil.
• When subterranean termites feed on the wood of a home, most of the damage occurs inside because termites need to stay within their tunnels where it is moist. If you search for termite damage, you'll need to look in damp locations, such as inside a crawl space or exterior wood members behind landscape vegetation you water.
• As you look for subterranean termites, consider how they excavate cavities inside wood. If a structural beam is splintering or sounds hollow when you tap on it, something is happening inside. It may be termite activity.
• When you inspect secluded spaces in search of mud tubes and wood damage, keep watch for termite swarmer wings. They shed their wings after mating. These wings may litter the ground, or you'll find them in spider webs.

When you detect termites, is it cause for concern? How bad are termites in Aiken? Let's quickly look at how eastern subterranean termites behave and the impact their behavior can have on the structural integrity of your home.

Termite Damage: Impacts On Structural Integrity

When you find termites in your yard, does it mean you have termites in your home? Not necessarily. But it is definitely not a good sign. Termites apply pressure on your home and will eventually find a pathway to enter if you don't take steps to eliminate the colony. 

Here are a few facts to consider:

• An eastern subterranean termite colony can have thousands or hundreds of thousands of workers. Some colonies have more than a million workers. 
• Eastern subterranean termites are the most destructive in the United States because of their wide distribution and resilience as a species.
• Eastern subterranean termite workers can travel a hundred yards in search of food and don't mind sharing with workers from other colonies. Therefore, more than one colony can be feeding on your home at the same time.
• Termites grow their colonies in response to food. They can quickly increase their numbers if they find food in your yard, like a pile of dead branches.
• Termites feed on more than one source of food at the same time. While eating dead branches in your yard, they may also be consuming the subflooring in your kitchen.

Avoiding termite damage is tricky because of their elusive nature. Let's take a quick look at how to prevent termite damage even when you don't see these insects in your yard or find warning signs of termite activity.

Building A Fortress: Essential Steps For Termite Prevention

There are many steps you can take to avoid a termite problem. As you can imagine, they have to do with removing the reason termite workers are attracted to your yard. 

You can use these tips to reduce activity and deter termites from finding a route into your home:

• When you pick up sticks in your yard, burn them or store them off the soil.
• If you have an unhealthy tree, consider enlisting the aid of a tree doctor.
• If you have stumps in your yard, consider removing the roots.
• If you have piles of junk, pick it up and store it in a trash receptacle. Termites eat cardboard, paper products, clothing, and other items you throw away.
• Make sure you have termite-resistant mulch or replace mulch with a material that termites don't eat. Pea gravel works well.
• Address moisture problems, such as clogged gutters. Doing this will help you avoid wood rot, a strong attractant for termites.

When you actively work to remove the conditions that make your property inviting to termites, you have a level of protection. Is it the best protection? No. But it is better than having no protection at all. When combined with routine inspections, general termite prevention can have a big impact. If you want to go a step further in protecting your property, professional termite control is the solution. 

Don't Wait To Act: Contact Us At The First Sign Of Termites

Contact Aiken Pest Control for a professional termite inspection when you find termite activity in your yard. Our highly-trained technicians have the experience and knowledge to track your problem and provide an effective solution. Don't let these sneaky insects go untreated. They can make a meal out of your property.

How does your Aiken Pest Control service team deal with termites? We trust the award-winning Sentricon® System with Always Active. Sentricon® will not only arrest current termite activity but work to provide protection against future infestations. 

How does the Sentricon® bait work? It takes advantage of termite worker behavior. Because worker termites tunnel in the ground, that's where we place the termite bait stations. Workers are always looking for food, so they'll find the termite bait inside the stations. It scientifically provides a soft and easily accessible meal they can't resist. Unlike termiticides that wear out over time, Sentricon® bait only becomes more appetizing as it decays.

Along with eliminating termite colonies, the Sentricon® System offers an easy way to detect termite activity on your property, and there is no price tag you can put on that. When your technician tells you there are termites in your bait stations, you will know you spent your money well. You won't get that assurance with a liquid treatment.

Want to learn more or get started with the Sentricon® System? Contact Aiken Pest Control today for termite control services in Aiken. There is no time like the present to guard your property and prevent termite damage.