There are two schools of thought related to termites. One group of people seems to be of the opinion that it is all up to the homeowner. Another group of people think that all they need to do is call an exterminator. The truth is that both answers are correct. There are two different issues with dealing with an infestation of these bugs. The best way to avoid problems is to prevent them from starting. Your local pest control specialist may be able to give you some tips, but this responsibility is largely up to the homeowner to handle. The second issue is what to do after the infestation has been discovered. At this point, your best option is to call a professional.

As a homeowner, you are responsible for trying to prevent any kind of a termite problem. The fact is that it can be difficult to get rid of them and they can cause an enormous amount of damage. The best way to prevent this damage as a homeowner is to take steps to stop the problem from occurring in the first place. Like everything else, a termite needs water to survive. You will have a much smaller chance of having them in your house if you take the time to deny them access to water. You should fix any leaks that you can find, both inside and outside of your home. This should include a review of all of your gutters and waterlines. If your gutters get clogged, it will leave pools of water that are just asking for these bugs to come and find.

You should also remove any brush around your home. Having this around creates areas of additional moisture, which can be the beginning of a colony. The drier you can keep everything around your house, the better. Checking the ventilation of your home is another important step to prevent any termite infestations. You should especially check the areas of your home that you do not live in. If there is poor ventilation in your attic, basement or in some kind of a crawl space, it is more likely to attract a termite colony.

Another big step toward the prevention of a termite infestation is keeping firewood and other building materials well away from your house. Any kind of wood is an obvious draw to them, so stacking your wood burning on the ground next to your house is like an open invitation. If your yard isn’t large enough to keep the wood pile well away from your house, you should at least take steps to get it off of the ground. Your likelihood of having to deal with a termite infestation increases if you have other wood easily accessible to them. This includes dead trees, roots or old stumps. If you have thee around your home, they should be removed.

Your best bet to avoid future problems with termites is to do routine audits of your house. Look for anyplace that water can pool, and fix it. Also look for any miscellaneous wood near your house, and either remove it or move it.

Author Bio: Chuck R. Stewart is a writer who frequently writes on the topic of using an exterminator to fix termite problems. He often writes on the topic of termites.

Category: Home Management
Keywords: exterminator,termites