Prevent Termites from Sabotaging Your Home Sale
Finding out that your house is infested with termites is no fun, especially when the discovery is made during a home inspection for your home sale. Sadly, many homeowners have no idea there is a problem with termites until a lot of damage has already been done.
Termites are sneaky, destructive little pests. Unfortunately some homeowners attract them to their homes without realizing it. For example, even a little bit of moisture from poor drainage, leaks, or poor ventilation combined with wood can be very alluring for termites. The cellulose in wood is consumed by them for nutrition, and they require moisture so they don't dry out. Even soggy soil close to your foundation can be very inviting to termites.
Termites are also attracted to the protection from foam board insulation and exterior wall solutions like Dryvit, a synthetic version of cement siding. They will chew right through them to get to wood. They can also enter the home via cracks in the foundation. Once in, they will find wood and begin to feed on it, thus causing damage to the home. When investigating possible termite infestation, keep an eye out for Mud Tubes, soft or hollow-sounding wood, and visible piles of wings. These all indicate a termite problem.
There are several ways to help prevent a termite infestation in your home:
- Hire a professional to do termite inspections annually.
- Remove cellulose-based debris from around your house. Any sort of organic wood material around your house will attract termites.
- Get rid of any wood that is in direct contact with the ground, like wood lattice or siding, or door/window frames that go to the ground.
- Have your home pre-treated for termites. If you're going to build a home, set a termite barrier on the land before starting construction.
- Remove cracks and crevices in your home to prevent termite access.
Hiring a professional pest control company is the best course of action if you suspect your home has been infested with termites, but if you want to try to get rid of them on your own, here are some things you can do:
- Use Termiticide Barriers - Applying professional-level termite-killing products like liquid Taurus SC and Termidor SC to your home's exterior perimeter to create a barrier is one option. Termites cannot detect the termiticide, so they don't try to avoid it. When they eat materials treated with termiticide, they will die. Termiticide also works like a virus; spreading to other termites from one that has come into contact with it. Ultimately, this will exterminate the colony.
- Apply Direct Chemicals – Unlike termiticides, direct chemicals can be used inside your home. Termidor Foam can be shot directly into cracks, voids, and crevices; all great hiding places for termites. The foam is odorless and will expand, then evaporate, leaving behind residue that will poison termites when they come into contact with it. It will last for about a month. It is important to note that this should not be applied while pets and children are in the home. Once the Termidor Foam has dried, it is safe to have your pets and children return home.
- Place Termite Baits: Termite baits placed around the perimeter of your home's foundation are a proven method for ridding yourself of these pests. The baits attract foraging termites to the poison inside of them. The toxin inside is slow-acting and interrupts termites' natural growth, exterminating them as they try to molt. Because it is slow-acting, the infected termites will carry the toxin back to the colony and transmit it to other termites.
- Use Benaficial Nematodes – These segmented roundworms are microscopic and serve as natural parasites to a plethora of garden pests – including termites. They burrow into their host and release a symbiotic gut bacteria that poisons the termite's blood, killing it in a matter of days. Just apply a mixture of nematodes, potting soil, and cold water to infested areas of your lawn and garden
Whether you are selling your home soon or don't plan to sell for a long time, you want to be sure that termites aren't causing damage that will mean very expensive repairs, and could cause you to lose buyers when selling.
If you are looking to buy or sell a home in the Huntsville area, let professional Realtor Mike Manosky help you with all your real estate needs! Give him a call today at 256-508-0211 and check out https://www.movetohuntsville.com/ and https://www.movetohuntsville.com/homebuying-process for more information!