5 Ways That Termites Can Spread
Termites can cause a large amount of damage to houses and structures once they invade. So if you have found signs of termites near your home, you have good reason to be worried. Because termites never stop foraging for new food sources, there is always a chance that they might discover your home.
If you have found evidence of termites near your home, then consider calling a pest control company. And in the meantime, you would do well to learn the ways that termites can spread from one area to another.
1. Termite Swarmers
Termite swarmers are male and female reproductive termites with wings. These swarmers leave a mature termite nest when the nest is full and when the weather is humid, usually before rainfall. When they leave the nest, female and male termite swarmers will seek each other out and search for a nesting site, usually in the soil.
One way that you can lower the chances of termite swarmers flocking to your property is to turn off your lights. Termite swarmers are attracted to light. So if you see a swarm, turn your lights off and close your curtains.
2. Infested furniture
Drywood termites infest items of furniture and build their colonies there. Although the colonies are much smaller than the colonies of subterranean termites, they can grow over time and produce termite swarmers, which may infest other wooden components of your home. If you suspect that an item of furniture is infested, remove it from your home immediately.
3. Wood in contact with soil
Subterranean termites find food by sending out foragers that spread in all directions. Foraging termites can sense a change in the soil when wood is present. So if you have anything wooden in your yard, such as firewood or garden tools in contact with your soil, move it before foraging termites can find it.
4. An abundance of moisture
Moisture is very important to termites because they can dry out and die without it. If you use sprinklers in your yard, and those sprinklers spray water onto your wooden fence, this creates ideal conditions for termites. The combination of water and water-damaged wood will be irresistible to foraging termites.
5. Wood sources with cracks
Drywood termites infiltrate wooden furniture through cracks and seams in the wood. If you live in an area with a termite problem, make sure you seal cracks or seams in your wooden furniture. This will help prevent drywood termites from invading.
If you suspect that termites have spread to your property, then you should hire a termite exterminator as soon as possible. The further the termites spread into your home, the more damage they will do.
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