Termites are annoying pests that can infest a home in Phoenix, Arizona. Phoenix is a great place to live because of the outstanding outdoor adventure, relaxing resorts, great job opportunities, and warm weather. However, pests can be rampant in your home because of the warmth in Phoenix. Besides termites, you may see a cockroach, ant, flea and tick, gopher, mosquito, rodent, scorpion, spider, bee, and wasp in your home. But today, we will focus on termites. You might confuse them with ants, especially flying termites, but they differ from ants. Therefore, what attracts ants is different from what attracts termites. That said, what causes termites is also different from what causes ants. So what things we have in our home cause termite infestation?
Cracks and Holes
Cracks and holes attract termites because it is their way to enter your home in search of food or anything they can use to build their nest, like soil or wood. When you have cracks and holes in your house’s foundation, they will enter from there and get materials to create mud tubes in their nest. Termites also may build their nest right under your house’s foundation. The dark and moist area under your house’s foundation is ideal for termites. They may also enter through loose seals where your electrical tube and plumbing lines are found. Damaged shingles, fascia boards, and eaves can also serve as termite entryways. Check all of these if they are damaged and get them fixed immediately.
Moisture
As mentioned above, termites love moist environments. Leaky pipes, standing water, improper drainage, and any other plumbing problems can create excess moisture in your home. Excess moisture can also cause wood to rot, which Subterranean and Dampwood termites love. So ensure your house’s foundation is well-ventilated, the gutters are properly working, and you have no other plumbing problems. If you have plants outside your house, keep the soil near your foundation as dry as possible, or use water sprinklers to prevent water from accumulating near your foundation.
Mulch
Mulch is a natural fertilizer that you can use for your indoor and outdoor plants to supply nutrients. Although mulch benefits your plants, you may attract termites with mulch present in your home. Mulch will retain moisture, and termites love moisture, as mentioned before. Mulch is also made out of wood, leaves, and other organic materials, which are foods of termites. That said, mulch is the source of both water and food for termites. If you choose to use mulch, do not place it near your house’s foundation, and keep it as far away from it as possible. But you can also replace mulch with rocks and pebbles, which do not attract termites.
Warmth
Termites love to live in warm environments. They will look for a warm place to hide if the weather is so cold. Therefore, you might find them digging underground during winter. Termites especially like the warm weather before it rains. In fact, termites can survive from about 75° F to 95° F. They can even survive in the desert.
Wood
Cellulose is the main food of termites and the main component of wood. Anything that is made of wood in your house can attract termites. Even if you don’t have much wood in your house, but there are trees near your house, you can still attract termites. As a result, your roof is susceptible to termite infestation if tree limbs are near or touching your roof. Therefore, remove anything made out of wood, like stumps, vines, wooden fences, or firewood, near your house’s foundation. However, each type of termite is not attracted to just about any wood. Each termite is attracted to a specific type of wood. Drywood termites are attracted to dry wood, while Dampwood and Subterranean woods are attracted to wet or moist wood.
Get Rid of Termites!
Since termites love wood and will chew them away, it can cause severe damage to your home that can be irreversible or expensive to get fixed. So if you find termites in your house, call for a termite exterminator near your immediately. Pest control in Phoenix will access your home to check what kind of pests you are dealing with and conduct a termite inspection to determine the severity of the infestation. Then, they will plan the necessary method and termite treatment to effectively eliminate your termite problem and prevent them from coming back.