How Can I Get Termite Protection?
Learn the best ways of protecting your home from termites
Many homeowners understand the danagers of termites, but few know how to get termite protection for their properties. In this blog, we will examine DIY and professional solutions that you can use to protect your home from termites.
DIY Termite Protection
You can use DIY termite prevention methods around your property to ensure that your home is well protected against termites.
Being proactive and taking these steps yourself is a great way to prevent termite infestations before they happen.
1. Keep wood away from the ground
It is no secret that termites feed on wood. But they also eat cardboard, paper and other substances that have cellulose.
If your home has wooden posts or other structures that go into the ground, termites will eat away at the inside and create tunnels into your home.
When building or renovating your home, make sure no wood is touching the ground. Even wood that's not attached to your dwelling can be a hazard. For example, piles of timber laying on the ground can attract termites.
As such, you should store any timber away in a metal shed or box.
2. Reduce moisture around your property
Termites prefer areas of ground or wood that have been dampened because of high moisture. To avoid termites in your home, you should take the time to ensure your home is dry.
The most common areas for moisture in your home are, of course, bathrooms, laundries and kitchens. Air conditioner units also regularly drip water when they are used.
Regularly inspect these areas and mop up any moisture you find.
You may also consider using dehumidifiers around your home to reduce moisture.
3. Maintain your garden
Gardens are a place where termites congregate and build colonies.
As such, you should make sure your garden is properly maintained as this will prevent or limit the spread of termites.
You should remove any dead or decaying trees, stumps or vegetation, as termites prefer eating these.
Furthermore, make sure any branches that touch your home are trimmed back. This prevents termites from using them as a bridge to enter your home.
4. DIY Bait Stations
You also have the option of buying DIY termite control like bait stations. Alternately you can even construct one of these if you wish.
There are several natural substances that repel termites also. These include:
- Vinegar
- Borates/borax powder
- Orange oil
- Diatomaceous earth
- Boric acid
- Nematodes
Some of these substances are potentially dangerous and you should handle them with care.
However, there are inherent risks when engaging in DIY termite removal. As such, you're generally better off contacting a termite specialist.
Hiring a termite specialist
Rather than attempting DIY termite protection, hire a termite specialist to conduct inspections and treatment.
Hiring a professional termite specialist will ensure that the job is done correctly and will provide the best protection.
1. Timber pest inspection
Your termite specialist can conduct a thorough inspection of your home using all the latest equipment and training.
Such equipment includes a thermal camera, Termatrac radar technology, a moisture meter and tapper wood decay probe.
Using their equipment and training, a termite specialist can detect termites in hard-to-reach areas that a layperson would find inaccessible, such as inside your walls.
Termite inspections involve a comprehensive look at all accessible parts of your property, yard, and home building structure.
After the inspection, you will be given a comprehensive report that details the findings.
It will mention if any termites were found, will note any damage from a previous or suspected termite infestation and will take note of any other conditions that might indicate termites such as excessive moisture.
The report will include photo evidence of termite damage and activity. Your termite specialist will also provide you with treatment options to suit your situation and budget.
2. Spot Treatment
If termites are found, your inspector can conduct a spot treatment to kill the termites.
This involves spraying them with a chemical solution that is toxic to termites.
However, simply killing visible termites does not go far enough.
An experienced technician will know how to kill them at the source.
3. Chemical termite barrier
The best termite protection is a chemical barrier.
A chemical barrier is a border around the perimeter of your property that is filled with chemicals. It is applied by a pest technician who digs a trench around your property that sprays the chemical.
Alternately, if your perimeter is concrete, holes will be drilled and filled with chemicals, then sealed up.
Depending on the chemical used, this barrier can have different effects. For example, some chemical barriers work to repel termites.
However, the most effective barriers use chemicals like Termidor. When termites encounter your Termidor barrier, it slowly poisons them over time.
The poison spreads from termite to termite, eventually killing the whole hive. This barrier generally lasts for 8 years. Your durable notice, kept in your fuse box, will tell you the last time it was serviced.
Contact us today
At Dedant, we provide quality annual timber pest inspections, termite treatments, chemical barriers and other termite management. We have been servicing Brisbane, Redland Bay, Moreton Bay, Gold Coast, the Scenic Rim, Sunshine Coast, Ipswich and Logan since 2009.
Contact us on 07 3807 0122 or via our website.
