Termites are more than just annoying household pests. These pests can destroy your home if an infestation is left untreated. This is because termites feast on the wood that is used in constructing and furnishing many homes. Thankfully, an effective termite control plan can prevent this from happening to your home. Below you can learn more about each of the three steps involved in effective termite control. 

Step #1: Prevention

The first thing you will want to do is to try and prevent termites from ever gaining access to your home. There are a few ways you can go about accomplishing this goal. First, be sure to move firewood, wood-based outdoor furniture, and other sources of wood at least several feet from the exterior of your home. Since these items will often attract termites, it is important to store them far away from your home so that the termites cannot easily make the jump from these items into your home. You will also want to cut back any tree branches that hang over your roof and place a barrier between any wood mulch in your landscape and the exterior of your home. The use of essential oils around the exterior of your home can also prove effective at deterring termites. 

Step #2: Detection

Despite your best efforts at preventing termites from accessing your home, it is still possible that these pests could find their way inside. The longer termites are allowed to go undetected inside your home, the more damage they are bound to cause. That is why an effective termite control plan will also need to address the need for early detection of these pests. This step in your plan should include two things. First, you will need to perform a visual inspection of your home regularly to check for signs of a termite infestation. These signs include discarded wings in your windows and piles of what appears to be sawdust around windows and doors. Second, you will want to have your home inspected by a professional from time to time. This is very important since these pest control professionals are better equipped to detect the presence of termites in the earliest stages of an infestation. 

Step #3: Extermination

If termites are detected in your home, you will need to act quickly to exterminate these pests. This is a step that should always be completed by a professional termite exterminator.  

For more information about termite control, contact a local pest control company.

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