The best magazine
These little insects, which are also called "white ants" in Australia, can cause incredibly costly damage to a home.
What makes a termite infestation even more dreadful is that it can happen without you noticing: you may not know that termites have already eaten a great amount of wood in your house until something breaks down and falls apart.
Termite infestations can happen for years and, if left untreated, can lead to serious damage that makes the home unsafe and less valuable.
While it is possible for a termite infestation to go unnoticed, this does not necessarily mean that you can't prevent termites from attacking your home.
There are several ways to detect termites even before they cause serious damage to your property, and the most effective method is through baiting.
Baiting simply pertains to the practice of placing materials that are attractive to termites in strategic places around the home.
Some of the most commonly used materials include cardboard and Tasmanian oak, and these can be placed in areas that are easily accessible to termites, such as near expansion joints in concrete, previously damaged timber, or piles of wood in the garden.
When these traps are placed, white ant "scouts"-or termites that are tasked with finding food sources for the colony-will find them and eventually lead the colony to the trap.
There is one sure sign that termites have taken the bait, and that is when traces of mud are found within the trap.
This is because termites usually create tunnels of mud within through wood to minimise contact with heat and sunlight from the outside.
Once termites start consuming the wood or cardboard in the traps, home owners can then apply some chemicals to begin eliminating the termites present.
These chemicals may either be insecticides that kill those that come into contact with the substance.
Some pest control experts also use chemicals that repel termites from the treated area.
However, the most effective substances for termite treatment are termiticides that not only inhibit growth and development of termites that ingest it, but also can be taken back to the nest by termites that touch it.
This type of chemical ensures that the whole colony is eliminated, and as such, future attacks from the same colony are no longer possible.
To prevent termites from infesting your home, it is best to continuously monitor traps that are set up around the home.
In addition, also make efforts to reduce or eliminate moisture in wooden parts of the home as this can cause the decay of wood, which is very attractive to termites.
Adequate sun exposure helps dry out wood and is repellent to termites, thus keeping your home safe for years to come.
Source: ...