23 Nov Why Termites Invade Your Home
The damage from termites in your home can be costly in both time and money. Knowing why termites invade and what attracts them will help you prevent them from ever walking near your house. Keep your home and wallet safe by knowing what to avoid so termites won’t come over.
Wood Inside the Home
Termites love wood, so if you have any unsealed wood in your house, that can cause termites to invade. Wooden furniture is typically safe because it has a sealant on it that doesn’t attract termites. However, having firewood or carving wood in the house can attract termites because they want to have that firewood as a snack.
Piles of wood outside of the home are the perfect nesting spot for termites which then brings them much closer to your home. Most of the time, the wood that you use for wood piles is softwood that has moisture in them. This creates dark and moist spaces for termites to nest in, something that is attracted to many species of pests.
Moisture in or Out of the Home
As we touched on previously, termites are attracted to moisture as much as they are attracted to wood. If you have any spots in your home that get a lot of moisture, such as a broken pipe or very humid rooms, this can lead to termites trying to make a nest inside your house.
This also applies to the outside of your house such as your yard. If your yard floods easily in the rain or you live in a humid area, your house is at more risk of termite infestation due to the moisture content in and around your home.
Termites in the Neighborhood
Termite problems are often contagious. If there is a termite nest in your neighborhood, it can impact your house even if the nest isn’t in your yard. Termites are always looking for the next best place to live and can cause infestations in several homes in your neighborhood at once.
If someone is dealing with a termite problem, it is in your best interest to help them exterminate or to encourage them to call an exterminator for the infestation.
Trees Close to Your House
Termites often will live in trees and if there is a tree that contacts your house, that is just the perfect bridge for the termites to go from the tree to your house. Termites can crawl over from the branches of the tree to your roof. From there, they can come inside where they find either wood or a dark and damp environment.
Prevent termites coming in from above by making sure no tree branches are touching your house. Cut off branches making contact. This also makes your home safer from wind and rain damage.
Final Thoughts
With this list of why termites might invade your home, you can make plans for how to prevent them. If you ever notice a termite nest in or around your home, make sure to call an exterminator to remove them quickly.