Controlling pests in your home, in a museum, or on commercial premises is essential to the structure of a building and often to health and safety. Where termites are concerned, structure is the prominent issue. In any building or object made of wood, including many heritage buildings and items (ships, for instance), proper termite inspection and control is as important as keeping rodents and wasps away. You cannot see them, but they are working from within.
Termite Prevention
If you live in an area where termites are a common problem, be ready for them by preventing their onslaught. Termite inspection experts recommend that you keep them in mind right from the point when you plan and build your property or when you decide to renovate. It is not going too far to spend extra money and effort just to keep these insects out of your property: they can do serious damage to the safety and appearance of a building.
To prevent termites, put up metal blockades around any exposed wood. Termites are looking for tasty oak, cedar, etc., not stainless steel and aluminum. Wherever possible, pest control companies recommend replacing or completely covering wooden parts with an unappetizing material.
They also recommend filling cracks and maintaining ventilation so that an area cannot become water logged. Termite inspection will reveal that some termites thrive in damp ground, while others survive best in dry climates.
There are treatments for wood which can be built into beams before they are put in place or added to them later. They are chemical treatments, of course, so consumers will want to know the profiles of these toxins before proceeding.
Killing Termites
Once the termites are in, you must proceed to termite control. These insects are not alarming as biters or disease spreaders, but once clients see bugs in or around your property they will start to wonder about cleanliness and how much care you take over your building. It makes no sense, since termites are not attracted to food crumbs and cleanliness has nothing to do with why they are there, but all bugs are signs of filth in some people’s minds.
Property owners who have gone through infestations suggest that termite control is best handled by licensed, insured, and experienced exterminators. They should come from your area and be familiar specifically with the sort of termites you are having trouble with.
The two methods of termite control most likely to take place are baiting and poisoning. Insecticides are used in the latter instance, which is why this method is not only a last resort but also best handled by experts. Baiting is safer because it limits the places where chemicals will be and what creatures can gain access to them. Pets will not be endangered by termite baiting devices.
Doing It Yourself
If you find the cost of extermination unreasonable or you are confident of your abilities, termite control can be done without calling in the experts. If you take this route, read up on the several methods of inspection, extermination, and prevention. They differ between types of termites, as do the signs of infestation you are looking for.
