Moving to the South? Watch Out for Termites
Posted on: 21 December 2020
Share
If you are moving to the south, you should be aware that the southern states are more likely to have certain insects. Knowing what these are can help you be ready and know what to look for. One common insect you will find is termites. This is because it stays warm in the southern states much longer when compared to the north. Keep reading so you know if you have termites and what you can do about them.
Signs of Termites
Termites are dangerous insects, so you need to know what to watch out for. First, there are flying termites, which are known as swarmers. These termites are the ones that cause an infestation. This is because swarmers mate and then burrow in the ground to lay eggs. The termites that hatch from these eggs are not flyers but traditional termites that eat wood. It does not take long for swarmers to lay a lot of eggs so an infestation will not take a long time.
If you have swarmers you need to kill them immediately. They cannot fly fast or far so you will often see them on the outside walls of your home. Use a vacuum cleaner that has a hose attachment to suck the swarmers up. When you are done, remove the vacuum bag, place it in a bag that you can seal up tightly, then throw the bag away from your home. Some of the swarmers may live but most of them will die inside the vacuum bag.
If you do not see any flying termites, you still may have these insects. Look outside at any wood that you may have, such as logs, and see if they look like something has been eating on them. Look inside your home for signs of termites. You may notice patterns that look much like a maze on walls and floorboards. You will also see mounds of pellets that the termites leave behind.
Tips for Getting Rid of Termites
Use Termite Bait Stations
You or a pest control contractor can place termite bait systems placed outside your home to kill termites. The stations are made of cellulose in many cases but can also be made of paper or wood. Inside the bait station is a poison that the termites are attracted to. Worker termites are the termites that crawl outside to find food for their colony. When they smell the bait they will go to it and eat the poison.
You should place more than one bait station outside and place them 10 to 12 feet apart. They are generally placed near the perimeter of your home. These bait stations work quickly to kill termites. Also, if the worker termites do not bring food back to the colony the termites there will starve and die.
Contact Pest Control
A pest control company will spray inside your home in areas where there are termites. They will also spray outside your home, such as around the foundation to kill termites before they enter your home. The pest control company can also set up bait stations for you.
When the contractor finishes spraying and doing all their work, they will likely set up another appointment for them to come back to make sure all the termites are gone. This is important as some termites may have been hiding and did not get killed with the pesticide.