What To Do When You Find Termites

[separator top=”-55″ bottom=”10″ style=””]

Most of us find that we have termites in our home by accident. For instance, you could be doing the house work and polishing the window sill when your finger goes straight through the surface. Or you discover some soft wood or blistered paint, and pick a little bit off just to see what it is. But all the time the horrified thought is running through your mind that it must be termites.

How to Handle a Termite Problem at Home

Well, here is what to do when you discover termites in the home. Stop messing around, get some masking tape and cover the hole. This is important as it will stop the termites from panicking and going to a different part of the house.

Then call a trained professional termite technician and tell them what you have found. They will advise you what to do and arrange a suitable time to come and inspect the premises.

Don’t worry if the termite technician can’t get to you for a few days, or even up to a week. As long as you don’t disturb the termites they are not going to go anywhere. The damage that has been done is done, so a few more days won’t hurt. The reason we advise you to put some masking tape over the damaged area is so that the termites stay put and the termite technician has a starting point from which to track the entry point.

Two Rounds of Treatment for Termites

This is the most important thing when dealing with termites: we must find the entry point and eliminate it. Once this has been done, that area will be treated, usually on the same day. Then the termite technician will arrange another visit for around two week after the first visit. This often causes panic in the customer because they just want the termites gone on the first visit.

Well, this doesn’t happen. However, the initial inspection and the treatment cuts off the entry point to the premises, and causes the termites that are already in the premises to huddle  together. This is a defence mechanism to try and save the colony. But what actually happens when they have no access to the ground and to moisture is that they dry out and die.

Removing the Termites’ Nest

Once they have all died within the nest, the nest is removed, and any necessary repair work is carried out.  At this stage, it is very important that a barrier treatment is put in place to prevent another attack from termites. Without this there is no guarantee they won’t come back.

Barrier Treatment

A barrier treatment involves digging around the property and drilling through any solid areas, such as concrete, and then pumping termicide into the trench and through the drilled holes. Once this is all done, the termites are gone and the repair work is completed. Always arrange for follow-up annual inspections. This will prevent any further problems from occurring.

We hope that you now understand a little about termites and the way they live. The DIY approach usually ends up costing you in the long run. We cannot emphasize this enough – DO NOT TRY AND GET RID OF TERMITES YOURSELVES.

Follow these simple rules:

• Look but don’t touch,
• Call a professional.