Of all the pests that will plague your home, termites are the last one you should ever need to call an exterminator for. Why do I say this? Because an exterminator gets rid of a pest that is already infesting your home. You can wait till ants encroach upon your home and start driving you crazy before you decide to call an exterminator. The worst that will happen with most ants is that they will get into your food or nibble on your feet. And, when you find cockroaches infesting your walls, you can take that as a clear sign that it is time to get a professional. Roaches aren't going to cost you thousands of dollar in hard-to-get-at-repairs before you see one scramble across your wall. But it is never a good idea to wait till you discover termites before you take steps to protect yourself. This is an insect that can silently eat away at your home for years, chewing through your support beams and warping the structure of your house. Proactive pest management is not just important, it is vital to safeguard your investment.
In Lexington, we have the most ravenous termites found in the United States: the subterranean termite. This insect is responsible for 90% of all termite damage done in the U.S. and is linked to billions of dollars in property damage each year. It infests soil outside of man-made structures and sends workers in through mud tubes to devour wood twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week. If you're waiting till you find these insects inside your home, you're setting yourself up for a nightmare.
Proactive Prevention
- Call a certified termite Inspector to check your home for termites. You need to know if your home is currently safe from infestation.
- Prepare your home for spring termite swarmers. There are some exclusion techniques you can use to make your home less of a target. Clean your yard of all wet leaves and sticks. Move any wood construction materials at least twenty feet away from your exterior walls. Fix gutters so that water doesn't soften and moistens the wood of your house. Use a caulking gun to fill in any rotted areas, termites are drawn to decaying wood. Keep mulch 2 feet from your basement walls.
- Sign up for termite control OR a pest control plan that includes termite protection. It is important to have routine inspection throughout the year. You'll be sure to catch termites before they can get into the wood of your house, and you'll be sealing your home from a host of other miserable pests.
If you live in Lexington, it is not wise to live without termite insurance. Finding termites after they have already had time to weaken the structure of your home is the worst possible feeling. Get peace of mind, and take action.