Turning the Termites Away – On the House

Turning the Termites Away

By on March 5, 2014

This year, one-thousand homes a day will catch fire, but that statistic pales when compared to the 5,000 homes a day that will be damaged by termites. Unlike fire, there’s no insurance for termite damage. Instead, there are things you should do to ensure spotting and correcting problems.

Don’t confuse termites with winged ants. Similar-looking flying ants have slim waists, hard bodies and double wings that are unequal in length. Termites have soft round bodies and two pairs of wings that are the same length. Termite antennae are straight, not bent.

Seal outside gaps and cracks and paint or stain everything. Soil around foundations should be 8 inches below walls and should drain away from the house. Wood stairs and railings should have concrete footings to avoid ground contact.

Find and correct all leaks — inside and out — because termites love damp wood.

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