What to Know About Termites
- Termites are small, soft-bodied insects.
- They live in highly organized colonies, counting from several hundred to several million members.
- Termites feed on decomposing plant material, mostly wood, leaves, and animal droppings.
- Their large collectives can cause significant structural damage to buildings, cultivated plants, and forests.
- These pests can help nature by breading down and recycling dead plant tissues
- Termites can be divided into 3 groups: drywood, dampwood, and subterranean (underground)
How to Prevent Drywood Termites
There are several things you can do to stop these tiny pests from entering your home.
Secure all entry points
- Cover all the vents in your home with a suitable screen mesh.
- Do the same with the windows and doors.
Protect the wood (hire a pest control company)
- Seal any exposed holes and cracks in the wood.
- Apply a good insecticide to stop the termites from consuming your wood work. Choose a residual action formula that is harsh on the drywood termites, but gentle on people and pets. Sodium borate is highly toxic to drywood termites, but relatively safe for humans and animals.
- Try the wood injection (drill and treat) method, where non-toxic insecticides are injected directly into the wood, through little holes. Most of these chemicals remain active for a long time.
- Spray the wood around your home. For this method, it’s best to hire a professional pest control company. Once the mineral salt-based insecticide is applied, it will remain on the wood for the duration of its life.
Consider using termite-resistant wood
- Some trees, like the Redwood and Alaskan cedars, the bald cypress or the eucalyptus tree, are naturally resistant to drywood termites. This specifically applies to the dense, less permeable inner part of the tree trunk (heartwood). This tissue is more compact and more durable than the surrounding living portion (sapwood), which makes it naturally resistant to termite attack.
- Pressure-treated wood is also termite resistant. During the pressure treatment, a preservative is fixed into the pores of the timber, acting as a chemical barrier against drywood termites. As an added benefit, it slows down the decay process.
- Opt for specially designed composite materials instead of traditional timber. These materials, consisting of waste wood fiber and plastic, are impervious to termites. Unlike natural wood, composite materials don’t warp, split or rot.