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Termites can be catastrophic to any home they invade. They destroy the very wood that holds the house up with a voracious appetite. The best termite control methods for Macon, GA, homeowners keep the termites from ever getting in by adjusting the environmental conditions around the home. Building Codes Many state and local building codes are designed to ensure the structural integrity of a house. Some codes are designed to keep termites out, thus ensuring the structural integrity of the house. There are regulations as to how high the foundation needs to be off the ground. This space creates a barrier that the termites need to travel to get to the wood. Termites do not like sunlight, so they need to build mud tunnels over the foundation to get up to the wood. The wall height above the soil also puts the wood part of the house out of range of the termites. Pressure Treated Wood Even though the foundation walls are not appealing to the termites, other structures attached to the house can create an alternate path into the house. Porch steps or a deck are often made of pressure-treated wood to prevent termites and ants from creating colonies. The wood is treated with chemicals that make the wood unappealing to the termites. There are several woods, cedar, redwood, and cypress, that are naturally insect-repellent. The natural woods, though, are ideal if cut from the heartwood of the tree. Many homeowners in the new millennium are using plastic and or composites to build their exterior structures. Plastics have no appeal to termites to begin with and the composites are also naturally termite-proof. The composite materials combine wood and plastic bits that are glued under intense pressure. The glue is impervious to the termites munching. Around the House The attraction for termites does not need to be structurally attached to the house. Mulch that is piled too high against the house can reduce the amount of space the termites have to travel along the foundation. Mulch is most often made from the naturally resistant woods to prevent the termites from setting up their colony in the flower beds. A firewood stack leaning against the house is also a prime opportunity for the termites to get in. Firewood should be stacked on a metal rack several yards away from the house. Almost all termite infestations start from a few explorers climbing out of the soil and on to the wood structure of a house. The most effective termite control methods in Macon, GA, minimize this wood to ground contact, preventing the termites from gaining access.
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