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Termites are found in every state in the union except Alaska. They are one of the leading causes of home damage, damage that is most often not covered by homeowners insurance. One of the best ways to combat the problem is to be proactive in the battle, employing termite control methods in Macon, GA. Inspection A termite inspection is the best way to identify the problem areas and control the termites. There are several different clues to pinpoint where the problem is located and how large the colony is. The inspection will check the property around the home as well as structural areas in the walls and basement. The most visible sign of termites would be piles of wings around doors and windows. They only use the wings once to spread the colony. The most obvious sign of possible termites, though, is wood damage in areas where water cannot gain access. As termites set up a new colony, they begin chewing through the wood in search of their favorite meat, wood cellulose. This weakens the wood and turns it to sawdust. Perimeter Treatment Once a termite colony has finished consuming the wood cellulose in one location they move onto the next area. They will leave one by one and fly off until they find another tasty pile of wood. The best way to keep them from building a new colony is to spray the area around a house to eliminate them before they get in. A chemical barrier is set up around the house to prevent the termites from landing and crawling into the house. The first layer is a chemical spray around the building perimeter as well as saturating the soil a few feet around the foundation. Solid chemical stakes can then be used to prolong the effectiveness of the spray. Structural Treatment While chemical treatments are ideal as a barrier to the home, there are other methods to take care of the colony once it sets up inside the house. The biggest challenge to eradicating an existing termite infestation is they are very difficult to find. They set up nests inside the walls and develop roadways in there as well. This makes it very difficult to apply an insecticide. The most common method is poison bait traps. These are placed near visible signs of termite traffic. The termites walk through the chemicals and transfer it back to the colony, infecting more termites in the process. There are also poison baits that smell like the cellulose the termites seek and which can kill them off one by one. Building Changes There are two things that termites look for when seeking an area to colonize, wood and water. While most houses are constructed from wood, most of them are dry and lack appeal for the termites. Moisture seems to be the biggest enemy to most homes, contributing to rot, mold and termites. Homeowners can battle all three by checking that their house is dry. Another aspect of termite control is to keep them away from the house. While the chemical shield can help, assessing the landscaping around the house can greatly improve the odds of avoiding termites. Warm, moist mulch that is piled too high against the walls is an open invitation to the termites. They start in the mulch and build mud tubes up the foundation wall to the frame and get in the house that way. Termites can be one of the scariest things to happen to a homeowner. They are almost invisible and can cause catastrophic damage to a home. Many homeowners should investigate the many termite control methods in Macon, GA, to keep their home protected.
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