Termites are more common in some regions than others. While it's tempting to just say "don't build homes where there are termites" this advice is not all that feasible. If you work in a certain area and need to live there, you probably don't want to commute two hours just so you can build a house in a termite-free zone. So you'll need to instead take appropriate actions to keep the termites from invading your new home. It all starts during the building phase. Here are three strategies to help keep them away.
1. Have the area baited before building.
Before the builders even sink posts into the ground, have a termite control company come out and put some baits down. The termites will be so attracted to the bait stations that they don't bother all the wood that is being assembled into your new house. The termite control company can come back every month or two to check how many insects are actually in the bait stations, which should give you an idea of how prevalent termites are on your building site. The more bugs you see in the bait traps, the more careful you need to be.
2. Use pressure-treated lumber.
In some areas, you can get away with using pressure-treated lumber only for the home's main structural beams. But in an area where termites are known to be an issue, you need to use pressure-treated wood throughout, for all of your framing, supports, and wall structures. It costs more, but this wood is far less appealing to termites. It has not just been treated with pressure; it has also been coated in a borate-based substance to keep bugs and rot away.
3. Treat the ground before the foundation is poured.
Your termite control company can also inject the soil with pesticides before the foundation is poured. They should inject in a perimeter all around the foundation site. Soil injections are sometimes looked down upon because they are not that great at combating an active termite infestation, but in your case, you are trying to prevent an infestation — and injections can be really helpful in that regard.
Building in an area where termites are prevalent is always a bit risky, but there are so many steps you can take to gain control. Talk to your builder and local termite services to start this process and build your home.
When you come upon an ant in your home, what do you do? Maybe you kill that one ant and then set some traps to catch any others that come with it. Perhaps you spray some insecticides along the baseboards or in other places where ants tend to congregate. Sometimes these measures might take care of the problem, but other times they don't. If ants continue to be an issue, you'll need to call a pest control company. The same goes if you are dealing with roaches, mice, or some other pest. Learn more about pest control and what these companies do as you explore this website.