In Arizona, unless you are very careful, you could be sharing your home with a number of very dangerous pests. According to pest control Scottsdale some of the most common enemies such as ants, termites, flies, squirrels, cockroaches, rodents, scorpions and even skunks do not come on their own; they are rather invited in your home unwittingly. Out of all these, termites have the potential to do you most harm as their colonies can literally turn your home into dust.
Arizona termite experts say that most people actually invite termites to their homes by putting within their reach their favorite food. Termites thrive on three factors: cellulose (paper, wood, organic waste), moisture, and shelter. Now, look carefully around your home; are you inviting termites into your home? It does not take much to ensure that your home does not attract termites; here is what you can do:
(1) Ensure that you are not providing them food:
– store all wood, timber, firewood, paper (if any) away from the foundation of the house;
– if you have to store wood, build a platform about 6-10 inches above the ground and place all the wood on this platform away from direct contact with the soil;
– keep the surroundings of your home free from dead logs and vegetation;
– ensure that mulch levels are at 6-12 inches below the main wooden structures of your home.
(2) Ensure you do not allow moisture to build within your home and its foundation, says pest control Scottsdale expert:
– it is especially important to slope the soil away from the foundation; in this way, whatever moisture it contains would always drain away instead of building up and inviting termites;
– draw rain water away from your home with the help of gutters and spouts extenders;
– ensure that all plants growth is at least 4 feet away from the foundation of your home
(3) Ensure that there is adequate ventilation in your crawl space:
– remove all vegetation/ plants that are growing over the vents
– if you do not have a vapor barrier, have a vent opening measuring 1ft/150 sq ft (area of crawl space);
– if you have a vapor barrier, the vent should measure 1 ft/ 300-500 sq ft crawl space area;
– ensure that there is enough cross ventilation so there is no moisture trapped in or build up.
(4) Ensure that you do not open a back door for Arizona termites:
– use only high grade insulation material as termites would be attracted to it;
– for your deck/ porch use metal flashing even when the timber has been treated against termites;
– inspect your home’s foundation regularly for any cracks or breaches by the white ants;
– keep mulch away from house foundation.
(5) Yearly inspection is a must:
Have your house inspected by a pest control Scottsdale professional every year or at least once in two years. An experienced termite control Glendale inspector would be able to able to prevent a termite infestation and save you a fortune.
