Regularly Inspecting A Home For Sources Of Moisture-Retention Can Be Enough To Prevent Termite Infestations
Some insect pest species are more difficult to eradicate from homes than others. In some infestation cases, pests may invade homes in order to gain easier access to food sources. Ants, peridomestic cockroach species, and flies often establish a lasting-indoor presence solely because the home’s occupants allow dirty dishes, discarded food items, and garbage waste to pile up, providing insect pests with a habitat that is both rich in sustenance and lacking in their natural predators.
A home can also become a preferable habitat to otherwise wild insect species due to subtle alterations in indoor moisture levels that go unnoticed by homeowners. Most insect species, particularly termites, thrive in high-moisture conditions, so if insect pests suddenly find a home preferable to their usual outdoor habitat, residents may want to inspect their home for sources of moisture-retention. Simply fixing a pipe leak, correcting an outdoor drainage system, or removing a buildup of plant debris from gutters can sometimes suffice to eliminate insect pests from a home. The rate of termite infestations would decrease dramatically if more homeowners were diligent about preventing moisture levels from increasing within their home.
Indoor moisture levels can rise within a home for several reasons. For example, vegetation overgrowth located against the foundation of homes can trap in moisture following bouts of rainfall. This trapped moisture gradually dampens the base of a home’s timber-frame, and this can dramatically increase the chances of a termite infestation from occurring, as the most common group of termite pests in Georgia, subterranean termites, can only infest homes by emerging from soil located directly against the foundation of homes. Luckily, subterranean termite species cannot access a home’s timber-frame directly from their soil habitat, as they are blocked by the concrete or stone foundation that stands in their way. In order to make contact with the base of a home’s timber-frame, subterranean termites must first build termite mud tubes that provide a direct connection between their soil habitat and the base of a home’s timber-frame. Therefore, homeowners should always keep an eye out for these mud tubes, as their presence on a home’s foundation means that subterranean termites have accessed the structural wood within a home.
Have you ever experienced a termite infestation that resulted from indoor moisture issues?
