Termite Protection Information 1

Following on from my initial post welcoming you to this blog all about termite protection, which I simply entitled Termite Protection, I'd like to now impart some knowledge about termites and the reasons why you'll need termite protection.

Termites are known to cause billions of dollars in damage to property each year, so termite protection can be a great cost saving measure.

Termites primarily feed on wood, but can also damage paper, including books, insulation materials and even swimming pool liners and filtration systems! Termites are also capable of injuring living trees and shrubs, although they are more often a secondary invader of woody plants that are already in decline.

While buildings with wooden structures may become infested at any time, termite protection is of particular importance when buying or selling a home. That's because a termite inspection and infestation report is normally a condition of sale in the US. Besides the potential monetary impact, seeing thousands of winged termites emerging inside your home can be an emotionally trying experience. That's not to mention the thought of millions of termites silently feasting away on your largest investment - your home!

Spring is typically the time when huge numbers of winged termites (known as "swarmers") can emerge inside homes. In their natural habitat, termites swarm to disperse in order to start new colonies. Their swarming instinct is triggered by the warmer temperatures and rainfall that occurs in spring. Winged termites then emerge from their colony and fly into the air.

After a while of flight, the swarmers will drop to the ground and shed their wings. They will then pair off with a mate,and attempt to begin new colonies in the soil.

Its interesting to note that a few swarmers emerging outdoors will survive to start new colonies. However, swarmers emerging indoors are incapable of eating wood, so they seldom survive and can easily be removed with a vacuum cleaner. This does however, indicate that an infestation is present in your home, where you'll need to employ some form of termite protection to halt the spread.

Termite protection is often necessary to rid your home of an infestation and to save it from being ruined in a few short seasons.

Termite Protection