How Termites Get into Your Property
The termites that cause challenges for homes in NYC – eastern subterranean termites – do not live in the homes they eat. They live in the soil near their food source and build tunnels out of mud, droppings, and saliva to protect them as they move between their colony and their food. This means that a primary component of termite control is keeping termites from getting access to your property so that they seek out food sources elsewhere.
Termites are extremely aggressive and have been known to find their way around aluminum siding and other metals to get at the wood behind. But you can make any potential entry to your home more difficult for termites to reduce the risk of an infestation. These are some of the most common ways that subterranean termites get into homes and other properties in NYC and what steps you can take to make these entrances harder to access.
Keeping Termites from Getting into Your Home
In addition to making your home less desirable for termites by eliminating leaks and removing extra wood, you should look for any of these areas and take steps to fix them in order to protect your property.
- Cracks in Foundation and Siding – A termite can squeeze through an opening that is 1/32” wide, approximately the thickness of a piece of cardstock. Cracks of this size can often develop in cement foundations and between brickwork.
- Cracks Around Pipes – Pipes and wires that enter your home for utilities can often have tiny gaps around them that termites can travel through.
Door and Window – Homes can shift slightly over time, which may cause door and window frames to become uneven and leave a crack that offers enough space for a termite. - Wood Touching Soil – If there are any areas around your home where wood rests directly on the soil, such as stairs, porches, siding, or firewood piles. These make it easy for termites to tunnel first into the wood and then climb to a more accessible area of your home.
- Nearby Trees – Termites can eat trees as well as the wooden structure of homes. If trees near your house come into direct contact with the building, termites can eat their way up the tree and then to your home.
Before termites start swarming the spring, seal gaps, move firewood, and cut back any trees. Also be ready to protect your home against termite damage with 24 Hour Pest Control, a dependable termite treatment company in NYC. Call us anytime for advanced termite control and treatment options.
