How to Prepare for Termite Season in NYC

Termites feed on properties all throughout the year. But termite season in New York City traditionally starts some time between March and June (depending on the species). Termites breed and feed quickly, which means that although it is difficult to prevent all termites, it is possible to take some steps and precautions that can limit both the likelihood of an invasion and the amount of damage they may provide.

Steps to Prepare for Termite Invasions

An annual termite inspection is a smart way to make sure that you can protect yourself from severe termite infestations and expensive treatments, and we encourage you to contact us to learn more about our termite inspection services.

But there are also some tasks you can do to make sure that you’re able to either prevent termites altogether, or prepare for an invasion. These include:

• Take Inventory of Your Property – It’s easier to know if you have termites by examining your property as it looks now, so that you can more easily notice if you have any issues later. For example, if you see the wood on your property change shape, that may be a sign of termites. In NYC, we’re most prone to subterranean termites, which dislike the sun and live under the mud/dirt for survival. In order to get to your property, they traditionally make mud tunnels, so knowing what your property looks like now can help you identify if a mud tunnel has shown up nearby.
• Reduce Excess Food Sources – If you’re someone that uses firewood in winter, or you have wood or logs near your home, now is a good time to get rid of them. Before termites discover your property, they often first discover large collections of rotting or old wood. They’ll typically start feeding on that wood before they eventually move towards your home.
• Fix Causes of Moisture Buildup – You can’t always stop the rain in NYC, but you can be a bit more careful about what areas of your property get moisture. Cleaning gutters, making sure that water drains away from your property instead of towards it, and improving drainage can all reduce moisture buildup, which makes a property less hospitable to termites.

You can also talk to a professional, like One Hour Pest Control, about our termite prevention capabilities as well. There are low cost ways to treat a property that can help protect you from developing any property damage and protect your home all throughout the year.