Even if your home is currently free of termites, if you have noticed their presence somewhere nearby, you might need to act. For example, Subterranean termites build huge nest underground. The nests made by Coptotermes acinaciformis termites can contain as many as 1 million termites. If such a nest of termites were to become interested in your home, they could do enormous damage. That's why it's important to learn how termites spread so you can take action to ensure your home is safe. Here are a few things to know about termites and how to deal with them.
Termites Look for Ideal Conditions
A termite's biggest weakness is its need for darkness and humidity. When exposed to the hot air of an Australian summer, a termite will quickly dry out and die. The same is true if a termite gets caught in sunlight for too long. Because of that need, termites are forever on the lookout for locations that provide moisture and humidity. They can sense these conditions. What could create conditions like these? A leaking air conditioning unit, a sprinkler and a pile of moist wood can all create these conditions. You can deter termites by removing such temptations from your property.
Termites Search for Rotting Wood
Termites forage over huge distances in comparison to their size. A tiny worker termite will travel at least 50 metres from its nest to search for a source of rotting wood. However, once it locates food, it will notify the rest of the nest. If your home's foundation is wet or in contact with the soil, it is rich pickings for nearby termites. Have a termite extermination team check your home's foundation to ensure it doesn't attract termites.
Termites Build Satellite Colonies
A mature termite colony is large enough to attack several homes at the same time. This is because termites survive by building satellite colonies wherever they locate food. Although these satellite colonies don't contain queens, they are always connected to the nest and so receive a continuous stream of reinforcements from the main colony. A termite exterminator can find and break up these satellite colonies.
If you have noticed what looks like termites somewhere in your garden or the local area, consider taking action to eradicate them before they notice your home. It only takes a small leak to create the ideal conditions for termites to invade. Your best course of action is to call in the experts. Using a baiting system, they can ensure that nearby termite colonies die within a few weeks.
One of the signs that winter is on its way is when you find evidence of rats or mice moving into your home. These rodents hate the cold, so they love to find a cosy spot to set up house once the temperature drops.
Pest control is the best way to stay on top of rodent issues, but what type of pest control works best for these critters? These blog posts are all about pest control so that you can educate yourself on subjects like baiting versus trapping, and also how to avoid your pets getting sick from pest control measures.
The more you learn about pest control, the better informed you are about making the right choice for saying goodbye to rodents in your home.