Preparing Your Knoxville Home Against Termites This Spring

Winter is coming to a close and whether you experienced termites throughout the winter or not, it’s time to start looking ahead. You can start preparing your Knoxville home for the spring termite swarmers that are about to emerge. If you plan ahead you can avoid a lot of stress, headaches, and serious damage to your home.

In the spring mature termite colonies send out swarmers. You will only see them for a short period of time (if you see them at all) as they are going out to develop new termite colonies. They will typically present themselves as winged insects gathered in a large mass on windowsills and around the walls of your foundation.

Once these new colonies develop, the once small termite problem you may have encountered previously is bound to get much larger. Large populations of termites can damage the structure of your home and any wood inside including furniture and personal items. Signs of damage are hollow or damaged wood, as well as, bowing floors, warped walls, and sagging ceilings. If structural beams are affected by termites, it could compromise its strength. Simply put, termite damage can be serious and the repairs can be very costly.

To get started, follow these preventative measures, but in the end, you will want to seek professional help for an active infestation:

• Keep your home dry by using dehumidifiers in damp areas around your home, especially the basement. You should also make sure your attic and crawl spaces are well ventilated. Repair leaks inside and outside of your home as soon as possible. Finally, don’t allow standing water too close to your home.
• Keep piles of firewood, debris, and junk up off of the ground and at least 20 feet away from your home. You should also leave an 18” space directly around your home by using crushed rock or other non-wood material.
• Repair any rotted wood or damaged siding found on your home.
• Routinely inspect your property for termite mud tubes.

If you have tried your hand at prevention and you are still experiencing termite-related problems, or if you’d rather get the professionals onboard from the start, call on the experts at Russell’s Pest Control in Eastern Tennessee. Give us a call today to learn more about termites, the problems they cause and the termite control options Russell’s Pest Control offers to help protect your home from these damaging pests.