Are You Accidentally Attracting Termites To Your Del Rio Home?

Termites are destructive pests, and many Del Rio residents don't know how to properly protect their homes against termite damage. Plus, there are ways many residents attract termite problems. We don't want either of these to be the case for you. Join us today as we look at what can attract termites to Del Rio homes, how to detect signs of termites in your home and on your property, and how professional termite pest control in Del Rio can work to guard your property from termite damage. We hope to provide you with everything you need to guard your property on your own or to get professional assistance to give your property the best protection possible.  

You likely know that termites eat wood. What you may not know are the many ways you can put this food source out for termites to find as well as some of the other food sources termites eat. Understanding what termites eat in your Del Rio yard and what conducive conditions can lead to a termite problem can help you avoid termite damage.

• Dying trees invite termites. If you have a dying tree on your property, it is best to remove it. If that is not possible, the second best solution is to apply a treatment to prevent termites from feeding on this desirable food source.
• Dead branches. Long before a tree dies, it can lose branches. These can lie on the ground in your yard and provide a food source for termites. Some Del Rio residents pick dead branches up and stack them in a pile. This is not a good solution because termites can still access this food source. We recommend putting branches in a plastic or rubber bin until you can remove them from your property.
• Cardboard and paper. These are like ice cream for termites. A termite colony will feverishly devour a pile of cardboard and paper that is sitting on the ground in your yard. They've even been known to get into garages and sheds to feed on this food source. They also eat books, clothes, and other items that have cellulose.
• Debris. Sometimes wood is left on the ground, particularly after construction projects. Pick up all wood sources in your yard, both hardwood and softwood.
• Wood-to-soil contact. Do you have a wood skirt on your home? Do you have wooden deck supports that go into the ground? Any wood-to-soil contact on structures can provide termites direct access to the wood of these exterior structures. This can allow them to get into your home without providing any visible signs of entry.
• Gaps and cracks. Some termites enter homes through tiny entry points around windows and doors. Once inside, they can nest in the voids around your windows and doors or start to feed on baseboards, crown molding, and other interior wood sources. A caulking gun or cans of expanding foam will help prevent this. Inspect the exterior of your home. Apply caulk or foam to gaps around utilities, windows, and doors. Insert products into voids behind joists and between gaps in wood. Patch wood siding and skirting. Every gap, crack, and hole you patch is one less route for termites to use to get into your home. 
• Moisture. Termites need moisture to survive and are attracted to homes with more moisture. It is hard to control moisture because you need it for your lawn and landscaping. We've added this attractant mostly because you should know that homes with well-maintained lawns and landscaping are more interesting to certain termites. However, as you work to make your yard nice, it is critical to stay on top of yard work. Removing dense vegetation that can trap moisture, removing leaves and other organic debris, and providing your plants only with the water they need, are all effective preventative measures.   

These are some of the many conditions that can attract termites to Del Rio homes. You have control over certain conditions, but not others. Along with addressing potential attractants, it is critical that you routinely inspect your property for signs of a termite infestation. Finding early signs of termites in your yard or home can prevent extensive damage.       

What Does A Termite Infestation Look Like?

Del Rio termites primarily come in two forms. One will live in the ground near your home and damage softwood. One will land on your home and get in through cracks to feed on hardwood.

Subterranean Termites: These termites are the worst because the warning signs they provide are often hidden. You'll need to get into hiding places on your property, such as a crawlspace under your home or a protected space underneath a deck, porch or patio.

• Shelter tubes. Subterranean termites protect themselves by staying inside their tunnels where it is moist. When they attack the wood of a home, they often have to create above-ground tunnels out of soil and moisture. These are called shelter tubes or mud tubes. They look like thin wiggly lines most of the time.
• Damage to moist or rotting wood. If you have damp or rotting wood near the ground, you might see a deterioration of the wood. Termites aren't the only organisms that damage moist or rotting wood. Look for mud on the wood or in stacked groves in the wood. The presence of mud is a clear sign that subterranean termites are involved.
• Hollow-sounding support timbers. When you tap on a solid wood timber or support beam, it shouldn't sound hollow. If it does, it is an indication that subterranean termites are tunneling inside the wood.

Drywood Termites: While easier to detect than subterranean termites, these insects can do considerable damage before you notice signs of termite damage. Here are unique signs these pests provide.

• Frass. Drywood termites consume wood and produce a material called frass, which is mostly composed of their droppings. The droppings of drywood termites are hard pellets that are the same color as the wood the termites are consuming. 
• Holes. The holes created by termites are small at first. These tiny holes are called kickouts. Drywood termites make these holes to push frass out of their tunnels. You may find these tiny kickout holes in door and window frames, trimming, and baseboards.
• Honeycomb indents in baseboards. When drywood termites feed on baseboards, you may see dents forming on the surfaces of your baseboards. These small dents let you know something is wrong inside your baseboards.
• Clicking noises. While somewhat rare, termites may make noises. These sound like a clicking or rustling sound. Soldier termites make the noise by banging their heads on tunnel walls in response to a threat, such as ants entering their tunnels. 

Swarmers: While the two kinds of termites in Del Rio provide different and unique warning signs, both can reveal themselves when they release winged termites. These are called swarmers because they gather into a swarm as they mate. There are a few things you should know about swarmers:

• They are about ? of an inch long.
• They are black or dark orange.
• They have long wings that are rounded at the tips.
• You may see a swarm on the ground or on a surface.
• Swarms last for less than an hour.
• Sometimes the only sign of a termite swarm is shed wings left by termite swarmers after mating.

When you detect termites, the next step is to consider termite control. There are many options, but you should know that termite control isn't easy. If you fail to get rid of termites, you leave your property exposed to termite damage. 

Why It Is So Hard To Get Rid Of Termites On Your Property

The products used to effectively treat termites in Del Rio require drilling or trenching. Not only is this hard work, but there are many ways to do it wrong. It is best to have a licensed service provider handle this complicated task so that the termite control product gets to where it needs to go and no visible damage is done to your property in the process. 

Ways To Prevent Future Termite Infestations In Del Rio

Whether you do your own termite control or you have a professional handle termite control for you, you need to know what to do after a treatment and also what to do to prevent a termite infestation before termites target your home. In both cases, pest control service is the best choice. Your pest control service provider will trench around your home and install a product to stop sneaky subterranean termites from getting inside and will also perform routine inspections and treatments around your exterior to stop drywood termites. If you'd like to learn more about how this works, contact Gold Star Exterminators. We use the most effective termite control solutions for Del Rio termites and guarantee our work for one year after treatment and up to five years after that. There is no better way to protect your property against termite damage.   

Gold Star has been spraying our house for a few years now and I can't express how much it has helped.  I was spraying Demon WD myself and barely made an impact on the scorpions and spiders.  after they started doing it, we have very few sightings now.  Great company.

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