Albany Termite Removal Secrets
Albany has a termite problem. Specifically, the city is one of many that has to deal with the Eastern Subterranean Termite. One of America’s most common pests, this type of termite can infest your home and potentially cause thousands of dollars of damage. To get rid of them, call (518) 444-5760 to schedule a free estimate.
It’s not wise to assume this will never happen to you. As many as one in five homes in high termite activity areas will end up having to deal with this pest at some point or another. According to Terminix, Albany NY pest control specialists, these rampant creatures cause $5 billion of damage in the United States every year.
If your house is at risk of an infestation, typing “termite removal near me” into Google and hoping for the best isn’t going to cut it. You need to know some termite removal secrets so you can get ahead of the problem before you start calling fumigation companies. These secrets may help you hold termites at bay while you search for suitable extermination services. And in some cases, they may help you carry out pest abatement to the point where you don’t have to deal with termites anymore.
It’s not wise to assume this will never happen to you. As many as one in five homes in high termite activity areas will end up having to deal with this pest at some point or another. According to Terminix, Albany NY pest control specialists, these rampant creatures cause $5 billion of damage in the United States every year.
If your house is at risk of an infestation, typing “termite removal near me” into Google and hoping for the best isn’t going to cut it. You need to know some termite removal secrets so you can get ahead of the problem before you start calling fumigation companies. These secrets may help you hold termites at bay while you search for suitable extermination services. And in some cases, they may help you carry out pest abatement to the point where you don’t have to deal with termites anymore.
Secret #1: How to spot a termite infestation
How do you know you need to start searching for extermination services?
Termites will let you know as long as you have a keen eye for the clues they leave behind. The clearest of these signs are the mud tubes that these pesky insects build to help them navigate between wood and water. If you see any strange clumps of mud in areas of your house where mud shouldn’t be, you may have a termite problem to confront.
A more obvious sign is swarms of flying termites that occur in Albany during the spring and early summer. Spotting a swarm near your home is a bad sign because these critters gather when they’re looking to mate and find new sources of food. Get ahead of the problem by calling extermination services if you see a swarm.
Also, search for discarded wings on the floor of your property. Termites discard their wings to burrow after mating. If you see wings near your property, that’s a sign that termites have burrowed nearby and may be causing damage.
Finally, be aware of loose sawdust while cleaning the house.
Termites chew through wood quickly, leaving trails of sawdust in their wake. If you spot sawdust anywhere in your home, call a pest abatement service to have your property checked.
Termites will let you know as long as you have a keen eye for the clues they leave behind. The clearest of these signs are the mud tubes that these pesky insects build to help them navigate between wood and water. If you see any strange clumps of mud in areas of your house where mud shouldn’t be, you may have a termite problem to confront.
A more obvious sign is swarms of flying termites that occur in Albany during the spring and early summer. Spotting a swarm near your home is a bad sign because these critters gather when they’re looking to mate and find new sources of food. Get ahead of the problem by calling extermination services if you see a swarm.
Also, search for discarded wings on the floor of your property. Termites discard their wings to burrow after mating. If you see wings near your property, that’s a sign that termites have burrowed nearby and may be causing damage.
Finally, be aware of loose sawdust while cleaning the house.
Termites chew through wood quickly, leaving trails of sawdust in their wake. If you spot sawdust anywhere in your home, call a pest abatement service to have your property checked.
Secret #2: Remove food sources
Once you’ve spotted the signs of a potential termite infestation, your first step is always to call an exterminator. But there are also a few things you can do to slow their spread and potentially starve a large portion of the insects out of your home.
Removing obvious food sources helps here.
For example, you may have a stash of firewood on your property. Moving that wood outside means that any termites in your home can’t feed on it. This is a particularly crucial step if you keep wood near your home's foundation because the termites might work their way through the wood and end up inside the building itself.
From there, look for any other food sources on your property. Discarded paper and wood shavings need to go. You should also be wary of any tree stumps on your land because these make ideal nesting grounds for termites.
Removing obvious food sources helps here.
For example, you may have a stash of firewood on your property. Moving that wood outside means that any termites in your home can’t feed on it. This is a particularly crucial step if you keep wood near your home's foundation because the termites might work their way through the wood and end up inside the building itself.
From there, look for any other food sources on your property. Discarded paper and wood shavings need to go. You should also be wary of any tree stumps on your land because these make ideal nesting grounds for termites.
Secret #3: Termite bait station poison is key
As Albany’s main types of termites are subterranean, you need a form of pest control that targets this type of pest specifically. Bait stations are the best solution, unless you're planning to hire professional termite removal services.
These stations work similarly to mousetraps. Except instead of cheese, you stock them with a poisonous substance that attracts termites. If a termite gets close to the bait station, it’s coated with a slow-acting poison that eventually kills it.
You want the termite to go back to its nest to spread the poison that’s coating its body. By setting up bait stations, you can create a cascade effect in which the minority of termites that are drawn to the poison ends up infecting the majority back in the nest. It’s almost like a deadly termite flu.
These stations work similarly to mousetraps. Except instead of cheese, you stock them with a poisonous substance that attracts termites. If a termite gets close to the bait station, it’s coated with a slow-acting poison that eventually kills it.
You want the termite to go back to its nest to spread the poison that’s coating its body. By setting up bait stations, you can create a cascade effect in which the minority of termites that are drawn to the poison ends up infecting the majority back in the nest. It’s almost like a deadly termite flu.
Secret #4: Heat & Sunlight can repel termites
Termites are not big fans of the heat. You can use that to your advantage if you find any infested wood. By heating the wood to 120 degrees Fahrenheit for about 35 minutes, you should kill off any termites inside. Unfortunately, this is a short-term fix. It doesn’t prevent later colonies of termites from arriving at your home. Plus, it won’t help you if the nest is in an inaccessible place that you can’t heat. Still, even a small blow against a few termites in a piece of wood helps to slow the spread of the damage they might cause before your exterminators show up.
Termites hate the sun almost as much as they despise heat. That’s especially the case for the subterranean species found in Albany. This hatred of the sun is why they swarm during the spring before quickly finding places to burrow into so they can stay in the dark conditions they thrive in. You can utilize this vampiric trait to your advantage.
If you find termites in a room with windows, open the blinds and let the sunlight shine in. The termites won’t be able to handle it and will eventually start dying out. If they’ve managed to get into a room without any windows, such as a basement, UV lamps can do a similar job.
Termites hate the sun almost as much as they despise heat. That’s especially the case for the subterranean species found in Albany. This hatred of the sun is why they swarm during the spring before quickly finding places to burrow into so they can stay in the dark conditions they thrive in. You can utilize this vampiric trait to your advantage.
If you find termites in a room with windows, open the blinds and let the sunlight shine in. The termites won’t be able to handle it and will eventually start dying out. If they’ve managed to get into a room without any windows, such as a basement, UV lamps can do a similar job.
Secret #5: Professional termite removal is more effective long term
The secrets shared in this article help you to engage in a little solo termite & pest control once you’ve discovered a swarm of these insects in or near your home. But you’re going to need some extra help to get rid of the infestation once and for all. Professional extermination services have the equipment needed to root out infestations, destroy termites, and even treat the soil surrounding your property to dissuade future colonies from calling your home their home. If you have a termite problem, Albany Pest Control is here to help.