Termites can be a real problem for most houses. They will get into your house and eat the wood that can make up the supports of your house. If you get termites, you can call an exterminator to get rid of them. If you don't have them yet or you have gotten rid of them, there are some natural ways that you can help control that fact and try to keep the termites from coming back.
Keep Firewood Away From the House
If you have a fireplace or wood stove, you probably stock up on wood so that you have plenty to get through the winter. People also tend to have that wood stacked up right next to your house. Any termites or other pests that are in the wood can transfer over to your house. You don't have to keep the wood at the other end of the yard, but stacking it up a few feet away from the house, under its own shelter, instead of right next to the house.
Get Rid of Any Leaks
Leaks can weaken the wood around your house. Weakened wood can give termites a nice place to live because they don't have to work as hard to get into the wood. So, make sure that there are no leaks. That means looking under the house too since that's where the termites are most likely to show up.
Diatomaceous Earth
Diatomaceous earth (DE) is a naturally occurring very soft rock. It crumbles up very easily. You can sprinkle it around your yard. It won't hurt any landscaping that you may have near the house. If you get food-grade diatomaceous earth, it will be fine for your pets and children to be around. The food grade means that it's safe to eat if you wanted to. It's also very good at killing insects. It does that in a couple of ways. One is that the tiny little pieces of DE are very sharp. They get in under the bug's exoskeleton and their body joints. That can slow them down and kill them. The DE will also help to dry them out and desiccate the bug, getting rid of them.
Termites are very common, and you may have them and not realize that you have them until a lot of damage has been done. That means that you want to prevent them from coming to your house or prevent them from coming back if the exterminator has gotten rid of them. For more information, talk to a professional like Ace Walco & Sons Termite & Pest Control.
