Whether you’re buying, selling, or just living in your home, termites are one of the last things you want to see in a home inspection report. Termite damage can stop a potential home sale in its tracks and seriously cut into your renovation budget if you buy a home with an active infestation. Termites can cause damage to the home that results in potential safety hazards, often requiring costly repairs if the problem isn’t addressed quickly and effectively.
From the ground floor to the roof, Australian homes are at risk of termite damage. Keep reading to learn more about the dangers termites pose and what to do about them.
The Dangers of A Termite Infestation
Damage to Home’s Structure
Did you know termites can cause damage to your home’s foundation? If they get inside cracks in the concrete, they can further erode the cracks to add more pressure to the base. Additionally, any wooden joists or structural supports that are used to hold your home up are at-risk of damage that can weaken them. Structural damage like this can lead to major problems like flooring collapse, holes in the exterior, and other costly damage.
Damage to Furniture
If the infestation reaches the inside of the home, almost anything with a wooden base is at risk of damage. Termites can crawl into furniture with wooden interior, tables, windowsills, cabinets, and more. Once they’ve eaten through, the furniture will be damaged structurally and cosmetically which can make it unsafe to use.
Danger of Human Interaction
Although not their preferred meal, serious termite infestations can lead to people being bitten. Fortunately, their bites are non-lethal but the last thing anyone wants is bugs crawling on them or biting them.
How Termite Removal Works
While you can take steps to prevent a termite infestation from forming, once it starts, it is likely too late for you to handle removal yourself. Termites can get deep into the “bones” of your home and foundation, so surface-level preventative measures will no longer work. You need professional-level termite removal to ensure the entire infestation is wiped out. This way, there won’t be any survivors to repopulate the infestation.
Depending on the severity of the infestation and where the termites are destroying, the right treatment option may vary. However, termiticides in the form of liquid injections into problem areas or bait traps that lure termites to their death are the most common methods of preventative and active treatments.
Once the infestation is gone, preventative measures like patching holes, using metal barriers for problem areas, bait, and chemical barriers can help prevent new problems from forming. Regular inspections are also incredibly helpful, allowing your pest control service to identify any problems before they escalate to an infestation.
Avoid Disaster with A Pest Control Service
To prevent safety hazards from forming or costly repairs from being needed, consider having a termite inspection completed every year or two. This frequency helps to prevent problems before they become serious, which will save money in the long run in case of an infestation.
If there is an infestation, have it handled quickly and effectively to eradicate the entire population. Termite colonies can grow incredibly quickly, so eliminating the entire infestation is the best way to avoid further termite problems.
Whether you’ve noticed termites around your home or just want to be safe, schedule a termite inspection today with the right termite control.
