Few pests strike fear into the hearts of homeowners the way termites do. They are certainly unique amongst pests.

• They won’t bite or sting you.
• They won’t invade your pantry and contaminate your food.
• They won’t transmit some deadly disease to you.
• They won't knock over your trash and ransack your yard.
•  

None-the-less, termites are terrifying. Termites can silently destroy your home from the inside out. By the time you discover them, the damage has already been done and you are looking at hundreds, if not thousands of dollars in damage and repairs.

Termite swarming season is approaching yet again, but there may already be termites in your home and on your property. Even through the cold Schenectady winters, termites can burrow far enough underground to stay warm. If they are already indoors, they can remain active throughout the entire year.

Recognizing Signs of Termites

You’ll want to stay diligent in looking for signs of termites in and around your home all winter.

Look for the following:

• Mud tubes going up your foundation.
• Sawdust-like piles outside of holes in the wood supports of your basement.
• Oddly buckling walls.
• Doors that won’t close correctly.
• Strange moving sounds inside your walls.

How to Keep Termites Out This Spring

If you are lucky enough to have avoided termites thus far, you’ll want to take prevention steps to keep your Schenectady home termite-free this spring.

Some of the basic steps you can take to make your property and home unattractive to termites include:

• Keep wood piles dry and place them at least 100 feet from your home on a platform off the ground.
• Remove dead and dying trees and dilapidated structures, such as old storage sheds, that you are no longer using.
• Make sure gutters are draining properly and that you don't have any leaky hoses or misaligned sprinklers.
• Indoors, run dehumidifiers in attics and basements.
• Keep furnaces and hot water heaters in good working order, and keep an eye on pipes for any leaks.
• Be sure to use pressure-treated and sealed wood whenever possible in any home repairs or new construction. 

How to Prevent Termites

The best thing you can do to prevent termites this spring is to contact Thomas Pest Services to have the Sentricon® System with Always Active™ installed by one of our certified technicians. This system consists of underground bait stations that eliminate current colonies and prevent future ones from infesting your property. Give us a call to learn more about our termite control options.