Nothing
can be more devastating to your home than a termite infestation. The
pests feed voraciously on wood and its derivatives (including paper).
They will happily chew their way through most furniture and wooden
support structures. You will want to prevent termites from entering
your home because the moment when even a single small group manages
to establish a colony within your home, all your wooden items are at
risk of being eaten away.
There
are three types of termites: the drywood, subterranean, and dampwood
varieties. Of the three, the first two are the most common in the
California area. Subterranean termites come from underground nests,
and are the most likely to eat through a building’s foundations and
wooden structures. Drywood termites can eat their way through even
undamaged wood, and can survive in urban settings. To counter these
termites, you will first need to make sure that their potential
breeding grounds are as far away as possible from your home.
To
discourage termites from entering your home, you can take several
precautionary measures. You can keep the area around your home clear
of any wood or dead plant matter that could attract the pests. You
might also want to keep your gutters and downspouts clean of both
debris and moisture, as they can be appealing to termites. Consider
repairing leaky plumbing as soon as possible so that water does not
soften your home’s structure and invite infestation.
