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How To Prevent The Tampa Termite   arrow

The Tampa termite may not be as creepy or crawly as your other pests, but they’re just as scary. In fact, you may see termites as a homeowner’s worst nightmare. Even though they’re small, clear, and hard to see; the damage they cause isn’t. As a matter of fact, termites cause about five billion dollars in property damage annually. What may be even worse as that their damage won’t be covered by your homeowner’s insurance.

“These can be terrible situations; a new homeowner can be stuck with expensive damage repair, sometimes costing them over $200,000,” says Daniel Whitney, a Maryland attorney who represents homeowners who have moved into a termite-infested house that a wood-damaging insect inspection did not catch.

And just because Florida’s a breeding ground for all manner of the parasite, that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t be wary of the Tampa Termite. Today, we’re going to talk about a few steps you can take to keep them out of your home.

Home Proofing Against the Tampa Termite

For one, you’re going to want to eliminate, or at least reduce, the moisture in your home.

Subterranean termites are the most common and damaging species of Tampa termite you’ll find. And they require ample moisture to live and thrive. Make sure to take steps to reduce the moisture level in your house. Get your leaky faucets, water pipes, and exterior AC units fixed so that they don’t leak. Also, divert rainwater away from your house through functioning gutters and downspouts.

Then, you’re going to want to store any firewood at least twenty feet from your home.

If you use wood to heat your home, or just enjoy a good fire, you need to store the lumber far from your house. At least twenty feet, like I said above. A good woodpile is exactly what the Tampa termite is looking for as a jumping off point to invade your home.

Also, remove any tree branches from your home and stumps or dead trees as well.

Stumps and dying trees are very attractive to termites, as the dead wood provides them everything they’ll need to sustain their colony. Overhanging branches from living trees can act as their roads into your home as well. So keep tree branches trimmed and far away from your home.

Signs of an Infestation

If it’s too late to prevent the Tampa termite’s onslaught, here’s a few tips to tell whether or not they’ve made their way into your home.

Termite wings are thin and papery, and you may find them near windowsills or the floor. Termites also build mud tubes to use as tunnels to connect them from the soil to their food source. Termite droppings are gritty, and called frass, so that’d be a pretty big tell that they’re in your home already. Also, if the wood in your home sounds hollow that is a big tell. The hollow sound heard when the wood is tapped is a sign that termites have been feasting on it.

What To Do About It?

If the termites have made their way into your home, don’t panic. Make sure to call a licensed exterminator to help you diagnose the severity of the infestation in your home. And make sure to choose a Tampa termite expert who uses natural pest control solutions, as the safety of certain chemical pest controls has recently been called into question.